Apart from high levels of tolerance, racism is under vehement discussion in the modern world. Many authors address this problem in their works, and Rankine and Whitehead are not exceptions. In her book, Citizen, Rankine presented a poetic story by using metaphors, examples of racism from her life, and narration in the second person to attract even more attention to racial segregation. Meanwhile, Whitehead told a story of two slaves, Cora and Caesar, and their way to freedom through the Underground Railroad with the help of a traditional genre-based approach.
Both of them focused on similar problems but used entirely different methods to deliver their ideas while having clear benefits and disadvantages of their choices. *One the one hand, novels like Citizen help build an emotional bond with readers by making them experience the struggles of being black, but on the other side, a strong position of defendant and a distinction between you and I may create misunderstandings, and, as a consequence, despite the lack of persuasive tone, relying on traditional approach as in The Underground Railroad may deem as the most appropriate one to address the modern issues of racism.*
As it was mentioned previously, Rankine discovered racism from an entirely different perspective and attempted to connect poetics with the tragedy of the real world. She used pronoun you to make readers feel the problems of racism and discover them from the viewpoint of discriminated individuals. For example, Do you feel hurt because its all the black people look the same moment, or because you are being confused with another after being so close to other? clearly demonstrated authors intentions while drawing attention to readers emotions (Rankine 12).
At the same time, to find a link with poetics, she referred to describing trees, joy, and rain and blended it with the everyday cases of racism such as Hennessys suggestions of being a successful tennis player ( be ambiguous, be white ), cheating, rude conversation on the phone, and a disturbing situation with a police officer (Rankine 31).
A combination of these expressive tools complied with the authors desire to bring the attention of the society to the problem of racism, as its main features were being transferred from the past. Using this lyric approach could be considered as beneficial since it showed the presence of racism in pop-culture (tennis) and attempted to change readers attitudes while being more tolerant to people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Apart from relying on a traditional genre, Whitehead was able to tell a story of Cora and her desire to escape and pursue her dream of white sea (Whitehead 21).
With the help of figurative language, the author described Coras life and challenges that she had to face when being a slave. For example, soon after her long march to the plantation, the plot was a rumble of dirt and scrub behind her cabin, at the line of slave quarters presented a profound and detailed image of the slavery of the past (Whitehead 21). At the same time, with the assistance of the examples of advertisements described in the book, it was possible to recreate attitudes towards slaves.
For instance, 30 Dollar Reward will be given to any person who will deliver me&a likely yellow NEGRO GIRL 18 years of age showed that black people were mostly viewed as goods for sale rather than people with recognized freedoms, and their high monetary value was reflected by capitalization (Whitehead 105). In this case, the primary advantage of this narration style was the ability of the author to deliver the problems before the Civil War and write a story that would be interesting to read and follow.
Nonetheless, on the other side, Whiteheads novel tended to be more historical while clearly lacking connection with reality and current problems. At the same time, its intentions to persuade readers were not as strong as in Citizen, and it explained its neutral tone and traditional genre.
In turn, Rankines book entirely filled these gaps by its emotionality and its emphasis on current problems. Nonetheless, apart from its positive intentions, the means of figurative language might be found controversial due to a well-defined distinction between races and people (black and white; You and I). It might seem that the author played the role of defendant by asking Why do you feel comfortable saying this to me? (Rankine 14). The statements like these could be discovered as triggers of conflicts and create even more tensions in the society than before.
In the end, the selected novels addressed the issues of racism, but they used entirely different approaches to express their opinions. Nonetheless, apart from the similar goals, their choices deemed rational. Rankine in her book Citizen relied on poetics to have an emotional influence of readers and help them see a connection between the racial segregation of the past and acts of discrimination reflected in the modern society and pop-culture. Nonetheless, some people might find this tone more aggressive rather than convincing, as the author strongly defended her position by clearly claiming a difference between you and I .
This aspect might be considered as a trigger for misunderstandings. As for The Underground Railroad, the authors used a traditional approach since it helped him tell the story of the past and attract the attention of readers to the problem by having a clear historical reference. Apart from the lack of emotionality, using unbiased tone could be viewed as more appropriate in this case, as it could help avoid conflicts and clearly deliver the idea to the audience.
Works Cited
Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Graywolf Press, 2014.
Whitehead, Colson. The Underground Railroad. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2016.
Racism is still prevalent in contemporary American society despite major efforts to address this problem. Initially, this social vice was characterized by segregation in different social aspects including marriage, schools, and workplaces. Unfortunately, the decline in racist incidents based on these aspects has created a mask under which this social ill can still be perpetrated in modern times. This illusion explains why post-racial American society still has numerous cases of prejudice based on ones race or skin color.
From this understanding, Claudia Rankine wrote a chef-doeuvre book, Citizen: An American Lyric, to address the micro-aggressions that she feels are paving the way for the perpetuation of microaggressions, which largely involve blatant racial acts such as hate crimes. This paper purports the argument that everyday racism is normally overlooked, and this phenomenon creates a more conducive environment for major racial incidences such as hate crimes. The issues raised throughout the paper are based on Rankines book, Citizen: An American Lyric.
Everyday Racism
The narrative of the book, Citizen: An American Lyric, is mainly developed around everyday occurrences that, in most cases, have racial overtones and gestures. These incidents are presented by the author as racial micro-aggressions and often come from friends, workmates, or even strangers. For instance, Rankine says, The man at the cash register wants to know if you think your card will work. If this is his routine, he didnt use it on the friend who went before you (54).
This scenario highlights underlying racial insinuations because persons of color are being asked whether their cards will work, yet their white counterparts do not receive the same questioning. Unfortunately, these cases are common in contemporary American society. Yet people are not talking about it. The very people that are supposed to be raising concerns about racism do not speak up against it. The majority of Americans are not racist, and they have learned to live in harmony with people of different races. Nevertheless, in most cases, such people do not speak up against racism whenever they encounter it. Similarly, the people being subjected to this form of abuse do not complain either. To summarize these assertions, Rankine posits,
As she picks up her bag, she looks to see what you will say. She says nothing. You want her to say something both as a witness and as a friend. She is not you; her silence says so. Because you are watching all this take place even as you participate in it, you say nothing as well (54).
In this case, the man at the cash register is not aggressive or vulgar. However, he singles out the card user for no justifiable reason and asks an insidious question that was not asked by the previous white client. Nevertheless, nothing is said about the incident, and thus it can pass unnoticed. The events surrounding the above scenario point to a culture that is slowly accepting to live with racism, albeit subtly. On the one hand, the majority of victims of this social vice are not willing to confront it. On the other hand, their white counterparts, who have accepted diversity and are willing to embrace people of different races, fail to speak up against the vice for different reasons. This strand of racism can be termed as the marginalization phase.
Another common form of racism is making a problem out of other cultures and identities. On this issue, Rankine gives an account of events where a black person is standing outside a conference room as he awaits other people to arrive. However, as he stands there, he overhears two black people talking. In the conversation, one of the comments that watching people of color, and especially black people, is equivalent to watching a foreign movie without proper translation or subtitles (Rankine 50).
From this conversation, it is clear that the subjects of the discussion are Black Americans. Interestingly, the person talking is also black, and one may not understand this form of racism. Nevertheless, the black person talking negatively against his fellow people of color destroys the common dichotomy of us and them that normally arises when addressing racism. Additionally, he does not want to be part of the movie that he is referring to in his pernicious comments. As the conversation continues, it becomes clear that the speaker is ridiculing Black Americans for their alleged incomprehensibility in speech, in particular when using the English language. This conversation highlights a form of strident racism perpetrated by a person of color against his fellow people.
Symbolic repression is another form of everyday racism that comes out clearly in Rankines book. In most cases, victims of racism, who stand against the vice, are normally told that they are being oversensitive or are overreacting. The proponents of this line of thought claim that things are not as serious as they appear. However, while a recipient of racism is being told not to overreact, the perpetrator continues to use derogatory remarks that hurt the other person.
In such a scenario, the victims of this vice are discouraged because it appears that their feelings do not matter and, thus, they cannot be taken seriously. On this issue, Rankine writes, Dont feel like you are mistaken. Its not that (Is it not that?) you are oversensitive or misunderstanding (152). The author urges the victims of racism not to doubt themselves because they are not being oversensitive by speaking up. Nevertheless, in the same breath, Rankine asks, Is it not that? (152). This question, placed in the middle of an assuring sentence, is used to underscore the many instances that victims of racism hear the claims that they are overreacting. This aspect causes the recipients of everyday racism to doubt themselves, which may explain why the majority of them do not stand against it.
In most cases, everyday racism occurs in subtle ways. The perpetrators do not even realize it, and if they do, they are unwilling to admit it. As such, the dominant race seems to prefer to overlook issues to do with nationalism and focus on trivial issues like race. For instance, a white American may decide to support an outsider, such as an Englishman, instead of rallying behind a Black American, even in cases where Britain is competing against the United States.
Rankine writes about a time she went to watch the US Open where Serena Williams was playing against a Belarusian. As the game progressed, Rankine noticed a white man cheering the Belarusian. Out of curiosity, she asked whether the man was an American and he responded in the affirmative. She then asked why he was not supporting his fellow American. He retorted that he wanted the match to have a close score. Within several games, the scores had become close but the man continued to cheer for the Belarusian. Rankine then asked the man why he could not support Serena Williams, but this time he woke up and walked away.
In this case, a white American would rather support a white Belarusian than rally behind his fellow American. The shared American citizenship and history did not matter to the man. The racial background took precedence and, thus, he could more easily identify with a white Belarusian as opposed to a Black American. Unfortunately, as said earlier, most perpetrators of this form of racism do not admit that they are racist, and neither do they choose to confront the issue. As shown in this example, the man decided to walk away instead of reflecting on his prejudice.
Similarly, Rankine gives an account of a real estate woman who calls a black person to show them around a house she is intending to sell. However, the real estate agent does not know that a potential client is a black person because they only talked on the phone. When they finally meet, the buyer is accompanied by a white friend. The real estate agent spends much of the walk-through telling your friend, repeatedly, how comfortable she feels around her (51).
From this conversation, it is clear that no one is asking the real estate agent how she feels about anyone. Nevertheless, the reader can easily conclude that the real estate woman and the buyers friend are from the same ethnic group.
