The Film “Bilal: A New Breed of Hero” and Sisyphus’ Story Research Paper

Introduction

Literature has been used as a powerful tool to pass important messages to society. They have been used to enable people to understand cities and homes, and how to overcome challenges that may arise. The movie Bilal: A New Breed of Hero and the story about Sisyphus illustrates the unique challenges that some people go through. They talk of secret to resistance in an effort to create home place a uniquely safe, free, and peaceful visionary space. Home is meant to be the safest place for everyone (Pohl et al. 1660). However, the safety and serenity of home is robbed by greedy and selfish individuals who view themselves as superior. They end up enslaving the weak and taking advantage of them to increase their wealth.

The two literatures chosen show that sometimes the right thing to do is to defy the authority. Doing so may bring immense pain and suffering (Ferguson et al. 56). One can easily give up in the face of such pain, but the stories show that when one has the will power, they can easily withstand the pain and suffering. It is through the resistance and will power that one is able to create the desired change and turn home into a safe, free, and peaceful environment. The process may involve making major sacrifices, but as long as the focus is maintained and there is determination, success always come at the end. Using Bell Hook’s principles of love, care, respect, and integrity and Jacques Lacan theory of real, imaginary, and symbolic, it is possible to steps needed to create safe homes and cities. In this paper, the focus is to discuss how resistance can help turn home place into a safe, free, and peaceful place, basing the analysis on Bilal’s and Sisyphus’ struggles and relying on the theories and principles above.

Discussion

Literature has remained a powerful tool that makes it possible to explain various social norms and practices, societal challenges, events, and issues that defines a community. For centuries, stories have been used as a tool for learning one’s culture, beliefs, and specific activities. Beck explains that in the past, literature was used to advise, guide, educate, warn, rebuke, motivate, and condemn specific actions and people as a way of holding morality and hard work (78). Some of these stories have been transformed into films to serve the same purpose (Fox and Qabaha 115). In this paper, the focus will be on the story of Bilal, as told in the film Bilal: A New Breed of Hero and the ancient Greek story about Sisyphus.

Bilal’s Struggles in Creating Safe Homes and Cities in the Film ‘Bilal: A New Breed of Hero’

The film tells a story of the struggles of Bilal from a young age. When he was a little boy, their village was invaded, and he and his sister were kidnapped and taken as slaves. Their mother lost her life during the inversion. They lost their safe homes and begun a new life of slavery as they had to withstand the physical and verbal abuses of their masters. However, he kept having nightmares and sometimes he would meet his mother in his dreams when he fell asleep. The mother constantly reminded him that they will one day be free. In their conversation, the mother tells Bilal that his father was a great man, and that he too will be a great person. The mother then asks Bilal what he wants to become.

Bilal tells his mother, “I want to be a great warrior, I want to be a great man”

The mother tells Bilal, “Being a great man means living without chains …. The ones you can’t see…. Being a warrior won’t make you a great man if you are chained to anger and vengeance. Superstition and fear are chains too…. To be a great man, you must be free of them all” (Bilal: A New Breed of Hero).

As a young boy, he could not understand the message of the mother. He particularly couldn’t understand the riddle of chains because he could not see them. He tells his mother that he can’t see or feel the chains.

The mother tells him that “you will find a way, guidance will come, you will see, and no chains will hold you.”

Later on, Bilal thinks of his conversation with his mother. He says, “You were wrong mother, I am a slave, and there will always be chains” (Bilal: A New Breed of Hero). The prophecies of the mother came to pass, and Bilal and her sister became slaves in the foreign land. Bilal particularly went through immense torture in the hands of his master. The master’s son hated Bilal’s guts and made sure that he punished him whenever it was possible. The chains that he could not see when he was talking to the mother as a young boy became a reality. He would be chained by the master and publicly punished because he started resisting the slavery. When he says that the chains of slavery will always be there, as opposed to what the mother told him, the pain and suffering had become too much. He felt that the only way to avoid punishment from the master was to avoid any form of resistance that could bring him more punishment. At this stage, the only consolation that he had was the presence of his sister and her constant encouragements.

In the film, Bilal encounters a young hungry boy who is begging for food. The boy was standing next to a god who grants wishes. Bilal notices that many people ignored pleas of the boy, but donated coins to the god so that their wishes could be granted. When the young boy tried to steal coins donated to the gods, Bilal stopped him and gave him something to eat. The encounter also demonstrated the suffering that the slaves faced in this country. They lack the basic needs, and those who control means of production are not interested in offering them any help. The boy is staving, but people would rather appease the gods instead of helping the poor. Those in power are keen on punishing those who break their law, including a young staving boy, just to ensure that they remind everyone about their position. Bilal offers to give the young boy his bread because he understands his pain.

