Topic > Antigone, Hairspray, The Boy Without a Flag and Letter...

Martin Luther King Jr. talks about the “frightening silence of good people” and how the silence of “good people” encourages the current situation and Their good intentions do not push for change or social justice. In Antigone, Hairspray, “The Boy Without a Flag,” and “Letter From A Birmingham Jail,” examples of social injustice and racial segregation issues can be observed, as well as the influence and actions of silent bystanders. The quiet but well-intentioned people in every work of literature have the opportunity to advocate for change and influence others, but they don't do so out of fear. In Sophocles' play Antigone, Ismene and the chorus can be seen as well-meaning but silent people who do not act in the story. Ismene initially fears the punishment she might face if she were captured and states that she cannot disobey King Creon because “Women? Challenge Creon? It's not a place for women. We are weak where they are strong (10).” In this conversation Ismene states that women have no right or power to defy the law or men, and that women "must do what [they] are told (10)" which is why she refuses to help Antigone . Ismene does not resist authority to do what is morally right, which leads Antigone to bury her brother alone and does not allow Ismene to take part in the punishment since Ismene was not brave enough and does not deserve the same fate as Antigone . . Like Ismene, the Chorus fears King Creon's punishment and does not speak out against him because they respect him. The Chorus also sees Antigone as reckless and disrespectful towards the king, which is why they mostly take the king's side. However, the chorus can be seen to take Antigone's side in one part of the play because they see King Creon's punishment... in the center of the card...ion and his misunderstanding of why he should and needs to obey. It. By observing the behavior of bystanders, the reader understands the reckless outcomes of the situation which tend to be worse. The reader can also understand the power of people speaking out against authority and how good results can be achieved when pushing against unjust laws for what is morally right, even if it has consequences. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. 2010. Print.Heaney, Seamus. The Burial at Thebes: A Version of Sophocles Antigone. New York: Farrar, Stratus and Giroux. 2004. Print. Rodriguez, Abraham. “The boy without a flag”. The civically engaged reader: A diverse collection of provocative short reads on civic activity. Eds. Adam Davis and Elizabeth Lynn. Chicago: The Great Books Foundation, 2006. 16-28. Press.