In its extreme forms, racism can be recognized easily. However, everyday racism requires the audience or witnesses to be receptive to the message, together with how it is being said. The downside of not confronting everyday racism is that the practice may become institutionalized. Consequently, society may end up with organizations made up of employees with a common racial background. Additionally, if not addressed, everyday racism breeds distrust, which may ultimately lead to hate crimes. For instance, Rankine recalls an incident where a black male is sitting by the window seat on an airplane.
Later on, a mother and her daughter come to the same row and they indicate that they are supposed to sit on the same seat as the black man. The mother quickly volunteers to occupy the middle seat (12). In this case, the mother did not trust the black passenger enough to let him sit close to her daughter. Such incidents continue to sow animosity in the minds of the younger generation, and such perceptions are maintained through to adulthood. This aspect explains why everyday racism has become a vicious cycle where children grow up in a world full of racial stereotypes.
Conclusion
Everyday racism is common in the United States as people of color continue to face incidents as a result of this social vice. Rankine chose to address this issue through poetry by writing an award-winning book, Citizen: An American Lyric. In this book, Rankine highlights different cases of everyday racism that no one is willing to address. As shown by the author, the victims of this vice choose to remain silent in most instances, even when the racist sentiments are coming from friends. However, the acceptance of this form of racism is dangerous as it paves the way for more major racial aggression such as hate crimes.
Work Cited
Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Graywolf Press, 2014.
Battle Royal is a short story written by Ralph Ellison that was first published in 1947, and in 1952, it became the first chapter of Ellisons novel Invisible Man . The main focus of the story is the problem of racism, particularly to African-American people in the United States. The name of the novel is symbolic, meaning that a black person would be obedient and invisible for white people until he or she can change this racist state of affairs. The whole book and, particularly, its first chapter Battle Royal became of the main incentives of the black movements in the second half of the twentieth century ( An Analysis of Ralph Ellisons ). Thus, although the problem of racism now is not as significant as it was seventy or especially two hundred years ago, it still has certain unpleasant effects that negatively influence the socio-political situation in the United States.
The Problem of Racism in Battle Royal
In general, although Ellisons story raises many questions, it has become popular primarily for its illustrative description of the problem of racism against African-American people in the United States. Thus, for example, the episodes with the grandfather that give a stimulus to the whole story, which is basically about a naive young man who faces racism and does not know to do. All he wants is to be a good man towards the community he lives in and his family. Moreover, he does not even understand the harmful influence that the relations between the races in the south have on such common actions as making a graduation speech (Hu 1830). Additionally, the story shows the main character what problems regarding racism he will face when he grows up.
In terms of other issues that Battle Royal demonstrates and that are further developed in the rest of the book, they include first of all the techniques that the most influential members of the African-American community implement in order to take advantage of other black people using refusing to unite and struggle against their common threat from the side of the white racists. This is vividly illustrated in the episode when Tatlock is reluctant to contrive a defeat. Another theme that is demonstrated by Battle Royal is social Darwinism that presupposes that the warriors fight to the end in order to get a prize. The next theme which is important in the story is the negative influence that the reward has on the main character (Ellison 26). One more important theme shown in the story is the necessity for white people to support the symbolic character of their establishments in order to show their superiority over black people.
Thus, if the whole novel describes many responses to the social inequality and racism from the side of black people, Battle Royal serves as an abridged version of the question of how to deal with the problem of racism without resorting to violence. The author uses various stylistic devices in order to plunge readers deeply into the narration so that they could feel the pain that the main character experiences and his doubts concerning the decisions he makes ( An Analysis of Ralph Ellisons ). Moreover, the author emphasizes on the innocence and fairness of the main character who is simply attempting to do everything right in a way that readers from any race or culture could understand his feelings.
The Problem of Racism against African-Americans in the USA
The problem of racism against black people in the United States has a long history, which is almost two times longer than the history of the independent United States. Thus, in the sixteenth century, the Europeans who lived in America began transporting black African people to America as slaves so that they worked for them, primarily on plantations. The conditions in which they were transported were horrible, and the attitude towards them was inhumane (Acharya et al. 624). Interestingly, part of the reason for such an attitude was not because of the skin color of African people but because they were much less developed as the Europeans.
Over time, despite the negative for black peoples state of affairs in the country, they succeeded in creating their own identity and in building their community. Nevertheless, they were still slaves even after the declaration of the independence of the United States in 1776. Only at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the first signs of freedom for black people appeared. Some farmers began granting freedom to their slaves who traveled north afterward, where the attitude towards African-Americans was not very harsh.
African-Americans could finally become free when Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in 1863. Certainly, it caused great indignation among racists and slaveholders, and they organize a rebellion. In quite a short time, their rebellion was crushed, and African-Americans could finally be free and be a part of American society. However, southern racists did not give and created an organization called Ku Klux Klan that focused on executing black people and destroying their communities (Walton et al. 134). Despite living under the threat from this organization, the life of black Americans became much better than it had been before, as the attitude to them changed on the national level.
Although in the twentieth century, Ku Klux Klan became active again, African-Americans managed to create their communities, art, music, and even religion. They already an integral part of society despite the hatred that some people feel towards them. Battle royal was written at the time when the third wave of Ku Klux Klan appeared. Certainly, that wave was much less intense than the previous two. This time, the racists aimed primarily at the black activists who organized movements protecting the rights of black people (Du Bois 116). Thus, at that time, the problem of racism against African-Americans was relevant, and the book revealed this issue in detail.
The Relevance of Racism and Battle Royal in Contemporary USA
For the past two centuries, the attitude towards African-Americans has overwhelmingly changed to positive. Even for the past seventy years, since the time Battle Royal was written, there have been significant changes concerning this problem. Certainly, Ralph Ellison wrote an excellent book that not only vividly demonstrated the problem of racism in the contemporary United States but also tried to make all people, irrespective of their race and culture, understand the absurdity that this problem caused.
In general, Battle Royal can be considered partially relevant nowadays. Of course, currently, African-American people have the same rights as white people or any other ethnic groups; especially because Barak Obama, an African-American in origin, was the president of the country for eight years, and for whom, a big percentage of white Americans gave their votes (Miles 83). Even though throughout the election, a slight racial tension between white and black people persisted, the result was a great step forward in the process of the final elimination of racism.
Currently, in the United States, the problem of racism is present in a mild form and primarily on the lowest levels of society. Interestingly, uneducated people are more inclined to racism. Therefore, there can be some clashes between people caused by racism. The current racism is based not on the color of the skin or the level of education of black people but mostly on the specific characteristics of their behavior that have become stereotypes (Bonilla-Silva 1362). For some reason, these characteristics are perceived by white people mostly as negative, which, in turn, causes racist thoughts. Also, the mass media plays a great role, as, according to the statistics, overall, black people play more negative roles in movies than white people. However, according to various sociological studies, the situation is slowly changing to better (Walton et al. 134). Certainly, everything can change, and the reverse process will begin, but now, the problem of racism is gradually disappearing from the list of socio-political problems of the United States.
Conclusion
Ralph Ellison wrote a great book focusing on the problem of racism against African-Americans in the United States. Battle Royal is the first chapter of this book that describes a naive man who is not aware of the concept of racism and is simply trying to do everything right. The author tries to demonstrate that racism is illogical and unfair. His novel was relevant at the time when it was written, and it influenced many people then. However, nowadays, the problem of racism is not as intense as it was seventy years ago. Therefore, not all the concepts from the book are still relevant today, but they can be used as a reminder to people about the problems that racism brought to their society.
Works Cited
Acharya, Avidit, Matthew Blackwell, and Maya Sen. The Political Legacy of American Slavery. The Journal of Politics, vol. 78, no. 3, 2016, pp. 621-641.
An Analysis of Ralph Ellisons Battle Royal . Fiat Vox, Web.
Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo. The Structure of Racism in Color-Blind, Post-Racial America. American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 59, no. 11, 2015, pp. 1358-1376.
Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. The Suppression of the African Slave-Trade to the United States of America. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man (2nd ed.). Vintage Books. 1995.
Hu, Yanwei. The End Is in the Beginning : The Riddle and Interpretation of Ellisons Invisible Man. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 4, no. 9, 2014, pp. 1829-1836.
Miles, Tiya. National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Public Historian, vol. 39, no. 2, 2017, pp. 82-86.
Walton, Hanes, Robert C. Smith, and Sherri L. Wallace. American politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom. Taylor & Francis, 2017.
Several generations of Americans read their first lines and received the first stereotypes concerning a happy white family from popular basal readers about the funny adventures of Dick and Jane. These primers were criticized for their cultural homogeneity, as representatives of other races were not allowed into these books until 1965. An original technique of framing the text with the lines from Dick and Jane primers was used by Toni Morrison in her novel The Bluest Eye aiming to contrast the false image of a happy white family with everyday realities of Afro-American children.
The language of the novel plays a very important role in producing the impression of intimacy with the narrator and emphasizing contrast between the mythical life of white children from the books and realities of an average Afro-American family. Repeating the same lines omitting the punctuation marks and then blurring the words, the author demonstrates the process of transformation of words into general ideas and stereotypes. To remember a word child needs hundreds of repetitions, pronouncing the same words and sentences day after day the children were introducing the ideas of a happy family into their picture of life. The readers have the opportunity to empathy with the child and understand his/her disappointment at the moment when he/she comes back from school and faces the grey house and serious problems in the family. The main character reads in the school primer: Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty. Here is the family. Mother, Father, Dick and Jane live in the green-and-white house. They are very happy (Morrison 3). Then the words gradually merge into a complete picture, there are no separate images left, only one bright picture in the childs imagination: hereisthehouseitisgreenandwhiteithasareddooritisveryprettyhereisthefamilymotherfatherdickandjaneliveinthegreenandwhitehousetheyareveryhappy (Morrison 4). Unintentionally every child, as well as the reader, feels the contrast between the happy family depicted and the childs small world. These words are deep in the childs consciousness, influence the childs views and broaden the gap between the happy white families and poverty of Afro-Americans. Illuminating the themes of racial discrimination and unequal opportunities, Morrison blurs the words of the primer texts to represent the picture of the world, which a black child receives attending a public school, and to which he/she is unable to fit in.