It is at this stage that Bilal meets the lord of merchants, whom he mistakes for a priest. After a few pleasantries, Bilal asks him what he knows about fear. The lord of merchants had warned him about fear and how it can enslave an individual despite their social standing in society.

The lord of merchants says, “I have seen it in many eyes, of what makes a slave of many. A woman is pregnant and she fears she will bear a girl, and begs gods to fix it, a rich man fears poverty, he shares a little of it with gods, and promises to give more if he stays wealthy, an old man fears death, so he pays a priest for deliverance. These fear compels them to seek refuge in these gods.”

Bilal tells the lord of merchants, “All these talks of equality is wishful thinking. It holds no meaning to me.”

The merchant says as Bilal is walking away, “Bilal, I saw greatness in the hands that saved that boy today. And remember, great men are ones who have the will to choose a wrong destiny” (Bilal: A New Breed of Hero).

The lord of merchants talks about two concepts that Bilal had forgotten having served as a slave for several years. He talks about social justice and equity, which Bilal believed were not meant for slaves like him. However, the merchant reminds him that greatness is achieved when one decides to take a path less travelled. While almost all the slaves in this kingdom believed that it was impossible for them to achieve the same level of benefits as their masters do, the merchant advised Bilal to think differently if he wanted to become a great man. He had to start by liberating his mind. The merchant reminded him that even the masters were slaves in their mind. He explained to him that the rich are enslaved by the fear of poverty. They constantly serve the gods with the hope of staying rich. On the other hand, the old are in constant fear of death, and would do everything within their powers to become young again. The true liberation is in the mind, overcoming all the fears and breaking away from the mental bondage. The message of this merchant was eerily similar to the message about chains that Bilal was informed about by his mother several years back.

It is necessary to note that Bilal decided to get the mental liberation and to face the slave masters without fear. He kept meeting the lord of merchants, and when his master knew about it, he chained him and subjected him to torture. Although he was chained, he informed the master that he was no longer in bondage, and did not fear any punishment, including death. The boldness shocked the master, who tried to bribe him to help him spy on the lord of merchants. Bilal refused, believing that greed is another dangerous form of slavery (Darmawan and Simanjuntak 82). The pain and the threat of death did not change his mind. He is finally sold to the merchant, who considers him a brother. He joined the lord of merchants and other like-minded individuals and moved to a city where social justice and equity was practiced. It was at this stage that he stage that Bilal decided to fight for the creation of safe homes and a new city where slavery was not practiced.

When his former master organized a raid in their new village, they put up a resistance, and they defeated the enemy. They went back to the city where they were enslaved with the goal of freeing Bilal’s sister and other slaves. The armed resistance led to the death of his former master, and dethroning of the master’s son. Although many slaves lost their lives because of the rebellion, it led to the liberation of those who remained. It led to the creation of safe cities and homes where everyone felt free and safe. It was a demonstration that when one wants to bring change, they had to be willing to follow a path that everyone else avoided. They had to do something different to ensure that the current norms and practices are disrupted. Their effort led to the creation of safe cities for both slaves and slave masters. It created equality and mutual respect for everyone, as is explained in Kooks’ principles love ethic.

Sisyphus’ Struggle

The tale about Sisyphus has it that when Death came for him, he cheated it and ensnared it instead. That was a bold decision that no one had tried before. Sisyphus felt that at the time that Death had come for him, there were several things he had not accomplished. He felt compelled to complete these tasks as he was a king and his people has specific expectations. The problem was that when death came, one had no option but to go. He decided to do things differently, and the only thing he could do was to capture death itself. During this period, he instructed his wives that in case he died, he should not be buried and neither should the burial rights be conducted. He knew that Death would visit him again, and he had a plan when that happened.

When he died, he deceitfully explained to Hades, the gods of the underworld, that his wives had failed to perform funeral rights, and that he was not at peace. He explained that if allowed to return to earth, he would punish his wives for making such a mistake, and force them to perform such rights before coming back to the underworld (Simon 12). Hades agreed with him, and allowed him to get back to earth with the primary goal of punishing the wives for their mistakes and organizing the burial. Death did not know that he had planned for the return. When the permission was granted, he broke his promise to the lord of the underworld and lived a full life, happily with his wives. The king of Corinth, known for his trickery, was able to use his skills to fight what he believed to be a social injustice.

