Masculinity In Paul Beatty's The White Boy Shuffle
analytical Essay
1868 words
In a more recent politically and culturally diverse world, many contemporary authors take it upon themselves to create novels exploring our diversity. In Paul Beatty’s The White Boy Shuffle, Beatty decides to critique our society’s strict and confining gender stereotypes and standards. Using irony and symbolism, Beatty crafts interesting characters, scenes, and dialogue to suggest that no one person is one-dimensional, and when society attempts to confine our multi-dimensional selves, many times we suffer from negative consequences. Through characters like Gunnar and Scoby, Beatty challenges the stereotypical masculinity expected of black males and what responses may occur as society attempts to box them in. During the first half of Beatty’s …show more content…
After the death of their fellow gangster Pumpkin, the GTH attempt to avenge Pumpkin’s death by raiding a rival gang. However instead of simply going in, guns blazing, the GTH dress in drag. While one would expect them to hate their seemingly emasculating facades, the gang members seemed to revel in their femininity. According to Gunnar, his friend Psycho Loco seemed to enjoy himself the most, “admiring his lusty visage in his compact, Psycho Loco flapped his false eyelashes [and blew himself a kiss”(p. 106). Psycho Loco, the leader of the GTH, a seemingly masculine societal position, enjoyed dressing in drag. And not only Psycho Loco, but the rest of the gang seemed to revel in their newfound femininity as well, “They fought over who would have the largest breasts and who would wear the expensive Wanton perfume. …show more content…
Beatty specifically uses the character Scoby to show the negative consequences that can come from the strictly masculine stereotypes we force upon black men in particular. For instance, Beatty uses irony to critique our society’s expectations of a black man’s sports abilities. When Scoby becomes the star of the school basketball team, he begins to break from all the constant support everyone gives him for his ability to never miss a shot. Scoby tells Gunnar, “‘I’m no fucking Tiki doll, no fucking icon. Don’t folks have anything better to do with their lives than pay attention to what I’m doing?’. . . It’s not fair. I wasn’t born to make them happy”(p. 119). Ironically, instead of treasuring and basking in the glory and praise a star basketball player usually receives, Scoby buckles under it all. Now that the school expects nothing but greatness from Scoby, he feels pressured to be nothing but perfect. Scoby being a black male definitely does not help his case much either. According to sociologist K. D. Thomas, this stereotypical black masculinity “may narrow the scope of products associated with black masculinity and therefore restricts how black males can express their masculinity”(Thomas). Thus Scoby being a basketball player does nothing but restrict him to stereotypical black athlete expectations. And
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how paul beatty critiques society's strict and confining gender stereotypes and standards by crafting interesting characters, scenes, and dialogue to suggest that no one person is one-dimensional.
- Analyzes how beatty uses irony to illustrate how easily society's stereotypes of masculinity, especially amongst gangsters, can be broken.
- Analyzes how beatty uses irony to illustrate how a masculine gangster like gunnar, can enjoy his subordinate sex life.
- Analyzes how paul beatty critiques society's strict and confining gender stereotypes and standards by crafting interesting characters, scenes, and dialogue to suggest that no one person is one-dimensional.
- Analyzes how beatty uses irony to illustrate how easily society's stereotypes of masculinity, especially amongst gangsters, can be broken.
- Analyzes how beatty uses irony to illustrate how a masculine gangster like gunnar, can enjoy his subordinate sex life.
- Analyzes how beatty uses irony in gunnar's relationships with his wife, yoshiko, to illustrate that men can have both feminine and masculine traits.
- Analyzes how beatty uses the character scoby to show the negative consequences that can come from the strictly masculine stereotypes we force upon black men.
- Analyzes how beatty's use of irony illustrates the flaws in our expectations of males, especially black athletes.
- Analyzes how beatty uses basketball to symbolize the duality of gunnar and scoby's views on their specific gender roles.
- Analyzes how beatty challenges the idea of masculine societal expectations through both gunnar and scoby's life experiences and success.
Harness the Power of AI to Boost Your Grades!
Haven't found what you were looking for? Talk to me, I can help!
Related
- analytical
- opinion
- Through history people have tended to judge the lives of other by what they see on the outside, and completely disregard their actually character. “Stereotyping in the World” today has become a greater and greater problem has history moves on. Some have been known to look past these cases such as Reginald Rose’s book Twelve Angry Men. The play has been shown that one voice can change the thoughts of many by getting past the first layer and breaking it down to their inner person. Twelve Angry Men has showed the theme of “Stereotyping in the World” through the characters’ proper reasoning, communicating, and believing in good faith.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how "stereotyping in the world" has become a greater and greater problem as history moves on. one voice can change the thoughts of many by getting past the first layer and breaking it down to their inner person.
- Analyzes how the 8th juror tried to get the other 11 to talk the case out for the sake of the boy's life. they brought in facts of world reason to how it was impossible for witnesses to have seen the person commit the murder
- Explains that communication was a must needed role in the pursuit to convince the jurors that they need to break down each part of the case.
- Analyzes how "stereotyping in the world" has become a greater and greater problem as history moves on. one voice can change the thoughts of many by getting past the first layer and breaking it down to their inner person.