Blurred words resemble the scenery that does not suit the depicted tragedy of a child accustomed to injustice, and the contrast of two worlds astonishes the reader but not the main character. The introductory excerpts depict a mythic happy girl Jane: See Jane. She has a red dress. She wants to play. A small girl is expected to have no other intentions besides playing games, smiling and making discoveries in the surrounding world. But the mismatch of the real-life and the world of the primer becomes obvious to the reader from the first pages of the novel. Coming home the girl is to face the problems of unjust and brutal world of adults, though she does not distinguish between the childish and adult world, these are the realities of her everyday life. She accepts the facts as they are: We thought, at the time, that it was because Pecola was having her fathers baby that the marigolds did not grow (Morrison 5). The adult reader is sure to be shocked by the girls supposition. As well as Jane, the character of a primer, Morrisons main character believes in miracles and is waiting for them, but at the same time the girl is aware of this worlds brutality and tries to find the explanation of the new phenomenon in the accustomed picture of life. The author intentionally informs the readers of the fact of the incest in the second sentence of the page preceded by the excerpts from the Dick and Jane primer without providing some sophisticated transitions. The child observing these sides of life at early age is deprived of childhood, but the girl does not realize it. The stream-of-consciousness technique helps to understand the childs way of thinking, emotions and secret wishes. Comparing the pictures described in the excerpts from the basal readers to grey pictures of Claudias reality, the reader comes to a conclusion that the images from the primers influence the childrens views greatly and overlay the feeling of limited opportunities due to racial origin on the childs picture of life.
Taking the prejudices reflected in the basal readers for granted the children could not find strengths for opposing them, but the present-day readers are sure to notice the absurdity of this narrow-mindedness. Reading about an ideal father in the primers, the reader hopes that the fathers depicted in the novel will come up to the childrens expectations: See Father. He is big and strong. Father, will you play with Jane? Father is smiling. Smile, Father, smile (Morrison 4). But the real fathers fail to smile or play with their children in the novel. As opposed to the ideal father of the primer, Pecolas father not only is unable to support his wife and daughter in their struggle against the difficulties of their oppressed position in the society, he can easily offend a woman, an animal, or a child. He seems to be a distorted reflection of the primer image, lacking moral and physical strength, he commits a crime, traumatizing Pecola and making her position in the society even worse than it was previously. He is overwhelmed with his problems and weaknesses and focused on his personal affairs, there is no place for his daughter left. Pecola is assured that the black children can not be beautiful or happy, nobody can convince her of the opposite, and the most tragic fact is that nobody tries to do it. The adults do not take care of their children in the novel, they are too busy solving their problems and ignore their childrens needs. Morrison depicts the family institution of Afro-Americans in a low-key, not attempting to prettify it. The period when the child learns to read coincides with the period when he/she learns to live, investigates the surrounding world and gets the first impressions from it. That is why the simplified sentences and a limited number of notions in the primers are determined by the limits of the childs perception. But the children from Morrisons novel are to mature too early and broaden their mental outlooks too quickly. The reader has the possibility to empathy with the children who were to grow up too quickly when the author contrasts the short and primitive sentences of the primer to the bare and dirty truth of the novel passages. It is unnatural for the child to be responsible for the adults crimes and stand the racket looking for the cause-effect explanation of the events. Pecola faces the cruelty of being offended by her father, but the girl is assured that it is her fault and she could change the situation. The contrast of the family institutions depicted in the primers and Morrisons novel contributes to the theme of racism, demonstrating that the oppressed people can harden and forget about their moral values.
Lack of belief in universal values changes the characters ideas of family, beauty and happiness resulting in their discrepancy with generally accepted ideals. Being ignored by their parents Claudia and her friends are influenced by the basal readers immensely, lacking other sources of information. The author of the primer states that Mother is very nice (Morrison 3), and the child can see a beautiful white smiling woman in the picture. The family in the primer is really happy as opposed to the families of Afro-Americans. It leads the child to the conclusion that it is the color of their skin, eyes and hair that prevents them from being happy. The idea of beauty is distorted, the parents and society make their contribution to this unnatural shift, naming the girl ugly. But in the process of her accelerated maturation, Pecolas reasoning becomes unexpectedly wise and she starts appreciating her unique personality: It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sightsif those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different (Morrison 39). This mature reflection of a child contrasts with the simplified language of the primers, demonstrating that Afro-American childrens development was accelerated due to their racial oppression.
The themes of racial oppression and unequal opportunities of Afro-American people can be understood only after reading the introductory excerpts from Dick and Jane primers. The technique chosen By Morrison broadens the gap between the happy white families and poverty of Afro-Americans in the readers imagination.
Bibliography
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Vintage. 2007: 224.
In this analysis, the paper explores literary comparison of two pieces of literature that share thematic similarities yet differentiated in some literary facets. The discussion introduces Country Lovers , a story written by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. In spite being written by two different literary authors, both works have devoted their contribution towards depicting racism as the main thematic outfit.
In a nutshell, Nadines story is set in South Africa during the post-colonial apartheid rule that woefully drew racial lines while defining the privileged white class and the underprivileged majority blacks. On a separate literary entity, Walkers The Welcome Table is set in an American modern society experiencing social revolution under civil rights movements. She represents the plight of an old and rural African- American woman who fails to use the advantages of the freedom gained to struggle for her share of social rights.
The analysis further offers literary elements used in representing racism and ethnicity through a critical synopsis. The discussion will entail language, style and form as used in both pieces and how they have been instrumental in qualifying the similarities and differences in connection with their literary content. Such elements will include tone, symbolic representations, dramatic irony, and allegory narrative.
In its entirety, the paper will seek to bring forth the main theme of racism and ethnicity as depicted by both works while taking advantage of the contemporary elements that serve to unite both texts through a comparative analytic approach.
Discussion of the similarities between the two literary works
The first element that depicts a similarity between these two texts is the use of contrast as a literary style. Taking the work of Alice Walker, she employs descriptive language as she narrates the condition of the black woman, beaten by king cotton and the extreme weather ; the condition of her clothing items (Walker, 1984).
The other forms include, a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from many oily pigtails underneath (Walker, 1984). Looking at these descriptions, the author puts through the reader through a voyage to understand and actualize the suffering of the old black woman.
To illustrate the similarity, Nadines description of the condition at school between the whites and the blacks exemplifies this. She points out the scenario where they begin calling their mates who are a little older missus and baasie little master . This situation is later reinforced in the entire text. This attributes exhibited by use of similar language technique has been sustained throughout the both texts.
In the same length, the language used has also depicted the way in which the authors bring out the differences that define these two sets of people within a similar setting. This contrast brought out is one of styles that both writers have capitalized on to vividly highlight the racial divide that exists within their areas of interest.
The second feature that unites the two writings is the use of Narration as a literary element. Narration Alice walker fully employs a narrative in form of parables which she uses to display the abstract message that points to some literary meaning. In doing this, she depicts the churchs reaction to the woman as a moral teaching to the readers through her parabolic representations.
An instance that point to this is when a question is posed, could their husbands have expected them to sit in church with that? (Walker, 1984). The husbands move to eject her from the church was a moral teaching embedded in form of a parable. Similarly, Nadine uses a narrative to show the trendy movement of Thebedis life as she falls in love with Paulus up to the last moment varying (Gordimer, 2002).
Putting together their bits of the story through an organized tale or narration forms proses that give a similar image to both works.
The other strict similarity is the choice and use of a major a character who is a female protagonist. In both cases, the texts have devoted their concerns to the plight of a black female who is deposed off her meaning within the realms of the society. As a result, the protagonists all play a role of fighting the existing injustices and who represents their thematic concerns of racial inequities.
In all the texts, the female character struggles with discrimination due to the color of their skin. According to both stories.this suffering can equally be experienced by any average human but more dramatic representations are created from the continued suppression within this appalling state.
Thirdly, they both detest the situation on a rather protesting tone throughout their entire narrations for instance, in Walkers story, the woman says Im going to sit at the welcome table, shout my troubles over, walk and talk with Jesus, tell God how you treat me, one of these days! (Walker, 1984).
This statement is a clear show of the harsh tone that clearly exhibits itself through her choice of words and the characters manner of showing protest and dissatisfaction with the kind of treatment she receives from the other set of people . During the court case, Nadine uses her character Thebedi to show her a furry and anger about the outright racial injustice of the day as the case is dropped against Paulus as she cries out before the court varying (Gordimer, 2002).
These stories continue to depict the appalling state in which an African black woman thrives from childhood to maturity through trauma of discrimination and racial prejudice. In both the literary works, it is clear that they point at the devastating effects of the trendy racial representation in a post-colonial era (Gordimer, 2002). In Nadine Gordimers story, the text is attuned to the injurious consequences of planned differentiation and division within an Afrikaner dominated society is the understanding of Nadine Gordimers story.
To justify this situation the Immorality Act of 1950 is an asset in understanding of her protesting voice against the condition. The Act illegalized all sexual relationships between people of varying (Gordimer, 2002).
Further analysis shows how irony has heavily been amplified in both stories with all writers trying to show how opposite the situations are contrary to how they should be. Taking for instance the irony that is eminent in the title, it showcases an African-American woman wondering in some sort of absent-mindedness entering a white church. As the woman tries to approach the church, the reverend refers to her as Auntie you know this is not your church as he tries to discourage her entry into the church.
It is rather dramatic irony as the reader does not expect the reverend that is in fact related to the woman to turn her away. To her surprise, she finds no welcome which becomes even much shocking (Porter, Hayes, Michael, & Tombs, 1989). It is an irony of the highest scale that even in the house of God there was no welcome for this woman. This ironical representation exemplifies the intense nature of discrimination that existed during this moment.
Its thus ironical both from a spiritual perspective as well as from the sense that he probably shares family ties with this woman since he addresses her as Auntie (Porter, Hayes, Michael, & Tombs, 1989). In Gordimers Country Lovers , it is a great irony that Paulus plots to kill a son who they got out of love with Thebedi. In an ordinary circumstance, no one would expect one to kill his own child who he got out of pure love as was the case of Paulus with Thebedi.
To the contrary, he pretends to love the child something that turns out completely different as it is revealed. In a ruling, the court does not carry out its jurisdiction properly hence ironical that all the evidences presented do not serve to convict the guilty Paulus of murder. In conclusion, irony has successfully been used to amplify the outrage against the system both from Christian and legal standpoints in The Welcome table and Country Lovers respectively.
In both cases, the stories employ huge sense of symbolism in their quest for meaning and justification for the ongoing injustices of division. In Welcome Table the woman seeks to find peace at a table symbolizing the Last supper in the context of Christianity. Here, she hopes that she will eat and dine after her death. On the contrary, she does not find this expectation but instead she is thrown outside. This line thus brings us to the racism with hypocrisy within The Welcome Table (Wheeler, 2011).
