Discard and the temporarlity of Human Life by Fatima Shafique

Discard and a Lifetime

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:32:02 UTC

Gregson's primary claim throughout the chapter is the idea that the act of discard goes hand in hand with the cycle of life and is a process which cannot be erased but can be controlled using the 3 R's which are to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Humans are driven to discard items throughout their life time which is shown through different events in one's life time.

Color Code

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:32:45 UTC

Central Claim of Text

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:33:43 UTC

This is the Gregson's primary claim before she dives into her sections which further enhance her initial claim.

Central Claim of Section 3

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:34:34 UTC

This is one of her section that primarily focuses on how human life and the act of discarding is intertwined.

Sub-claims

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:35:23 UTC

These are supporting reasons that help explain Gregson's primary claim in Section 3.

Evidence

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:36:42 UTC

These pieces of evidence explain the sub-claims presented.

Conclusion and Analysis

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:37:42 UTC

This is the last piece to the map which helps explain how everything throughout the arrows connect (the central claim, subclaims, and evidence)

Discard and the Temporality of Human Life

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:41:03 UTC

In order to understand what it means to discard something in relation to humanity it is imperative to understand the connect to the life cycle or in other words the temporarily of human life. Discarding is the result of human life. It comes from a human's possessive nature to own and then disown something that they feel a connection to, whether that be physically, emotionally, or mentally. This also proves why society cannot thrive without discarding as it makes room for a new route in life which is furthered detailed by the sub-claims.

sub-claim 1

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:46:12 UTC

There are many notable reasons in which people discard things in their life. One specifically would be the aftermath of a loved's one death. After the funeral as well as the burial, those living are left with the remainders of what use to be one's belongings. Due to the end factor of the life of the human who owned such things, those who end up with it may see it different. This will result in different forms of discarding. One being to jettison things of every day life such as a toothbrush as this holds no value in the eyes of the living. Whereas other items such as clothing can be reused or repurposed by means of donation or selling on secondhand selling websites. lastly, if the loved one passing is a parent with children, their properties would be divided up between the children.

sub-claim 2

fs565 — 2024-10-14 00:46:27 UTC

The act of discard is also associated with key transitions in a human's life. Fot example, when it comes to moving or leaving from a location whether it be major or minor. For example, the act of moving a house results in the discarding of items one believes will no longer fit into the new life style they have created for themselves which may either be turned into waste or given away. These things will be replaced which as Gregson states is one of the main issues with humans. Humans are known to over-consume as seen when one moves since they believe a new house may call for new appliances to better fit this major transition in their lives.

Evidence

fs565 — 2024-10-14 01:00:41 UTC

"Perhaps the most obvious is the clearing of effects that accompanies every human death. This process is defined and shaped by categories of things, and the sorting of things into these categories." (Gregson 48)

sub-claim 3

fs565 — 2024-10-14 01:01:28 UTC

Although, waste is seen in major events such as death or key transitions in one's life it is also seen in every day life events. These could be small decisions such as changing the mattress cover which results in the old one being tossed out as it has been used to its maximum amount and is no longer usable. Humans are wasteful. We make excuses through our evaluations of what items in our possession hold value. For example, when it comes to clothes we decide the piece of cloth has been worn too much going out and we discard the cloth which innately goes to landfills to serve as the accumulated waste of mankind.

Evidence

fs565 — 2024-10-14 01:24:19 UTC

". Jettisoning here marks the need for a subject to reassert their identity, separate from things that are too-potent reminders of previous attachments. It also clears the ground for potential renewal, in the form of new attachments." (Gregson 49)

Evidence

fs565 — 2024-10-14 01:49:26 UTC

"Finally, discard and discarding punctuate the more everyday rhythms of how humans live with stuff. This is because everyday life is full of ordering activities. Consequently, everyday practices of living, or the sheer ongoingness all result in things being routinely discarded." (Gregson 49-50)

Conclusion

fs565 — 2024-10-14 02:02:05 UTC

This specific sub-claim as well connects with the central claim of section 3 which states that the act of discarding helps give one a new route in life otherwise known as creating a new beginning or a fresh start. This process of wanting to renew oneself results in a lot of discarding since one associates a new them with new belongings.

Conclusion

fs565 — 2024-10-14 02:02:30 UTC

Gregson notes the aftermath of a human's death as a "process" which further enhances her central claim that the act of discard is associated with the cycle of life. Throughout one's life, there is much that is discarded and wasted, however the end of their lifetime is also followed by more discarding as it maintains society's idea of what it means to live aligning with Gregson's idea of what it means to be human.

Conclusion

fs565 — 2024-10-14 02:03:10 UTC

Every day humans discard things from their lives to make room for the newer things they have bought whether these be small items such as a pan or big renovations such as a new toilet. No matter how wasteful, as humans we jettison things day to day in order make room for more.