Folyosó Spring 2021 - Page 4

Başak Ünal

A high thick masonry structure forming a long rampart or an enclosure chiefly for defense. — That’s the definition of the word “wall” according to Merriam Webster. When I first saw the definition five minutes ago, there was only one thing that made me pause for a second: “for defense.” 

People are like castles. In their early years, they haven’t yet faced any real dangers and thus don’t know how to defend themselves. They usually don’t have to, either. These times are spent in peace and order. If they get used to comfort and behave carelessly, they will be left vulnerable. They’ll get hurt…. Everything is permissible in war and human relations. The more vulnerable you are, the more you attract the enemy. The more you bleed, the more you pull the vampire. 

At this point, the similarity between a person and a castle can amaze you because they also defend against outsiders in the same way: by building a wall. Of course, the wall’s strength may vary depending on its material, how badly you are hurt, its foundation, etc. Our human or castle is now ready for the next battle. 

What are the advantages of building a wall? First, it provides a highly reliable protection during a war (or in a relationship, but that might be unnecessary to mention, as they are basically the same thing). Second, it is a deterrent against the enemy and prevents them from attacking. As the blood attracts the vampire, a stake can also keep it at bay. The wall makes you feel safe even when you are not under attack. 

The castle was innocent. Someone attacked. It was damaged. Walls were built. The enemy attacked again. The castle defended itself. The attack failed. Now what? The walls will have no use anymore but also can’t be undone. Not only because it is almost impossible physically, but also because they will be needed when the next enemy comes. If you enclose the castle without a gap, no evil can go through the walls and hurt you. Of course evil isn’t the only thing that can’t go through those walls. The problem starts here. While you are safe between the four walls (or round walls) of the castle, you lock yourself there. Congratulations, you are now a very safe prisoner. 

The only understandable means of escape is putting a door in your walls. It may seem simple, but I assure you, it is not. Where do you put the keys? If you can reach them, evil can too. When do you open that door? Is it safe? Do you think it is rational to open it? What is rational?  How can you say if someone will betray you? What if they are the love of your life and you’ll miss the opportunity because of your trust issues? Well, what is trust? How can you trust someone? Do you feel safe? Are you feeling paranoid? Maybe you have the right to be paranoid. Is this a mental illness? How about checking a therapist, now that could help. Do you really want to give your keys to a stranger? Let’s stay inside for now. Let’s get rid of the keys. Let’s remove the door. Let’s pour more concrete. That’s better.  

Áron Antal

The Wall of Berlin was demolished in 1989; it was demolished by the enormous crowd gathered around the two sides of the wall, the curtain that separated Europe into two totally different parts, both of whom wanted to reunite. Because of all the people who reunited at those moments when the walls were falling down, the joy in the tears of thousands and thousands of people, at a reunion so huge, the guards couldn’t do anything but join the revolt, and sing with the crowd as the heavy concrete blocks were crashing to the ground, falling to pieces so as to resemble the fall of the Soviet Union. To destroy the structure that had destroyed many lives, and to commemorate those who could escape the “imprisonment” by any means, even if they had to give their life as the passport. It was a beautiful day, to see the hundreds of Wartburgs, Trabants and Ladas rolling to the other side, to freedom. On that day, people, the crowd showed that the common man, if organised and led by a common will, could cause the fall of one of the biggest nations at the time. And who would have thought that the destruction of the wall would lead to the fall of the castle?

But nowadays, people don’t realise how powerful they could be, and what big changes they could make to the world. Nowadays, people try to think that they live in an ideological world, where everything is available and must be. That has made people harmless towards the influence of leaders and dictators, and care-free towards other human beings and social norms and responsibilities. Why help someone stuck in the mud, when my hands will get dirty? Why do anything if I can live a perfect life and I can have anything; as my government says: Consume! Things will give you happiness! You will be happy, because you can have everything, and they, the upper 10,000, will be happy because they made you think that by giving them your income, you will be happy! Consume while you can, because at some point, they will consume you! You will be dependent on what you buy, and they will rule this world, because they will have everything!

Today’s social ideology is that if you do not succeed on others’ terms, you are nothing. If you’re not perfect in every way possible, you are worthless. If you don’t have the perfect body, the perfect lover, the perfect house, car, and a lot of money, you are worthless. Miss out on the real beauties of life, because if not, you will be worthless. Why go on trips, enjoy your meals, watch as the sun rises, and just wonder about your own existence on a sunny summer afternoon, if you could study and work the hell out of your soul to live the perfect life? You can only achieve perfection if you don’t think; instead, let others think about what is good for you. You must never be satisfied with yourself, because constant self-improvement, towards that unreachable goal that social expectations set for you, is the true key to The Perfection.

People today are not measured by their soul, but by their wealth and their appearance. If that had been the case in 1989, that wall would still be standing where it stood.