Analysis of Simic's "Elegy in a Spider's Web"

Simic's essay "Elegy in a Spider's Web" is a concise treatise on the ways in which people are willing to sacrifice almost anything for the will of a group. His background as a Yugoslavian born individual gives him a unique perspective in which he is able to make his point from the perspective of the civil war that occurred in his native country several years ago. The points that he makes are harsh but based on experiences that he has either seen himself or heard from others.

One of the first points that Simic makes is that hatred is equated with stupidity. He opens with several examples, including the idea that the civil war in Yugoslavia is like a man who is literally tearing himself to pieces because he thinks that by him doing so, he is doing a good thing. This stems from the fact that every group in Yugoslavia had its own agenda, and wanted to dig up the past as a way of having someone to hate. On prime example of this is the quote: "We hear people say in Yugoslavia, 'I didn't used to hate them, but after I read what they've been doing to us, I'd like to see them all dead.'" Simic uses this to demonstrate that people want to have someone to hate. They blindly follow this line of thinking because it is what their particular group tells them they should do.

Simic spends the majority of his essay trying to prove that most people blindly follow whatever group that they belong to. "Here is something we can all count on. Sooner or later our tribe always come to ask us to agree to murder.", is the idea that the group (nation, ethnic group, etc) that we belong to always come down to a kind of war mongering, and we are all expected to go along with it. Not following the lead of your group can be construed as being a traitor to whatever group you may belong to.

The prime point that comes from all these examples and opinions is that hate is a core, unifying force in any group. The mistrust of other groups who aren't exactly like the one to which you belong leads to civil war, murder, and other horrendous actions. Simic's reaction to all of this was to keep himself out of the argument. He didn't want to be involved, because he saw no reason for all these groups to really hate each other. As he points out, however, many people do not understand his position and thus label him as being a traitor to his ethnic group. Simic himself states that he has never been good at hating people, and this is a valid observation. However, it becomes apparent that most people do not understand this concept.

Another point that Simic makes is that those who hate usually do not stick to one particular belief. From one day to the next, their ideals can change for no apparent reason. In Simic's reasoning, this makes them even worse: "At least religious fanatics stick mostly to what they believe in."

Simic's essay is well written and very emotionally defiant of the things that are considered norms in his society as well as other societies around the world. He makes it a point to challenge misconceptions about who he is and why things are the way they currently are. He recognizes very wisely the role of the media and stereotypes in perpetuating the status quos. Through all of this, he makes his point that hate is stupidity but it will always have a very solid future because no one really knows what to do.

Sources
Simic, "Elegy in a Spider's Web"