The book “ Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell ” involves a critique by the author Chas Smith who gives different views on the surfing community in the North Shore of Hawaii. What makes the critique particularly good is the fact that he portrays a true picture of the community with vivid descriptions. Whereas he gives his opinion in most cases, he tries to emphasize his stance using evidence of true happenings that occurred.
Key elements make a critique effective. First, it must appeal to a large number of people, and it also must carry a positive influence on the people. The level of satisfaction must be considerably high, and every single word must also ensure that it fully serves its purpose. “ Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell ” attempts to uncover various aspects of the North Shore using surf journalism. The book represents Hawaii, where Chas Smith gives the contemporary history of the island especially on the onset of drugs and violence. The author gives much of the history and character on the surfing culture. He highlights the reason why the north shore is attractive no matter how violence it is. He also throws attacks on the surfers and depicts them as styles individuals who do not have a sense of dressing. Through these elements, Chas Smith’s critique on different things is conspicuous and effective.
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The author attempts to paint a picture of the people living in Hawaii especially the surf community. He presents them as people who are determined to ‘’live and operate under different rules’’ (5). Physicality and mental strength are important attributes for anyone hoping to gain influence and power in the community. He further questions the morality and the character of the Hawaiian surfers. The author himself is arrogant, highly opinionated, and focuses more on style other at the expense of substance. This is evident when he calls into question the dressing style of surfers and asserts that they do not look attractive. The author also depicts the reputation and history of Hawaii's North Shore where the beaches are ruled with violence. The author seemingly has a love and hate relationship with the region because despite visiting the area every year to witness the contest, he is criticizing both the area and the people there.
The author claims that he loves the fact that the north shore in Hawaii is lawless and it has dirty secrets. He gives an account of the area with honesty that gives much insight into his character. The author can, therefore, be said to be self-centered and a person living in denial given that much of his thoughts about the surfers and the north shore are his opinions about the area. Using the story of Eddie Rothman, he highlights how people would rise through illegitimate means to establish a life in Hawaii and the surfing industry. Eddie is described as ‘’a legend, a myth, and a specter’’ (21). He also uses this character to give a sense of corruption and violence especially in the part where he narrates that Eddie slapped the CEO and terrorized people in the area. Through focusing on the negative aspects of the society rather than the positive parts of surfing as a competition, the author has been successful in appealing to the readers as most of them find it compelling to understand the secrets about the society that the author is talking about.
In conclusion, the passages in the book, ‘'Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell'' by Smith attempt to give a mixed view on the surfer's community on the North Shore of Hawaii. However, the general feeling is that the region is not a good place because of the deeply rooted societal injustices such as corruption and violence that mark the area. Even though the author still regards the area highly regarding the surfing competition, he is determined to reveal the dirty secrets of which he says that the people in the area have been benefiting from for years.