When Sisyphus finally died, the lord of the underworld decided to punish him. He was instructed to roll a huge bolder up a hill to its very top (Belliotti 45). The problem was that every time the bolder neared the peak of the hill, it would roll down to the bottom end. It meant that Sisyphus had to roll up the stop for eternity. The story expresses the suffering and frustrations humankind go through on a daily basis. Camus equates this story to the constant need for one to feed (22). Every time a person would take food and feel satisfied, only for them to be hungry a few hours later. They have to repeat the same process for as long as they are alive. It is seems like a process in futility because it has no end to it.

The struggles of Sisyphus has been an encouragement to many based on the literary analysis that has been conducted. Simon explains that for the audacity of Sisyphus to cheat death was a demonstration that sometimes one needs to take bold steps even when they know consequences will be dire (34). He knew that his actions would have dire consequences. However, he felt that as a king, there were things he had to accomplish. He decided to defy all odds and made a decision that enabled him to lead a full peaceful life and accomplish his kingly responsibilities.

Like Bilal’s story, Sisyphus struggles demonstrates how the protagonist struggled to protect the safety of their home. Sisyphus was willing and able to cheat a god, several time, just to spend enough time enjoying the peace and tranquility of his home and kingdom. Camus states that although it is explained that Sisyphus was given an eternal punishment for cheating death, it does not explain whether others who obeyed death were rewarded in any way (56). Death, being a malevolent force, was unlikely to reward anyone as he was the lord of pain and suffering. It was better to cheat it because pain and suffering that Sisyphus went through when he finally died, is waiting for everyone.

What Makes Bilal’s Resistance More Powerful and True

Bilal’s resistance was more powerful and true than that of Sisyphus. The story about Sisyphus is an ancient tale that talks about events that happened in the underworld. In modern society, such tales tend to be less convincing. The ability of a man to negotiate with death and cheat it in the process is a story that is considered a fairy tale. This is the main difference between the two literatures. Although both stories focused on the commitment of the protagonists to create safe homes and cities, the following are some of the major differences.

One of the things that make Bilal’s resistance more powerful was that he was able to kill his master. As the story begins, the captures raided their village and in the process, killed her mother and abducted him and his sister. In the land of slavery, Bilal’s master was the symbol of his true pain and suffering. The master and his son made sure that they regularly reminded him that he was a slave. If the master or the son felt that verbal reminders were not enough, they would physically assault him. He made sure that he forgot the teachings and encouragement of the mother, about the need to break the chains and achieve freedom.

When Bilal and his former master met in the battlefield, the stakes remained high. The goal of the master was to recapture Bilal and enslave him once again, as he believed that he and his family should remain enslaved forever. On the other hand, Bilal felt that the destruction of his former master would be the true demonstration of a complete destruction of slavery and its systems. When the two met in a direct physical combat, Bilal succeeded in killing the master. This was the peak of the resistance to slavery and success of his destruction.

The story about Bilal is powerful because he went back to the land where he had been enslaved as a victor. Following the defeat and destruction of the slave masters and their army, Bilal and his comrades decided to go back and free the remaining slaves in that kingdom. The primary aim of Bilal was to rescue her sister or avenge her death in case she was murdered. The triumphant entry into the kingdom and the ease with which he subdued the son of his former master demonstrates that with perseverance, one can conquer some of the worst challenges in life. He was able to protect her sister at last, which was the only responsibility that her mother had left him with before they were taken into captivity.

The lack of revenge demonstrated by Bilal also makes his story compelling and powerful. During his time in captivity, the master and his son made sure that he was regularly punished. The son was particularly keen on making sure that he suffered as much as possible. After the death of the master and the destruction of their army, Bilal went back to the kingdom and they took control of it. He was able to kill the former master’s son or at least make him suffer verbal and physical pain. However, when he realized that his sister was not murdered, he decides to forgive him.

Comparing Bilal’s Rock to Sisyphus Rock

In both stories, the protagonists were faced by rocks, which symbolized their sufferings. One of the similarities of the two rocks is that in both cases, the protagonists had to bear the full weight of the rock without any assistance. In both cases, the rock was meant to torture the protagonists instead of saving any meaningful purpose. It is also evident that the masters in both cases watched their victims suffer, which gave them joy. Both Bilal and Sisyphus has angered their masters. Bilal rejected the master’s offer to become a spy against the lord of merchants. Sisyphus cheated death only to spend time with his wives that he had vowed to punish. In both cases, the rock was meant to warn others who might be tempted to defy their masters. Both rocks symbolize the primary obstacle in the creation of safe homes and cities for both protagonists.