In Country Lovers , hypocrisy is seen from an individual perspective as opposed to the case of The Welcome Table . Nadine Gordimer expresses hypocrisy as vindictive and personal despite support from the discriminatory laws (Wheeler, 2011). From the story, we clearly see the law of nature taking place as Paulus, a young boy growing up tries to follow his feelings and emotions to fall in love with Thebedi, a black, young and beautiful girl. As time goes by, her age continues to catch up with her as she becomes more socialized and conventional.
In spite of the love that exists, it becomes more ironical that Paulus derives happiness to betray her in order to escape the harsh charges that would be levelled against him via the Immorality Act of 1950 (Gordimer, 2002).
In his struggle to delineate himself from the African race, Paulus finally manages to kill the child they have produced with an aim to clear himself from the consequences of the law. In both cases therefore, we can clearly see the harsh realities of structured discrimination that prevails within these two different settings where the woman suffers the plight of racial prejudice more than her male counterpart.
There is racial and ethnic divide within the wider segment of economic wellbeing. In both stories, race is highlighted and earmarked where the concept preoccupies the entire decisions of who owns what .
Oppression of the blacks is heightened in both literary works as it is examined in South Africas apartheid as it diminishes the economic meaning of the blacks. On the other hand, race as a constituent and precept of the mind is highly fostered in The Welcome Table by Walker. In this text, the white congregation no longer view and see a black woman on the bass of vulnerabilities preoccupying her (Walker, 1984).
Both writers opinion has been majorly driven by the side look that depicts them as cooks, mistresses, maids and chauffeurs (Walker, 1994). This job stereotyping and negative representation were all channelled towards the blacks. Poverty becomes their eminent state as shown by missing buttons on her dress (Walker, 2011).
On a separate but similar case, Country Lovers too demonstrates the racial and economic divide which apparently defines the division between Paulus and Thebedi. Clearly, the story indicates that Thebedis father works on Paulus family farm. Thebedi is subjected to lifetime suffering of menial jobs just like all other black women in the apartheid era. In this story, the varying degree of affluence depicted is instrumental in expressing the economic oppression that the blacks have endured at this moment (Petry, 1989).
The affluence and luxury of Paulus family through evidences of Mercedes Benz is a clear indicator to evoke the feeling of the great divide that compels Thebedi and the rest of the family to material injustice even before the eyes of the law. This difference continues to spur their increasing division. This economic good that Paulus family enjoy is clearly seen to have a bearing on his case. It compels the entire congregation to believe his innocence as Thebedi tears herself down before the court.
Segregation is also the representation of love and its betrayal. In Walkers story for instance, the love of God that should be arguably be exclusive in the church is a missing link in the American society as the woman gets ejected out if the church. Here, the love that existed can no longer be felt again as anyone would expect.
In her story, Walker continues to express her discontent with the structural divide that preoccupies the entire scene as she places the woman on the road to meet Jesus where she gets love at least for the first time.
In this story, the love being depicted is the spiritual and Christian love that is ironically disconnected from the American Christians who defy the biblical teachings to exalt their racial perceptions and stereotypes (Wheeler, 2011). On the other hand, the natural love through sexual relationship muted by the segregation of the moment finds no mercy to save the innocence of the weaker race.
Looking at both stories, we can also deduce that both have depicted the racial theme entwined within the tearing impact of fear. Fear has dominated both stories through characterization. In Country Lovers , race has fuelled the fear between different people and as such, they explore various dubious means to sustain the situation. In the case between Thebedi and Paulus, racial pronunciations compel Paulus to fear the outcome of the case if found to have been in an outlawed relationship.
The second fear that confronts Paulus is not only the fear of murder but also of having sexual relationship with Thebedi (Barnouw, 1994). To the family of Paulus, it seems to them as a source of embarrassment in the society. His affirmed division and effort to disconnect with the blacks is evident in his statement at the end as he says, : I will try and carry on as best as I can to hold my head in the district (Gordimer, 2002).
This is a typical racial fear that continues to mount in the society as it expresses itself in innumerable ways. On the other hand, The Welcome Table portrays the white congregation as a group raging with fear of association with a black woman who has mistakenly entered their church. In both cases, the whites are depicted as people suffering from the fear of the unknown and as those who cannot show compassion at least to an average human being.
Discussion of the differences between the two literary works
Although both stories strongly outline the concept of racial discrimination in the modern society, they differ in setting and style in which they are written. Firstly, In Nadine Gordimers Country Lovers , the story is set in South Africa as at the time when it is experiencing the harsh realities of racial discrimination perpetuated under the iniquities of apartheid rule (Petry, 1989).
We are informed that the process used the state machinery and unjust laws to impose the unyielding conditions on the non-whites within South Africa. In The welcome Table , the scenario of race is depicted as the manifestation of the historical influence that depicts itself in the modern society. Additionally, we get an insight as to how the Church is used as the ultimate tool that completes the cycle of divide within the society as occasioned by the womans death after her rejection by the church.
In her quest to demonstrate this impending condition, she symbolizes the continued submission of an African-American woman as the inevitable impacts of slavery continue to rage the modern society even after its demise (Barnouw, 1994). In this context, the situation is more generalized and based on the oppression of African-Americans for many centuries whose final traces are the fear and submission of segregated rural woman.
The second difference that is eminent between the two pieces is the use different forms of narrative. According to Wheeler (2011), The welcome Table is seemingly more slightly successful in its quest to depict the racial prejudices that preoccupy the modern American society.
This is based on its brevity and the use of parables in qualifying its position in the context of creating a meaningful picture. On the contrary, while buying into a similar idea of protest against the impending racial conditions, Gordimers Country Lovers creates a different impact since it is a tale of love denied by social circumstances, love gone wrong and heavily influenced by law (Wheeler, 2011).
Throughout her tale, she uses more or less direct narration to display her meaning to the readers as opposed to Walker who indulges the inner mind of the reader through use of parables which besides demonstrating the racial divide, provides moral lessons for the reader as well.
The other observable difference between the two literary works in their representation of race is the use of church and modern Christianity and the human law on the other hand. Walkers The Welcome Table is a more authoritative story in its approach to racial expression as compared to Nadine whose voice is rather passive (Petry, 1989) and (Barnouw, 1994).
However, Walkers use parable-like approach leaves us slightly unaware of the extent of authority embedded in her story. She uses Christianity as a tool to exemplify the intensity of the matter when it rejects unity of humanity at the altar of hypocrisy (Wheeler, 2011) and (Walker, 1984).
She continues to ironically represent the church as Jesus is depicted as having blue eyes which reminds the old woman of the pictures she plugged from a stolen bible some few years ago. The struggle to delink Jesus from the white racial inclination fails at this moment as the women meets Jesus.
Perhaps we can say that the Jesus who she met was as racial since the woman dies by the road and fails to be discovered (Petry, 1989). On the other hand, the law is used as tool to justify racial discrimination in the society as shown by Nadine Gordimer.
Conclusion
In this comparative analysis, the story of Nadine Gordimer, Country Lovers and Walkers The Welcome Table have greatly depicted the appalling conditions that racial discrimination has had to the society and the vulnerability of the black woman. Nadine Gordimers story is set in an apartheid era of South Africa where racial divide and ethnic animosity has been made and sustained by the state and its apparatus.
On the other hand, The Welcome Table is set primarily American society in which an old and rural African-American woman is showcased as one who is unable to take up the challenges of the freedom gained by the ongoing civil rights movements. Her case is a representation of the long suffering as a result of the long period of slavery that penetrates into the modern society.
Both works have succeeded in doing this through a myriad of similar ways. In looking at some of the similarities in these literary pieces, the paper explores the use of descriptive language as a form of bringing the reader to terms with the differences that exist between the two apparent races in all manner of ways; economically, spiritually and socially. The other similarity notable in both works is use of fictional narrative form to weave together the trend of the women in reaching their final destination through persistent troubles and sufferings.
Also, the tone used in both literary writings is similar. In both works, connotations of harsh and detesting sense of the writers are eminently pointed out through the choice words to give some particular for of sentences.
Although placed in different settings, both stories try to denounce the spirit of racism through symbolic representations and characterization. They both depict the plight of the black woman who is denied her social rights by the underlying social conditions. The choice and use of a female protagonist brings the two texts closer than before since this aspect qualifies the thematic relationship that they all share.
However, despite both stories protesting against the dehumanizing nature of racial discrimination, there exist slight differences in their representations. One of the differences is the use of passive voice in Walkers story through a successful employment of parables as opposed to Gordimers piece.
The female protagonist in Nadine Gordimers Country Lovers is heavily faced with discrimination pioneered by the law which finally sends her into lasting agony and suffering. The contrary is seen in Walkers story in which the black woman has been used to depict the church and its congregation as the final and most injurious of all apparatus that has been used to perpetrate ethnicity and racial divide.
Porter, S. E., Hayes, Michael A., & Tombs, D. Images of Christ, Academic Paperback Volume 2 of Roehampton Institute London papers. Continuum International Publishing Group.
Walker, A. (1984). The Welcome Table , In Love and Trouble. London: The Womens press.
Walker, A. (1994). The Complete Stories. London: The womens Press.
Wheeler, D. (2011). The Imperial Nightmare: Studies in English Literature. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag.
In this analysis, the paper explores literary comparison of two pieces of literature that share thematic similarities yet differentiated in some literary facets. The discussion introduces Country Lovers , a story written by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. In spite being written by two different literary authors, both works have devoted their contribution towards depicting racism as the main thematic outfit.
In a nutshell, Nadines story is set in South Africa during the post-colonial apartheid rule that woefully drew racial lines while defining the privileged white class and the underprivileged majority blacks. On a separate literary entity, Walkers The Welcome Table is set in an American modern society experiencing social revolution under civil rights movements. She represents the plight of an old and rural African- American woman who fails to use the advantages of the freedom gained to struggle for her share of social rights.
The analysis further offers literary elements used in representing racism and ethnicity through a critical synopsis. The discussion will entail language, style and form as used in both pieces and how they have been instrumental in qualifying the similarities and differences in connection with their literary content. Such elements will include tone, symbolic representations, dramatic irony, and allegory narrative.
