Up the Yangtze, Education, and Agency

     Awhile ago I talked about education vs agency. Now I want to talk about education vs agency vs representation. It seems to me like a person's level of education will greatly affect a person's ability to represent themselves which increases their agency. Cindy's father makes this fairly clear in Up the Yangtze. He seems to be represented by everyone but himself. The tour guide speaks for him when he goes to visit the dam and says that he is poor and uneducated so he doesn't understand and he is angry at the government. It is true that he is poor and uneducated but that doesn't mean his voice should be stunted like that. Later we hear Cindy's father talking about the government and saying something about the fact that he can't read and doesn't have a TV to watch the news so he can't pass judgment on such things. He even stunts his own voice here.

     Cindy's father is capable of recognizing his injustice and his tough situation but it's almost as if he doesn't recognize his own ability to speak because he is uneducated. It's hard to pinpoint the exact reason but I imagine that if he were able to learn about all the people around the world that were struggling just like he is, he would not be so willing to write off his own opinion. If he were only more aware of others in his plight he would make his voice just a little louder and not allow others to misrepresent him. Instead he would be able to represent himself in the midst of his troubles. I think the education would lead to agency which would lead to representation.