A trip to the mall can be seen as
just visiting a shopping center, a place to grab something to eat, or a place
to hang out with friends. Little do we know that the mall is used as a trap by
the owners of the mall as well as owners of stores to get people to do what
they want. We are too focused on having a good time and getting things done
that we do not think about how a mall can be connected to having a prison like
identity.
Although the mall may be considered a
public space, it is not a place where you can do whatever it is that you
want. Let’s say you are in the mood to
walk in with just shoes and boxers, do you think you will be able to get away
with it? It is a public space therefore you should be able to be free and do
what you want right? Wrong! The owners of these places, or the dominant groups,
are in fact in control of the mall. They
are the ones that make the rules, they are able to provide a safe environment for
all of us and make sure that no one’s behavior gets out of hand. Although these rules may not be so obvious,
because they are not posted all around the mall, it is still something that
people know about. People know because
if others get in trouble then they know that they should not do that, in other
words they learn from the mistakes of others.
If you do something wrong or inappropriate then you will get in trouble
and know that what you did is not acceptable and others can learn from your
mistake as well. For example, I had a
couple friends who went to the mall one day and decided to play tag around the
mall, I mean why would you not want to do that it’s everyone’s dream to play
tag in a place way bigger than your backyard.
After playing for a few minutes security noticed them and they got in
trouble and are now banned from the mall for a year. This is a clear example that in fact the mall
is not a public space because you are not able to do whatever your heart
desires.
Although there are different types
of intellectuals, and by intellectuals I mean people, in the end they all end
up treated the same. Whether you have a
lot of money or are of a dominant race, you still get treated the same. Like Gramsci mentions in “The Formation of
the Intellectuals”, “The relationship between the intellectuals and the world
of production is not as direct as it is with the fundamental social groups but
is, in varying degrees, “mediated” by the whole fabric of society and by the
complex of superstructures, of which the intellectuals are, precisely, the
“‘functionaries.’ ” The relationship between intellectuals and the world is
mediated in many ways and an example of that would be being restricted of
performing certain actions in a place like in a mall.
Not only is the mall like a prison,
but we can see it as being like a bad diet.
You want to stop eating all the sugary foods, like no cake or candy but
once you see it and smell you cannot help yourself. The mall is very smart and they know how to
attract people. If they have well known
stores in their locations then that means more consumers. Once you are in there and you see something
that catches your eye, you just want to go for it because it is easier to say
yes than no. if you say no then you will
keep thinking about it and have it in your head and if you say yes then you are
satisfied.
Once
you are in, you do not leave with the same feelings as you had when you first
entered. You may go in with the thought
of only getting what you need but there are greater possibilities that you will
come out wanting something else or purchasing something else. Just like in a prison, once you are in you do
not come out the same way. The “prison guards” in a mall are the security. They are watching your ever move making sure
that you do not break the rules. After
remaining in a mall for seven entire days, in “The Full MoA” Snyder mentions in
Day seven of his ordeal, “9:30. I exit the north doors and mosey through the busily
emptying parking lot to my car. I feel
worn-out and ill. But free.” The way he
describes that scene is as if he was a free man once again, he was free of all
the temptation like shopping for clothes, buying food, etc.
The
mall is a place that’s goal is to get into people’s head. Some of us are aware that it is a trap for
companies to get our money because they make it so hard to resist buying
certain things that may catch our eye.
Although it is not a fully public space, since we are restricted of
certain actions, we cannot deny the fact that it is a place that many people
enjoy going to.
Work Cited
Gramsci, Antonio. “The Formation of the
Intellectuals.” The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Vincent B.
Leitch, Editor. New York: W. W. Norton, 2001. 1142-1143. Print.
Snyders, Matt. “The Full MoA”. Convergences:
Themes, Texts, and Images for Composition. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford-St.
Martins, 2009.
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