In its entirety, the paper will seek to bring forth the main theme of racism and ethnicity as depicted by both works while taking advantage of the contemporary elements that serve to unite both texts through a comparative analytic approach.
Discussion of the similarities between the two literary works
The first element that depicts a similarity between these two texts is the use of contrast as a literary style. Taking the work of Alice Walker, she employs descriptive language as she narrates the condition of the black woman, beaten by king cotton and the extreme weather ; the condition of her clothing items (Walker, 1984).
The other forms include, a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from many oily pigtails underneath (Walker, 1984). Looking at these descriptions, the author puts through the reader through a voyage to understand and actualize the suffering of the old black woman.
To illustrate the similarity, Nadines description of the condition at school between the whites and the blacks exemplifies this. She points out the scenario where they begin calling their mates who are a little older missus and baasie little master . This situation is later reinforced in the entire text. This attributes exhibited by use of similar language technique has been sustained throughout the both texts.
In the same length, the language used has also depicted the way in which the authors bring out the differences that define these two sets of people within a similar setting. This contrast brought out is one of styles that both writers have capitalized on to vividly highlight the racial divide that exists within their areas of interest.
The second feature that unites the two writings is the use of Narration as a literary element. Narration Alice walker fully employs a narrative in form of parables which she uses to display the abstract message that points to some literary meaning. In doing this, she depicts the churchs reaction to the woman as a moral teaching to the readers through her parabolic representations.
An instance that point to this is when a question is posed, could their husbands have expected them to sit in church with that? (Walker, 1984). The husbands move to eject her from the church was a moral teaching embedded in form of a parable. Similarly, Nadine uses a narrative to show the trendy movement of Thebedis life as she falls in love with Paulus up to the last moment varying (Gordimer, 2002).
Putting together their bits of the story through an organized tale or narration forms proses that give a similar image to both works.
The other strict similarity is the choice and use of a major a character who is a female protagonist. In both cases, the texts have devoted their concerns to the plight of a black female who is deposed off her meaning within the realms of the society. As a result, the protagonists all play a role of fighting the existing injustices and who represents their thematic concerns of racial inequities.
In all the texts, the female character struggles with discrimination due to the color of their skin. According to both stories.this suffering can equally be experienced by any average human but more dramatic representations are created from the continued suppression within this appalling state.
Thirdly, they both detest the situation on a rather protesting tone throughout their entire narrations for instance, in Walkers story, the woman says Im going to sit at the welcome table, shout my troubles over, walk and talk with Jesus, tell God how you treat me, one of these days! (Walker, 1984).
This statement is a clear show of the harsh tone that clearly exhibits itself through her choice of words and the characters manner of showing protest and dissatisfaction with the kind of treatment she receives from the other set of people . During the court case, Nadine uses her character Thebedi to show her a furry and anger about the outright racial injustice of the day as the case is dropped against Paulus as she cries out before the court varying (Gordimer, 2002).
These stories continue to depict the appalling state in which an African black woman thrives from childhood to maturity through trauma of discrimination and racial prejudice. In both the literary works, it is clear that they point at the devastating effects of the trendy racial representation in a post-colonial era (Gordimer, 2002). In Nadine Gordimers story, the text is attuned to the injurious consequences of planned differentiation and division within an Afrikaner dominated society is the understanding of Nadine Gordimers story.
To justify this situation the Immorality Act of 1950 is an asset in understanding of her protesting voice against the condition. The Act illegalized all sexual relationships between people of varying (Gordimer, 2002).
Further analysis shows how irony has heavily been amplified in both stories with all writers trying to show how opposite the situations are contrary to how they should be. Taking for instance the irony that is eminent in the title, it showcases an African-American woman wondering in some sort of absent-mindedness entering a white church. As the woman tries to approach the church, the reverend refers to her as Auntie you know this is not your church as he tries to discourage her entry into the church.
It is rather dramatic irony as the reader does not expect the reverend that is in fact related to the woman to turn her away. To her surprise, she finds no welcome which becomes even much shocking (Porter, Hayes, Michael, & Tombs, 1989). It is an irony of the highest scale that even in the house of God there was no welcome for this woman. This ironical representation exemplifies the intense nature of discrimination that existed during this moment.
Its thus ironical both from a spiritual perspective as well as from the sense that he probably shares family ties with this woman since he addresses her as Auntie (Porter, Hayes, Michael, & Tombs, 1989). In Gordimers Country Lovers , it is a great irony that Paulus plots to kill a son who they got out of love with Thebedi. In an ordinary circumstance, no one would expect one to kill his own child who he got out of pure love as was the case of Paulus with Thebedi.
To the contrary, he pretends to love the child something that turns out completely different as it is revealed. In a ruling, the court does not carry out its jurisdiction properly hence ironical that all the evidences presented do not serve to convict the guilty Paulus of murder. In conclusion, irony has successfully been used to amplify the outrage against the system both from Christian and legal standpoints in The Welcome table and Country Lovers respectively.
In both cases, the stories employ huge sense of symbolism in their quest for meaning and justification for the ongoing injustices of division. In Welcome Table the woman seeks to find peace at a table symbolizing the Last supper in the context of Christianity. Here, she hopes that she will eat and dine after her death. On the contrary, she does not find this expectation but instead she is thrown outside. This line thus brings us to the racism with hypocrisy within The Welcome Table (Wheeler, 2011).
In Country Lovers , hypocrisy is seen from an individual perspective as opposed to the case of The Welcome Table . Nadine Gordimer expresses hypocrisy as vindictive and personal despite support from the discriminatory laws (Wheeler, 2011). From the story, we clearly see the law of nature taking place as Paulus, a young boy growing up tries to follow his feelings and emotions to fall in love with Thebedi, a black, young and beautiful girl. As time goes by, her age continues to catch up with her as she becomes more socialized and conventional.
In spite of the love that exists, it becomes more ironical that Paulus derives happiness to betray her in order to escape the harsh charges that would be levelled against him via the Immorality Act of 1950 (Gordimer, 2002).
In his struggle to delineate himself from the African race, Paulus finally manages to kill the child they have produced with an aim to clear himself from the consequences of the law. In both cases therefore, we can clearly see the harsh realities of structured discrimination that prevails within these two different settings where the woman suffers the plight of racial prejudice more than her male counterpart.
There is racial and ethnic divide within the wider segment of economic wellbeing. In both stories, race is highlighted and earmarked where the concept preoccupies the entire decisions of who owns what .
Oppression of the blacks is heightened in both literary works as it is examined in South Africas apartheid as it diminishes the economic meaning of the blacks. On the other hand, race as a constituent and precept of the mind is highly fostered in The Welcome Table by Walker. In this text, the white congregation no longer view and see a black woman on the bass of vulnerabilities preoccupying her (Walker, 1984).
Both writers opinion has been majorly driven by the side look that depicts them as cooks, mistresses, maids and chauffeurs (Walker, 1994). This job stereotyping and negative representation were all channelled towards the blacks. Poverty becomes their eminent state as shown by missing buttons on her dress (Walker, 2011).
On a separate but similar case, Country Lovers too demonstrates the racial and economic divide which apparently defines the division between Paulus and Thebedi. Clearly, the story indicates that Thebedis father works on Paulus family farm. Thebedi is subjected to lifetime suffering of menial jobs just like all other black women in the apartheid era. In this story, the varying degree of affluence depicted is instrumental in expressing the economic oppression that the blacks have endured at this moment (Petry, 1989).
The affluence and luxury of Paulus family through evidences of Mercedes Benz is a clear indicator to evoke the feeling of the great divide that compels Thebedi and the rest of the family to material injustice even before the eyes of the law. This difference continues to spur their increasing division. This economic good that Paulus family enjoy is clearly seen to have a bearing on his case. It compels the entire congregation to believe his innocence as Thebedi tears herself down before the court.
Segregation is also the representation of love and its betrayal. In Walkers story for instance, the love of God that should be arguably be exclusive in the church is a missing link in the American society as the woman gets ejected out if the church. Here, the love that existed can no longer be felt again as anyone would expect.
In her story, Walker continues to express her discontent with the structural divide that preoccupies the entire scene as she places the woman on the road to meet Jesus where she gets love at least for the first time.
In this story, the love being depicted is the spiritual and Christian love that is ironically disconnected from the American Christians who defy the biblical teachings to exalt their racial perceptions and stereotypes (Wheeler, 2011). On the other hand, the natural love through sexual relationship muted by the segregation of the moment finds no mercy to save the innocence of the weaker race.
Looking at both stories, we can also deduce that both have depicted the racial theme entwined within the tearing impact of fear. Fear has dominated both stories through characterization. In Country Lovers , race has fuelled the fear between different people and as such, they explore various dubious means to sustain the situation. In the case between Thebedi and Paulus, racial pronunciations compel Paulus to fear the outcome of the case if found to have been in an outlawed relationship.
The second fear that confronts Paulus is not only the fear of murder but also of having sexual relationship with Thebedi (Barnouw, 1994). To the family of Paulus, it seems to them as a source of embarrassment in the society. His affirmed division and effort to disconnect with the blacks is evident in his statement at the end as he says, : I will try and carry on as best as I can to hold my head in the district (Gordimer, 2002).
This is a typical racial fear that continues to mount in the society as it expresses itself in innumerable ways. On the other hand, The Welcome Table portrays the white congregation as a group raging with fear of association with a black woman who has mistakenly entered their church. In both cases, the whites are depicted as people suffering from the fear of the unknown and as those who cannot show compassion at least to an average human being.
Discussion of the differences between the two literary works
Although both stories strongly outline the concept of racial discrimination in the modern society, they differ in setting and style in which they are written. Firstly, In Nadine Gordimers Country Lovers , the story is set in South Africa as at the time when it is experiencing the harsh realities of racial discrimination perpetuated under the iniquities of apartheid rule (Petry, 1989).
We are informed that the process used the state machinery and unjust laws to impose the unyielding conditions on the non-whites within South Africa. In The welcome Table , the scenario of race is depicted as the manifestation of the historical influence that depicts itself in the modern society. Additionally, we get an insight as to how the Church is used as the ultimate tool that completes the cycle of divide within the society as occasioned by the womans death after her rejection by the church.
In her quest to demonstrate this impending condition, she symbolizes the continued submission of an African-American woman as the inevitable impacts of slavery continue to rage the modern society even after its demise (Barnouw, 1994). In this context, the situation is more generalized and based on the oppression of African-Americans for many centuries whose final traces are the fear and submission of segregated rural woman.
