Letters to a Young Contrarian CH. 18 & Envoi

          The last chapter of this book focuses on Hitchens' experience and analysis of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovnia, and while there are many insightful points that he makes regarding the international conflict, there is one passage that stood out to me. On page 132, he explains how the attitudes of the people of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovnia, were surprisingly peaceful and confident. He says, "I saw the people at their best, being maltreated by people at their worst". He describes how the majority of the population did not allow "chauvinists" to take control and although people were being abused because of their race or their beliefs, they did not give in. I see this situation as an insight to the nature of man. I don't believe that there are good people and there are evil people. I believe all humans have good and evil inside them, and some choose to act upon one or the other. As seen in literature such as "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, when someone commits to the evil within himself, he uses fear to manipulate others to do the same. Then as a group becomes predominantly evil, it is hard for other people to remain loyal to the goodness within. It is fascinating that the people of Bosnia were able to remain good, and they refused to let the evil affect them. This gives me hope in humanity; some people are strong enough to focus on the good parts of themselves rather than crumbling under the power of evil.
          The Envoi obviously is the conclusion to this novel, and Hitchens briefly sums up the advice he has given to the readers. My favorite piece of advice he revisits in the Envoi is "Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity". He explored this topic many times throughout the book, and I definitely wrote about is a few times because I think it is important. So as not to be repetitive, I will just quickly sum up why this advice is necessary. Civilization has thrived off of progress, and our world today would not be as successful as it is without people who have devoted their time to creating change. Change and progress are essential parts of any flourishing society, and if everyone sat back and accepted the "unfair" and "stupid" aspects of society, then we would live in a world full of unfairness and stupidity. People need to be willing to change the problems they see in the world, and they cannot be afraid of standing out or upsetting the masses. I think creating change is one of the most important things not only for individuals and their lives, but for the whole world.