Question

Which set of aliens do you think you would believe—the first set,”The wretched,” or the second set,” The Beautiful ?”Explain why?

Answer 1

Answer:

I would probably believe the first set of aliens, "the wretched".

Explanation:

"The Wretched and the Beautiful", by E. Lily Yu uses aliens as a metaphor for the way we, as a society, view and treat refugees. In the story, the first set of extraterrestrials to arrive on a beach are received with violence. They have a disgusting appearance, which makes humans quick to judge and attack them, even though they are asking for refuge.

A second group, but of beautiful aliens, arrives and convinces the humans that the first group consists of criminals. The humans believe them and are more than relieved when they realize they are not the ones who will have deal with those first aliens.

Even though I do understand why humanity in general would be tempted to believe the second group, I think would believe the first one. I know that we tend to fear what is different. Our primitive brains are wired to identify those who do not belong to our group or tribe as the enemy. Therefore, what is different is usually perceived as dangerous. However, precisely because I have that knowledge, I would try to break that pattern and put myself in those aliens' "shoes". I would imagine what it felt like to ask for help only to be treated as a threat and be attacked instead.