The second difference that is eminent between the two pieces is the use different forms of narrative. According to Wheeler (2011), The welcome Table is seemingly more slightly successful in its quest to depict the racial prejudices that preoccupy the modern American society.
This is based on its brevity and the use of parables in qualifying its position in the context of creating a meaningful picture. On the contrary, while buying into a similar idea of protest against the impending racial conditions, Gordimers Country Lovers creates a different impact since it is a tale of love denied by social circumstances, love gone wrong and heavily influenced by law (Wheeler, 2011).
Throughout her tale, she uses more or less direct narration to display her meaning to the readers as opposed to Walker who indulges the inner mind of the reader through use of parables which besides demonstrating the racial divide, provides moral lessons for the reader as well.
The other observable difference between the two literary works in their representation of race is the use of church and modern Christianity and the human law on the other hand. Walkers The Welcome Table is a more authoritative story in its approach to racial expression as compared to Nadine whose voice is rather passive (Petry, 1989) and (Barnouw, 1994).
However, Walkers use parable-like approach leaves us slightly unaware of the extent of authority embedded in her story. She uses Christianity as a tool to exemplify the intensity of the matter when it rejects unity of humanity at the altar of hypocrisy (Wheeler, 2011) and (Walker, 1984).
She continues to ironically represent the church as Jesus is depicted as having blue eyes which reminds the old woman of the pictures she plugged from a stolen bible some few years ago. The struggle to delink Jesus from the white racial inclination fails at this moment as the women meets Jesus.
Perhaps we can say that the Jesus who she met was as racial since the woman dies by the road and fails to be discovered (Petry, 1989). On the other hand, the law is used as tool to justify racial discrimination in the society as shown by Nadine Gordimer.
Conclusion
In this comparative analysis, the story of Nadine Gordimer, Country Lovers and Walkers The Welcome Table have greatly depicted the appalling conditions that racial discrimination has had to the society and the vulnerability of the black woman. Nadine Gordimers story is set in an apartheid era of South Africa where racial divide and ethnic animosity has been made and sustained by the state and its apparatus.
On the other hand, The Welcome Table is set primarily American society in which an old and rural African-American woman is showcased as one who is unable to take up the challenges of the freedom gained by the ongoing civil rights movements. Her case is a representation of the long suffering as a result of the long period of slavery that penetrates into the modern society.
Both works have succeeded in doing this through a myriad of similar ways. In looking at some of the similarities in these literary pieces, the paper explores the use of descriptive language as a form of bringing the reader to terms with the differences that exist between the two apparent races in all manner of ways; economically, spiritually and socially. The other similarity notable in both works is use of fictional narrative form to weave together the trend of the women in reaching their final destination through persistent troubles and sufferings.
Also, the tone used in both literary writings is similar. In both works, connotations of harsh and detesting sense of the writers are eminently pointed out through the choice words to give some particular for of sentences.
Although placed in different settings, both stories try to denounce the spirit of racism through symbolic representations and characterization. They both depict the plight of the black woman who is denied her social rights by the underlying social conditions. The choice and use of a female protagonist brings the two texts closer than before since this aspect qualifies the thematic relationship that they all share.
However, despite both stories protesting against the dehumanizing nature of racial discrimination, there exist slight differences in their representations. One of the differences is the use of passive voice in Walkers story through a successful employment of parables as opposed to Gordimers piece.
The female protagonist in Nadine Gordimers Country Lovers is heavily faced with discrimination pioneered by the law which finally sends her into lasting agony and suffering. The contrary is seen in Walkers story in which the black woman has been used to depict the church and its congregation as the final and most injurious of all apparatus that has been used to perpetrate ethnicity and racial divide.
Porter, S. E., Hayes, Michael A., & Tombs, D. Images of Christ, Academic Paperback Volume 2 of Roehampton Institute London papers. Continuum International Publishing Group.
Walker, A. (1984). The Welcome Table , In Love and Trouble. London: The Womens press.
Walker, A. (1994). The Complete Stories. London: The womens Press.
Wheeler, D. (2011). The Imperial Nightmare: Studies in English Literature. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag.
Policymaking activities are essential for nurses since they allow the healthcare professionals to shape the medical industry and lead to better health outcomes. The necessity to engage in this sphere increases in times of crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic is among them. It means that appropriate legislation pieces should appear to address the new challenges and problems. That is why the given paper will identify a current and health-related bill and comment on it. Thus, this papers purpose statement refers to locating such a bill, analyzing it according to the specific grid, and advocating for this legislation piece by refuting possible opposing arguments.
Legislation Grid
Health-related Bill Name
Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021
Bill Number
H.R.666
Description
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought essential fundamental to the whole nation, and the healthcare industry is not an exception. The crisis resulted in the fact that the population health significantly worsened, while medical professionals and organizations faced difficulties addressing the new challenges. Simultaneously, the bill under analysis demonstrates that this situation became more dangerous for the United States because American society suffers from structural racism (Congress.Gov, 2021). This term implies that people face different living conditions based on their origin and ethnicity. Cineas (2021) supports this claim and admits that Black and Latino people are three times more likely than white people to contract Covid-19 and two times more likely to succumb to the illness (para. 1). That is why bill H.R.666 establishes a National Center on Anti-Racism and Health within the Centers and Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, the given legislation piece demonstrates that police violence is a problem, meaning that it is also necessary to address it. Consequently, the new Center should collect and analyze data, promote research, and sponsor programs to eliminate racism from health care and improve peoples health and well-being.
Federal or State?
The bill is federal because it offers to address the nation-wide issue.
Legislative Intent
Thelegislative intent is a significant concept when it comes to various legislation pieces. It is so because it refers to the extent to which a proposed bill affects and governs interactions and behavior in multiple spheres (Canale & Poggi, 2019). As for the given bill, its legislative intent is to ensure that the medical industry is free from racism and that society is not subject to law enforcement brutality. On the one hand, it offers to introduce anti-racism into the government response to the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the bill demonstrates that police violence is a public health issue. If these goals are achieved, the US healthcare system will become better because patients will face identical health outcomes irrespective of their ethnicities and origins.
Proponents/ Opponents
Proponents: Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat, is the sponsor of the given bill. Furthermore, Congres.Gov (2021) demonstrates that the legislation piece has 52 cosponsors; all of them are from the Democratic party.
Opponents: The bill does not have evident opponents or critics because racism and police brutality are undeniable problems in the modern United States.
Target Population
The current bill focuses on multiple minorities in the US. They include Black, Latin, American Indian, Pacific Islander, Asian American, and Alaska Native individuals. All these people have a shared feature since they can suffer from White supremacy.
Status of the bill (Is it in hearings or committees?)
Congress.Gov (2021) demonstrates that the bill was introduced in House and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on February 1, 2021.
General Notes/Comments
Bill H.R.666 seems appropriate in the current situation within the United States. On the one hand, the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated that there exist essential health disparities when it comes to representatives of different ethnic groups. It is so because African Americans and Latin individuals represent most coronavirus cases in the country. On the other hand, the topic of police violence is essential because multiple people face harmful health outcomes when law enforcement agencies act brutally. Thus, it is necessary to address the two issues since they can directly influence the populations health and well-being, and the bill under analysis can be considered an adequate solution.
Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement
There is clear reasoning behind passing bill H.R.666 Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021. Firstly, the coronavirus data have demonstrated that peoples health outcomes significantly depend on their ethnicities. It is so because representatives of many minority groups account for a larger part of all Covid-19 cases in the United States. In addition to that, Cineas (2021) argues that white Americans have better access to vaccination when compared to people of color. Secondly, the previous year witnessed massive demonstrations against police violence since it can directly affect peoples physical and mental health, leading to fatal outcomes in some cases. Simultaneously, Congress.Gov (2021) demonstrates that the bill under analysis tries to mitigate the impact of structural racism and law enforcement brutality on society. This information allows for advocating for the bill under consideration since it has the probability to protect peoples health and well-being from harmful effects.
Even though it has been mentioned that the bill has witnessed many supporters, it is impossible to exclude a chance that some opponents will not exist. Thus, one should explain how it is possible to refute their opinions. For example, Taylor et al. (2017) mention that some criticism can emerge because experts believe that legislation pieces bring politics and ideology to clinical practice. As for bill H.R.666, it can result in the fact that minorities needs will be overvalued in the medical industry. However, one can address this point of view by stating that the bill is necessary since policymaking efforts typically lead to improved patient outcomes (Milstead & Short, 2019). Since it has been noted that minorities received insufficient care, specific and dedicated efforts are needed to improve this situation. According to Canale and Poggi (2019), this refutation refers to the concept of legislative intent that explains what change a bill wants to achieve in society. This information demonstrates that it is not reasonable to oppose passing the bill under consideration.
Conclusion
The paper has commented on bill H.R.666 Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2021. It has been determined that this legislative piece is necessary to address topical issues in todays American society. They include racial disparities regarding health outcomes and law enforcement violence. Thus, these two problems result in the fact that an essential part of the US population suffers from decreased health and well-being, meaning that an adequate solution is necessary. It seems that the proposed bill is a suitable option since it offers to establish a body that will be responsible for tracking the issues and taking specific actions to mitigate their impact. The paper has also considered an opposing opinion regarding the bill and identified that sufficient reasoning exists behind passing the legislation piece under analysis.
Racial discrimination is a common occurrence throughout the world. Individuals are discriminated based on the color of their skin. Some races are discriminated based on various factors. Human rights organizations have come out strongly in opposition to any form of inequity.
In the current age of globalization and the onset of the global village, many people from different racial backgrounds are finding their way into other countries in search of better employment terms. This fact has made the contemporary workplace the most diverse that has ever been created. The emergence of racial diversity has led to the problem of racial discrimination, where people are mistreated or harassed based on the color of their skin.
Developed countries such as those in North America and Europe have managed to attract a large population of colored people. These people have come in search of jobs and other services such as education while others, such as the black race in North America are the products of the slave trade.
These continents have reported higher incidences of racial discrimination compared to other parts of the world (Racial Discrimination in the United States Past and Present 1). The workplace in these regions is among the leading areas where discrimination occurs. Therefore, this essay looks at racial discrimination in the workplace by focusing mainly on developed nations.
