Tense

I am excited to learn about the confluence of Irish and African experiences in the tumultuous ’68. I do recognize that the groups are vastly different from one another but look forward to analyzing the parallels that can be drawn. Thus far, I have found Vinen’s novel to have done a good job in setting up the foundation to begin making these connections. The sheer amount of social and political upheaval of ’68 is fascinating. However, it seems that many of the parallels that we will lay out over the course of the semester will be between ’68 and the present day. I certainly sense that the current cultural attitude is similar to that of ’68. An utterly polarized political landscape along with several looming threats is an environment ripe for drastic, sweeping changes. While I am young, I believe it is telling that at no point in my life has society felt so unsettled by current events. The global pandemic is just the tip of the dumpster fire our generation has inherited; massively daunting challenges such as global warming, racial inequality, and potential economic collapse in the wake of the lockdown lie on the horizon. From reading Vinen, I felt that same sense of desperate fear for the future— young people such as the students in ’68 felt the need to voice out against the system for fear of their futures.