Stereotypes In Native Son

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Recommended: Race as a sensitive issue in media

A stereotype is an unfair idea or belief that all people with a particular characteristic are the same. The judgement people make about others is based on their own direct interactions, but is mainly relied on the media. The media decides what is to be shown and what is to be hidden, demonstrating bias and promoting negative stereotypes towards people. Many times the media has gotten away with promoting negative stereotypes and bias, through race, religion, sexuality, ethnicity, and gender. There are many articles that discuss the issue of the media stereotyping people within a group, in which they do not belong in, because of their race. Blacks favoriting watermelon, whites have no rhythm, and middle eastern people are terrorist is considered racial stereotypes. Racial stereotypes has a serious affect on people’s social lives and emotions. …show more content…

The tribune article following Bigger’s escape from the Dalton’s stereotypes against communist refers to communist activities being “drunken sexual orgies” (Wright 186). Seeing all communists as delinquents might affect the readers of the article. The tribune was also biased towards Jan in the article stating Jan as a “communist suspect” and not as a regular suspect (Wright 186). This affects the reader by having them title Jan as a communist and not as a regular white boy. The media showed bias and negatively stereotypes towards Jan and the communists to show them as delinquents in society. In addition, the newspaper reports Bigger Thomas as a “Negro sex-slayer”, and has reportings of a white girl calling Bigger an ape. The newspaper continues on comparing Bigger’s physical appearance to an ape. “Crimes such as Bigger Thomas murders could be segregating all negroes in parks...residential segregation is imperative” (Wright 222-223). The way the media represent Bigger Thomas affects other blacks as if they are murderers or

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