Proposed Change
The main change that is discussed in this essay is the introduction of legislation that will see the creation of a special authority that is aimed at guaranteeing the freedom of all workers at the workplace. There is a need for the federal government to enact legislation that spells out the punishments for people who discriminate others at the workplace based on their race.
The legislation also needs to create a special body that will have branches in all states. The body will provide a place where employees can report racial discrimination cases in the light of the ineffectiveness of the existing legislation and bodies that are charged with reducing racial discrimination.
Claim
This essay focuses on the necessary change in the workplace that is required to overcome the problem of discrimination. Some of the changes envisioned in this essay include the reduction in the different types of discrimination at the workplace. There have been many reports on workplace discrimination where individuals are differentiated based on their race (U.S. Department of Labor 1).
Racial discrimination may occur at any stage in employment, starting at the recruitment phase where employees are denied work because of their racial affiliations.
In fact, discrimination today ranges from simply not calling people for a job interview because their non-Anglo or African-American names happen to be Manuel, Mohammed, or Jaquetta (Weatherspoon and Isaac 2). In this case, the employer complains that employing a certain individual will be bad, and against the companys policy.
Racial discrimination also affects many races, with the most commonly discriminated races being the black and other colored people (U.S. Department of Labor 1). In the case of the United States of America, the most widely discriminated race is the black race (U.S. Department of Labor 1). This state has a long history of slavery where the black population was sold to work in farms and other industries.
After the end of slavery, most of the black population became citizens and had the right to basic services and employment, just like other citizens. The discrimination of the black race takes many forms at the workplace in the US. Lewis confirms that the most common form is a failure to hire individuals based on their racial affiliation (Identifying Discrimination 9).
Most companies that have advertised for posts for various positions usually have to carry out interviews and select the employees that are most qualified and skilled to work in these positions (Lewis Identifying Discrimination 27). Some of the black applicants have reported various forms of discrimination at the workplace, including being denied employment despite being more qualified than the rest of the applicants to the same position.
The black employees that can be employed also report various forms of racial discrimination, such as being called racial names and having to work longer about their non-black counterparts. This form of discrimination needs to be abolished in the workplace.
The suggested claim is that there should be the enactment of a new law on the federal level to prevent and punish people who are suspected of racism. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reveals, The laws prohibitions should include harassment or any other employment action (par. 3).
There is a need for the federal government to create a new law that outlines the different punishments for employees who practice racism at the workplace. The law needs to be based on the basic freedom to which every citizen is entitled. This freedom should be protected even at the workplace.
This law also needs to be structured in a way that special authority is created to investigate and prosecute employers and employees who practice racism in the United States.
There are different effects that this proposed solution would have on the racial discrimination of employees at the workplace in the United States. It is likely to have a reduction in the number of incidents where employees are discriminated at the workplace in the US. The other effect is that there is a likelihood of having employers reduce the racial profiling that is evident in most places of work in this region.
The implementation of the law against employment discrimination at the workplace will improve the overall discrimination in the country that is known for its racial profiling. There are many incidents of racial discrimination against some races, even away from the work environment. The law will go a long way in reducing this situation.
Without the introduction of this law, the discrimination against employees at the workplace is likely to continue. It is likely that employers will continue to offer limited spaces for different races due to racial influence. The legal system is also likely to have sustained suits where individuals are blamed for racial actions at the workplace.
The injustice of racial discrimination will continue if the law is not enacted and authority established to take care of the racial discrimination in the workplace. The introduction of this special law to tackle the problem of racial discrimination in the workplace will have significant results in the reduction of the same issue.
Without this authority, the federal government has little control over employee discrimination at the workplace in the US. Racial discrimination is an important human rights issue that any developed nation should be prepared to counter. The US should use this authority to take care of the problem. The other main reason for the racial discrimination at the workplace is the mentality that has been held by citizens about the different races.
Different studies have found that the population has different opinions about different races. This situation affects the way they view these races, even in the workplace. The established authority will be an important source of education for citizens by ensuring that they respect the rights of other individuals who are of different races at the workplace.
Background and History
Racial discrimination is not a new finding at the workplaces in the United States. It dates back to the years of slavery in this place (Racial Discrimination in the United States Past and Present 1). The white class discriminated the black population based on the inferior nature that they perceived of this group.
During those days of slavery, merchants could buy black people from Africa as servants to work for their masters in the various farms around the United States. The white population saw itself as the rightful owner of the land. Therefore, it could mistreat the black population that was thought to be inferior.
The racial discrimination against the Indians in the US was driven by their desire to control the land that was initially theirs. The white colonizers took large chunks of land from the Indians, with the latter being forced to move to other less favorable areas or work for the whites as their masters. Those who chose to work for the white masters were often mistreated.
The main reason for the discrimination was the whites perception that the Indians were inferior to the white people (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission par. 6). Racial discrimination continued even after the United States attained its independence. The Indians and the blacks were racially discriminated in the workplace, with less favorable conditions at the working stations.
The other races, such as those that moved into the US from Mexico or Asia mainly came here to offer their services in the construction industry that was experiencing significant growth at that time. The nation was in the process of building many industries and infrastructure.
These individuals were required to participate in the construction of various projects. Since the individuals were different in color from the white inhabitants, they were discriminated based on this parameter, hence confirming Lewis claims that the case of color prejudice is becoming rampant in courtyards (par.1).
With the abolishing of slavery and the introduction of the constitution that defined the rights of the citizens, racial discrimination significantly reduced in most of the urban centers where authorities were enforcing these rights and freedoms. However, the recognition of different races in the workplace took long. Employers reserved the right to employ workers who pleased them.
Most employers were reluctant to employ the different races that were present in the market. They preferred employing the dominant white race. This brought about several problems with racial discrimination in the workplace.
Since the discriminated races were few at the workplace, their fellow employees would easily target them, with racial sentiments being made against them. The employer could also offer difficult tasks for these races as compared to what their counterparts were required to do. This brought about the persistent problem of discrimination in the workplace.
Some scholars have suggested that discrimination at the workplace was used as a form of security for the dominant race where they could racially discriminate other races to ensure that they did not take the limited jobs that were present (Racial Discrimination in the United States Past and Present 1).
This strategy was a way of defending the few jobs that were available in public, as well as the private sectors. The current prevalence of racial discrimination resulted from historical injustices and racial stereotyping.
Opposition and Refutations
First Opposition
Different opposing arguments have been advanced against the introduction of law and authority to take care of the rampant racial discrimination in the United States. One of the arguments is that the law will be hard to enforce since employers in this state are at liberty to employ individuals that they see as being fit to run their organizations (Racial Discrimination in the United States Past and Present 2).
The opposition is that the introduction of such a law will be against the policies and business environment in the country, which are aimed at protecting the employer and enhancing the productivity of their businesses.
If employers are made to choose employees by any authority, such as the proposed one, opponents claim that this move will affect their performance and contribute towards further discrimination in the places that were not initially willing to take the employees.
First Refutation
In refuting this claim to the opposition, many ways can be used to apply the law without forcing employers to employ individuals that they view as being inadequate to work at their workplace. One way that employers can be challenged in reducing racial discrimination in the workplace through this law is to make them give reasons for rejecting employees in interviews.
This strategy can ensure that the authority is aware of the reasons and that it can weigh them about the race-based claims made by the potential employees. This case can also be an added advantage for the employers since they can use these reasons to defend themselves in a court of law if accused of racial discrimination in the employee selection process.
Second Opposition
The second opposition to the creation of such authority and law against the racial discrimination of individuals is that it will bear significant costs to implement. The enforcement of laws requires a dedicated public and aggressive legal system.
The federal government will also need to train several individuals to ensure that the legislation is being respected in the areas where there is a likelihood of racial discrimination at the workplace. This effort will require significant financial input, with the deferral government being responsible for the same.
The opponents are also likely to claim that the government is spending highly on the measures that are aimed at preventing racial discrimination along many fronts and that the implementation of such a law will contribute towards increasing the wage bill.
The measures used to fight the human right abuse in most parts of the world have usually necessitated large inputs in the form of financing. The involved governments have always footed this bill (U.S. Department of Labor 1). This may be the reason for the claim against the proposed legislation to curb racial discrimination in the workplace.
Second Refutation
This assertion, just like the one before it, is refutable based on the several counterarguments that can be used to this effect. It is a fact that legislation to protect the basic rights of individuals may be expensive in the beginning. The benefits of the legislation are more than the financial costs that might be incurred by any nation.
With the introduction of this legislation to guard against racial discrimination at the workplace, the races in the US will be empowered. This situation will bring about improvement in their socio-economic status (U.S. Department of Labor 1). This improvement will be a positive one in the US in general since citizens will be able to contribute effectively to nation-building.
Third Opposition
The third opposing claim is that the introduction of legislation to reduce racial discrimination will be ineffective. The basis for this argument is that many laws exist that prohibit the practice of racial discrimination in the United States, just like in many parts of the world. These laws have had little effect of racial discrimination at the workplace in the places where it is still rampant.
The claim that racial discrimination has not been reduced by any legislation is also based on the existing legislation on the international front where global bodies have formulated laws to prevent it (Racial Discrimination in the United States Past and Present 1).
For example, the UN is one of the bodies that are active in the formulation of laws that protect the rights of every individual. The workplaces that have been reported to have incidents of racial discrimination also have their own set of rules. Some of these rules are supposed to prevent such a problem. The opponents will use these facts to argue against such legislation.
Third Refutation
The claim that previous legislation has not been effective in reducing racial discrimination in the workplace is valid. The only difference is that the previous legislation has not had the authority in support of the laws. Few individuals were available to enforce it.
The international laws against any form of discrimination have also been ineffective because they have not received support from many quarters. Therefore, the federal authority should commit to keeping this legislation by creating a special body that will oversee the implementation of this law.
If implemented appropriately, racial discrimination at the places of work is likely to decrease over the next few years. However, the problem of racial discrimination at the workplace will remain a big predicament in areas where the law is not able to reach, including the areas that are traditionally known to have high levels of racial discrimination.
The federal authorities should also ensure that they increase funding for the programs that train individuals against racial discrimination at the workplace. This strategy will contribute to the reduction in the number of incidents at the workplaces.
Conclusion
In conclusion, discrimination in the workplace is one of the contemporary problems that affect many parts of the world. People are often discriminated based on the color of their skin and the racial background with which they are associated. This essay has established that many organizations have put in place measures that are aimed at eliminating the problem of racial discrimination at the places of work.
