Critical Reading Journal: M.K. Gandhi and C.L.R James

In the excerpt of M.K. Gandhi from Hind Swaraj, Gandhi discusses two

topics: India’s freedom and machinery. For India’s freedom, Gandhi

explains that the slavery in India does not apply to all of India so if those

who have been enslaved become free, then all of India is free. Gandhi

also talks about how Swaraj, which is self-rule, of India will free India. I

interpret this idea as those who have been corrupted by the English

social and economic culture have the perspective that everyone else

around them has also been affected even though it is really just them.

The ones who have been corrupted can only save themselves. I wonder

though how those who have been corrupted will become self-aware of the

reality of their situation. With machinery, Gandhi acknowledges that

machinery has contributed to the enslavement of the Indian workers in the

mills. He explains an increase in mills must be prevented. The sacrifice of

not consuming machine made goods will contribute to the state of Swaraj

for India. I believe less reliance on Western machinery will imply less reliance

on the social and economic culture of the Englishmen. This in turn can lead

towards India being completely free.

In the excerpt of C.L.R James from Beyond a Boundary, James examines

the societal ideal of Britain being the all mighty power and challenges how

this ideal is imposed on each individual since childbirth. I believe it is very

hard to deter from the ideals of society that are taught to you early on in your

life. It takes a lot of self-awareness to come to this realization. When growing

up with this imposed ideal, it is very easy to impose this ideal on others

because you are taught to believe this ideal is always right.