Student 1

Student 3

Ms. Lardieri

English II

2 December 2016

Social Class Discrimination

Have you ever really thought deeply about how fiction mirrors reality? Constantly, fiction

books and stories mirror real life situations that happens within the society. It gives you a

chance to relate and have a better understanding on the life lesson and powerful messages that

are being brought to your attention. As previously said, constantly fiction books and stories

mirrors real life situations that happens within the society. There is also theme. To explain,

theme is defined as a main conception or an concealing sense of an artistic work that may be

verbally expressed directly or indirectly. Ship Breaker is a novel about a young teenage boy

named Nailer who works as a ship breaker with other teenage children to survive the poverty in

that environment. He strives to reach his qouta so he can live a better life. Consequently,

negative treatment towards the lower class is a theme in the novel. Negative treatment towards

lower class in the novel Ship Breakers mimics contemporary environmental issues in our world.

To begin with, the negative methodology of the lower class is unmistakable due to the

lack of safety equipment that the ship breakers have. The novel takes place in the gulf coast

region where the environment is extremely poor. In order to survive, children work as ship

breakers pulling apart parts of the ship to make money so they can provide for their families.

Ship breaking is a very dangerous job. Underaged children working as a ship breaker is a

problem. Nailer is working on the ships with his friend Pima to collect wire and parts of the ship.

In Ship Breakers, it says, His mask kept clogging and in the rush to dive back into the hole,

hed forgotten to renew his LED paint patch. Now he regretted it bitterly as darkness closed

in(Bacigalupi, 17). This evidence is showing the reader that there is lack of safety equipment
 Student 2

being giving to the poor so they can provide for their families with the mindset of I know im

going to make it to see another day. As stated above, ship breaking is a dangerous job. We

need these things to protect the children. Not only for dangerous jobs but from the violence in

the environment in the real world from the terrible things happening in our society. Also this

reflects the lack of equipment accommodated to the ship breakers in the country, Bangladesh.

The lack of equipment is not keeping the workers fully protected from getting badly injured or

even death.

Another way the novel shows negative treatment of the lower class is through the less

fortunate working conditions such as safety or danger the ships breakers are involved in. A lot of

ship breakers are underage children. They are treated as if they were adults. It doesnt matter

what condition you are in or what the weather is like, your lucky to have a job that will help you

provide for your family and yourself. In the novel Babi states, You think a storm means you get

to sit on your ass? Bapi waved toward the work camps strung along the beaches jungle edge.

You think i cant get a hundred other licebitters to take your place? Theres kids down there

whod let me cut an eye if it would get them up on a wreck(Bacigalupi,14). This quote is

showing the reader that by the environment being poor and there aren't many jobs, children

would do anything to earn money to provide and survive. Given these points, this paragraph

show the reader that this theme reflects society because in different countries such as Turkey,

child labour still occurs for a young boy so he can be the breadwinner in his family. He works

12-hour shifts in any weather or body condition to survive and provide for his family.

Lastly, the negative treatment of the lower class is through the lack of education the ship

breakers dealt with. In the novel, the poor who works as ship breakers lack of primary

education. Some can comprehend but others just know ship breaking can help me survive. In

ship breakers it says, The half-men made a face of contempt. You can read? i can make my

mark. I know numbers. Stuff like that Knot blew out an exasperated breath. Your ship-

breaking company has a great deal for. He shook his head. You will need to be taught
 Student 3

then(Bacigalupi, 267). This evidence is showing the reader that ship breakers in the novel lack

of education. Primary education is not given to the poor or any type of education. To summarize,

this paragraph shows how this theme reflects society because in Bangladesh, currently the

urban community has been now teaching 6-15 year old children primary education so they can

have the amount of knowledge they need.

In the final analysis, negative treatment towards the lower class in the novel mirrors

different environmental issues that occurs in the real world today. Such as lack of equipment

being giving to the poor so they can work on the different types of ships but it doesnt protect

them as much of if they had more safety equipment. Ship breaking is a dangerous job. In the

real world the topic reflects how bangladesh ship breakers also lack of safety equipment. The

poor in the novel working conditions are horrible. There are underaged children working as ship

breakers to be the breadwinners for their families and so they can survive. This topic reflects

reality because still in different countries, child labour still exists so that families can survive. In

any type weather or body conditions they are required to work. Finally, lack of education that the

ship breakers have experienced mirrors reality because they arent given primary education

either in bangladesh. Currently they are now receiving it. A author would have fiction mirror

reality to give readers a different insight on what reality has become. The importance on this

theme is the negative way the poor or less fortunate gets treated. The way this theme gets

portrayed in the novel and how it reflects the real world is something that is very powerful

because people have lived that way and people are still going through those types of things in

the world.

Works Cited

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. New York; Hachette Book Group, 2011. Print.