However, the problem is persistent. The essay has proposed the introduction of a federal law that is to take care of the problem. Authority is also to be established to take care of this rampant human rights problem. Three arguments against the move have been advanced. These claims have been refuted using several counterarguments. If this measure is implemented, it is likely that racial discrimination at the workplace will reduce in the next few years.
Works Cited
Lewis, Jackson. Skin Color Bias is growing as a Basis for Discrimination Claims, 2004. Web.
Lewis, Tamara. Identifying Discrimination in Employment, 2008. Web.
Slavery is a practice which dates back thousands of years. Conversely, racial discrimination is more appropriately defined by the mental and concrete conduct of the tormenter and the oppressed and their environmental context. Racism essentially defines the revulsion and trepidation that people keep on mankind with different skin colors.
The advent of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the early modern period gives evidence of how old slavery is. Europeans who arrived in Africa came with the impression that they are much superior to Africans. This wont angle clearly signifies how to a degree slavery arose from racism. Africans were seen as lesser human beings who were incapable of much advancement. They were viewed as uncouth and vulgar, traits which differed from the White generations. Colonizers hence used this claim to justify their being slaves.
Africans were seen as less than ordinary human beings who did not merit equal consideration, therefore could not be treated as humanely as the others. There was widespread suspicion, which eventually led to substantial abuse, which further intensified the determination of the Whites to have laborers.
The more the White population increased the more demand for labor in plantations and the existing manufacturing industries. In England, for example, the staff was thoroughly Black; hence the appearance of the idea of Africans being slaves. Their children inherited this image, and the slavery convention gradually became fortified.
By the 17th century, Africans were convincingly seen as assets to be transacted. They were part of the transactions including other stuff in trade. Ciphers were formulated in an attempt to control slaves. Laws which were formulated later in the century endeavored to establish punctilious preeminence over Black people. This form of racism was bent to ensure that Blacks resigned to their fate of being slaves.
These codes gave them no hope of ever acquiring sovereignty. Blacks were not seen as worthy of the privileges of liberty for which they were demanding. Whites constantly oppressed Africans in order to self-enhance their ego. This self-centered psychology and bigoted personality are what resulted in slavery in various countries. This impacted other colonies who strived to pass Black descendants through these ideologies.
Presently, African Americans in America comprise the greater percentage of the prison population. They are among the most poor, uneducated and unemployed. Police are also more likely to kill a Black man than a White individual. The innate fear and hatred that we have on the success of other skin colors indicate the extraordinary existance of racism.
Discrimination is part of the process of oppression. Differences in inherited characteristics, for example, skin color, have been used traditionally used to classify the oppressed as less inferior.
In the context of the Atlantic Slave Trade, it could be argued that racism in the New World arose from slavery. Bigotry was an outcome of slavery at the onset of early entrepreneurship. Slavery existed as a system of trade before America began its conquests, long before racism could be defined. Classical roman empires were based on the slave trade which had no relations to the skin color of people. Slaves were mainly from countries which had been conquered, or victims of war.
There was no interest on the ethnic attribution of the slaves, as their sole purpose was to provide. Humans were classified as either cultured or heathen. Hence, a White person could be considered as barbaric therefore less accomplished while a wise black being could be viewed as more productive.
The civilization process could not have been that rapid had the spirit and input of slaves not have been integrated in maturity. The trans-Atlantic slave trade, which lasted hundreds of years, is credited for the massive migration of Blacks and the intensification of the slave trade. It was the initiation of globalization of the new world. This resulted in Africans being transacted as property by Americans and Europeans leading to their exploitation and eventually prejudice.
The trade was all-inclusive, leading to an outsized economic framework for the coordinating countries. Religious, legal and philanthropic grounds justified forced labor. The culture and religion of many African communities were affected through this trend hence disadvantaging the intensification of success in the continent.
Africa could not compete effectively with other continents, predominantly America and Europe who were growing their economies through forced labor. The world viewed Africa as a continent of slaves who were doomed to be second-rate to other races. Slavery thus resulted in the background of racial discrimination, with the Whites stereotyping Blacks as being substandard.
These stereotypes were so severe that even Whites who were much poorer than some Blacks were seen as superior and deserving better treatment. The color of their skin exempted them from slavery and ensured their receipt of essential civil rights. The Blacks were keenly supervised in plantations, for fear of revolts. This fear of a revolution gradually grew tensions between the two races; the slave and the lord, leading to the formation of ethnic distinctiveness in the western countries.
These new distinctions destabilized the resistance of the White generation to slavery. Whites who were once slaves got incorporated into more benign forms of paid employment. Slavery was subsequently exclusively related to any Black person. Any African was thus seen as a potential slave, incase an individual was not one already. The cultural boundaries were thus opened by slavery in the new world.
Slavery lasted for the many years due to its profitability. The affluent became richer as the sweat of the unpaid slaves expanded their farms. The trans-Atlantic transactions of slaves were also promoted by some African leaders who collaborated with Whites in capturing slaves. This portrays an imperfect image for Africans who are seen to have encouraged the trade.
The domestic disturbance successfully eradicated slavery in the United States. Unfortunately, the effect on slavery was exceedingly minimal. Just as it was created to explain forced labor, racism was fashioned to classify Blacks as second-rate citizens.
During colonization, the super powers exploited different territories in search of cheap raw materials to maitain their industries. They made decisions for the populace in the invaded territories thus signifying their superiority. Racism continued in order to justify the mistreatment during the trans-Atlantic traffic.
The development of African children who learn about their inferiority at a tender age is undoubtedly influenced. Leaders were taught how to administer power by practicing dictatorship.
Changing this understanding in order to promote democracy in African countries thus becomes extremely difficult. Europeans and Americans therefore have no weight to disparage the administration criteria of Africans heads of state. This employment of political force has affected many countries, increasing distraught conditions like paucity and food shortage.
The above arguments suggest that racism was made my man in order to justify certain actions like slavery. This means that racial segregation can be eliminated through reducing the feelings of supremacy. The relationship of discrimination and private enterprises is immensely valid. In any capitalistic setting, racism must always be involved. Capitalism is the source of ethnic segregation, and its abolishment will unquestionably eradicate racism.
The United States experienced a revolutionary time from the 1840s to 60s. During this time, Murrin et al assert, that two of the main issues which remained prominent were slavery and women rights (236). This paper highlights the abolitionist views on race and change since the civil war to the year 1900 and how they affected the American view on race.
Alcott as an author turned nurse serving in the civil war shows some mixed views on race in the extracts from one of her works at the hospital sketches. Alcott in her writing extracts in hospital sketches points out that despite the revolution, racial and sexist beliefs remained prevalent. The abolitionists of whom Alcotts family was one were opposed to slavery. Alcott expresses the dilemma encountered by her. At the onset of the civil war, Alcott looks for employment as a nurse.
This is in breaking free from the traditional role defined by the sexist attitude at that time. Her family in the dialogue suggests to her a number of options. A suggestion by Tom to go to nurse the soldiers (Alcott Ch. 1) finally gets Alcotts upbeat. There is an air of disillusion with a tone of racism even as Alcott considers this option where she resigns with the view that the Periwinkles are a hopeful race (Alcott Ch. 1).
The desire to offer her nursing results in an interview and a readiness to go to Washington at short notice. The response to Alcotts application comes and it brought a disappointment along with its good will and friendliness (Alcott Ch. 1) informing her that her application in the Armory hospital was unsuccessful, but she has to fill a much less desirable one at Hurly-burly house (Alcott Ch. 1).
As the narrative builds up, Alcott portrays mixed views on the issue of race. Slavery as a product of racism was a major issue in the civil war, with the opponents of slavery as abolitionists. However, the tone in Alcotts writing, including words like colored, Irishman, Englishman still indicates Alcott had mixed views on race. As an abolitionist, Alcott conflicts her view when she addresses some of her patients as Irishman (Alcott Ch. 3, par. 12).
The mixed views by Alcott concerning race also show up when she goes to the Senate chamber where she found the speakers chair occupied by a colored gentleman (Alcott Ch. 5, par. 14). At the nursing facility in Georgetown, Alcott while working becomes vocal about the deplorable conditions at the treatment facility. She is also aware of a part of the African American labor force at the facility that unfortunately has no option but to work under the deplorable conditions for long periods, which in itself is a form of slavery (Alcott Ch. 5).
Americans view on race from the time of the civil war to 1900 was most conspicuous during the time of the reconstruction (Lecture notes- Reconstruction 1a). When the union forces finally won in the civil war, slavery as a product of race was unilaterally abolished.
The southerners who were agriculturalist and heavily depended on slaves to work on their large farms suddenly found that there was no labor, since they could not retain slaves. So abstract was the idea of free labor that began in the north that when the federal government moved in during reconstruction after the war, the white southerners mooted racial based clandestine movements such as the Ku Klux Klan (Lecture notes-Reconstruction 6), which carried out violent attacks on black southerners.
The free blacks in these southern states had racial reactions against them and were not able to compete favorably for honorable jobs, eventually settling for menial ones with low wages that always tied them to a dependency arrangement with their masters or employers.
The American civil war was partly about the re-definition of the American constitution in line with every federal states policies. The eastern and northern states adopted certain inclinations that separated them from the southerners and westerners.
This re-definition also affected the labor market even as the executive arm of the union of federal states shifted towards the abolition of slavery as a product of race. Free labor became a political ideology for the northerners who now looked at the southerners who depended on slave labor as misplaced.
However, this ideology was carried on more as a political gain stay because there still existed racism in the northern states or well still the African American or colored to even up to 1900 and beyond. The notion of free labor from a northerners perspective was therefore, more of a party ideology, the same one that saw the names of famous abolitionists like Lincoln assume presidential office.
Seemingly, the American view on race dramatically changed during this period of the civil war. It, nevertheless, assumed a different form after the civil war up to the year 1900 and beyond with aspects of racism remaining pronounced in attitudes. Today race remains a very sensitive issue in the American society being driven on one part by antagonist views and the protagonist ones on the other side.
Works Cited
Alcott, Louise. Hospital sketches. 1863. Print.
Lecture notes (Feb. 14 to Feb. 25).
Murrin, John, Paul Johnson, James McPherson, Gary Gerstle, and Emily Rosenberg. Liberty, Equality, Power: A History of the American people. 3rd ed. Belmont: Wadsworth publishing, 2003. Print.