There are some differences about the two rocks that are worth mentioning. The main difference between the two rocks is that Sisyphus rock would be taken up the hill only to roll back as it neared the top of the hill. It meant that it was an eternal process of taking the rock up the hill. On the other hand, Bilal’s rock lasted a short while before it was lifted away. In Bilal’s case, the lord of merchants, who considered him a good friend, came to his rescue. However, Sisyphus suffered without receiving any assistance. In the case of Sisyphus, it is clear that he cheated death twice, which was the cause of his suffering. He escaped death partly because of selfish desires, which was the need to lead a complete life with his wives. On the other hand, Bilal was an obedient slave who was denied basic rights. He did not intend to challenge his master, but he could not betray his friendship with the lord of merchants.

Cultural and Psychological Perspective of the Struggles

The sufferings of the protagonists in the two literatures can be analyzed from a cultural and psychological perspective. From the cultural perspective, the struggles of Bilal epitomizes challenges that some people go through to bring about change. Hooks explains the struggles that women had to go through to promote feminism (177). Women, just like Bilal, were slaves who did not find peace even in their homes. The problem was particularly worse for African American women in this country. They worked as slaves in the houses of their white masters during the day, and in the evening, they had to go back home and take care of their household chores (Hooks 127). Women of color were culturally expected to work at all times irrespective of their age (Valdivia 430). As young children, they were to help their parents with household chores. They had to take parental roles when they became adults, and as they aged, they had their roles as grandmothers. In the same way, Bilal and his fellow slaves were expected to work for their master’s until death. From a psychological perspective, the behavior of Bilal and fellow slaves can be observed and understood. Over time, they had come to embrace slavery as a destiny that they could not avoid. They believed that they had to behave in a way that would not anger their masters. As such, they followed every instruction that was given to them religiously.

Bell Hooks strongly believed in the principles and concepts championed by Jacques Lacan in most of her works of literature. She was particularly attracted to Lacanian theory of real, imaginary, and symbolic (Ballestín 3). Using this theory to analyze the story about Bilal, the real refers to the actual chains used to hold prisoners. When Bilal disobeyed his master, he was put in chains and thrown to prison. He was physically restricted within the prison walls by the chains and the walls. He could not physically escape from this bondage.

The theory explains that the imaginary are the fantasies that people have in their minds. While Bilal was in prison, he told his master that he was a free man without chains. The master got agitated, telling him not to talk in riddles because the chains were physically visible. What he did not understand was that at that moment, Bilal was in the world of fantasy, and in that world, he was a free man and slavery was not practiced there. The psychological torture that he had went through in the hands of his master had trained him to be humble. Before he met the Lord of Merchants, he was an obedient servant. However, he had a psychological transformation after the encounter, and remembered the advice that her mother gave to him as a young child just before they were abducted.

The symbolic is that which is meant to represent something. In this case, the broken chains in the mind of Bilal was a symbol of freedom. From a psychological perspective, the state of Bilal’s mind had changed. He no longer considered physical restraints as a meaningful means of imprisoning him. He believed that as long as he was mentally free, no chain could enslave him. He believed that the physical bondage was temporary and weak forces that would soon be destroyed. He believed that once one had the faith that they are free, then it was a powerful symbol that they are soon gaining the same.

Bell based most of her works on the principles and concepts of Lacan. She explained that from a cultural and psychological perspective, our society is what we make of it (Hendrix 14). If a section of the society is considered to be inferior and only capable of being slaves, then systems will be put in place to ensure that they remain in that position. If women are denied the opportunity to achieve career success, then they will remain subordinate to their male counterparts (Smith 89). The truth is that when everyone is treated equally, then some of those perceived to be inferior can emerge as the most successful and helpful members of society. Bilal demonstrated that he is an excellent worrier capable of liberating his community.

Conclusion

Literature remains a powerful tool that informs, educates, advises, warns, and guides members of society when presented in different ways. The film about Bilal and the story of Sisyphus demonstrates the pain and suffering that people sometimes go through. The film about Bilal demonstrates the power of the mind even one is facing a major challenge. It shows that both the slave and the master can be chained, though differently. The slave will be facing the physical bondage and the pain that their masters subject them to regularly. On the other hand, the master will be a slave of his mind and desires. They are chained by the fear of losing their wealth and power, and possibly becoming slaves themselves. The true liberation can only be achieved when one overcomes all forms of fear and desire for material wealth. In both stories, it is demonstrated that when one has the willpower, then they can conquer their oppressor. This belief is supported by the works of Bell Hooks and Jacques Lacan.

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