In Hawai'i there is a myth known as the alamihi crab syndrome. The myth is a creation of foreign origin used to explain a Western worldview of Hawaiians. It is deployed to explain everything from the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy to the reason why Hawaiians can never better their lives. Crabs in a bucket have a tendency to struggle and fight to escape early in their captivity. As time passes, the crabs in the bucket give in to their depressing state of affairs. Many are observed as docile, lifeless, and almost dead. Life in the bucket also has the potential to be dangerously comfortable because the crabs learn to become content with their captivity. Employing this analogy by considering the Hawaiians as the crabs, and the bucket as the perceived benefits of Western civilization, Perry illustrates his point that an imperial system of oppression that has been present in Hawaii for over 200 years is in no hurry to leave. He believes that the Hawaiian people should always be encouraged to be aware of their colonial-like situation. He posits that the Hawaiian, like the crab, was never meant to live in a bucket. Perry writes that Hawaiians must flourish on the solid foundation rooted in their native spirituality, intellect, and culture, and that foundation is not located in institutions and ideas that have no conscience to overcome oppression. In such cases the people will continue to exist in the proverbial U.S. bucket. Perry concludes that courage is required to climb out of the bucket and education is a key factor in advancing a movement for greater self-governance as each step forward gains Hawaiians better insight to their world as an oppressed people struggling to manage the reestablishment and governance of the nation.