- Analyzes how the 8th juror tried to get the other 11 to talk the case out for the sake of the boy's life. they brought in facts of world reason to how it was impossible for witnesses to have seen the person commit the murder
- Explains that communication was a must needed role in the pursuit to convince the jurors that they need to break down each part of the case.
- Analyzes how each juror has gone through a point in time where even they were stereotyped by the world. the 3rd jury let the case come into his own life and reflected his opinion on the boy without even paying attention to detail.
- Analyzes how twelve angry men showed the theme of "stereotyping in the world" through the characters' proper reasoning, communicating, and believing in good faith.
516 wordsRead More - Just Walk On By Brent Staplesopinion essayHe portrays the racist tendency of people to assume black men are potentially violent and dangerous. He describes about a white woman’s reaction when she and him were walking on same street but on the opposite sides during the night. He says that women seemed to be worried, she felt uneasy and she thought that he was ‘menacingly close’. He even shares his experience on how he was taken as a burglar, mistaken as a killer and forced out of a jewelers store while doing assignment for a local paper. The reason behind being kicked out of the jeweler store and women running away was because he was a black man. During that period black men were stereotyped as rapist, murderer, and gang members. These names upon a person’s personality can hinder ones feelings and can also affect ones confidence level. Thus stereotyping can cause a person to miss opportunities and the person might face difficulties in building relationships with specific types of people. (Brent
In this essay, the author
- Explains that our experiences are the ones that clarify the world around us. we find individual differences among the members of our own social group.
- Explains that stereotyping is based on unconscious bias and can be done by anyone and to anyone.
- Analyzes how brent staples portrays the racist tendency of people to assume black men are potentially violent and dangerous.
- Explains that our experiences are the ones that clarify the world around us. we find individual differences among the members of our own social group.
- Explains that stereotyping is based on unconscious bias and can be done by anyone and to anyone.
- Analyzes how brent staples portrays the racist tendency of people to assume black men are potentially violent and dangerous.
- Opines that stereotyping has become like a superstition and that it should be controlled and those who are being stereotyped should have different ideologies.
- Opines that people should train their brain and participate in honest and meaningful discussions on race, gender and age differences to change social attitudes and beliefs. avoiding generalization and learning to recognize is the most powerful tool to prevent being stereotyped.
- Explains that stereotyping is an unfair impression that has been developed in certain person or race.
922 wordsRead More - Racial Stereotypesanalytical essayThe image of the black male today and even years ago is one that is socially constructed with the many stereotypes and images that surround black males. Racial stereotypes are socially constructed beliefs that all members of the same racial group share that same characteristic, and in most cases are characteristics that are negative. There are stereotypes that include ideas such as black intellect, innate criminality and the fact they are subhuman. These negative stereotypes do not reflect the reality of the black male today, just as these images were not accurate depictions of the black males of our past. Even with these incorrect depictions of the black male, the negative stereotypes have remained and have even become accepted by non-blacks, but also by blacks. The media had been criticized for some time now for their representations of African Americans on television and also literature suggest that although the number of African Americans in television had definitely gone up the qualities of the characters that are being playing have remained the same. (Punyanunt-Carter,)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the image of the black male today and years ago is one that is socially constructed with the many stereotypes and images that surround him.
- Explains that the negative exposure that african americans receive from negative stereotypes in media have a significant influence on the evaluation of the african american in general.
- Explains that african american stereotypes are generalizations about the image of black males, which originated from how slave owners used to view slaves.
- Explains that the image of the black male today and years ago is one that is socially constructed with the many stereotypes and images that surround him.
- Explains that the negative exposure that african americans receive from negative stereotypes in media have a significant influence on the evaluation of the african american in general.
- Explains that african american stereotypes are generalizations about the image of black males, which originated from how slave owners used to view slaves.
- Explains that african-americans and other races have downgraded their images by using african american stereotypes.
- Analyzes how black stereotypes influence the young black male population. many black males don't know that they play a key role in enforcing these generalizations.
- Analyzes how minstrel shows conveyed the supposed stupidity of african americans, but even after the abolishment of slavery, the intellectual capacity of the black people was questioned.
- Explains that stereotype threat is triggered in situations where stereotypes are seen as relevant in the evaluation of one's performance. the stereotype that black men are not as intellectually able as white men may be harmful to the work experience of african-americans.
- Opines that it will lead to development of suboptimal feedback strategies, thus depriving those experiencing the threat of a valuable source of information regarding current performance and directions for improvement.
- Explains that those who hold a higher title in the workplace take in and ingest negative stereotypes of black men and judge them for those, leading them to take poor feedback, causing them not success.
- Analyzes how dennis rome, a sociologist and associate professor at indiana university, bloomington, wrote mass media and the african american criminal male stereotype.
- Quotes kelly welch's article, black criminal stereotypes and racial profiling, stating that it may be more important to understand the images of crime conveyed by society, than the actual dynamics.
- Argues that perceptions about the presumed racial identity of criminals may be so ingrained in public consciousness that race doesn't even need to be specifically mentioned.
- Explains that blacks are more likely to be robbery victims, arrestees, and prisoners than whites or hispanics.
1283 wordsRead More - Why Are All Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeterum Summaryanalytical essayTatum examines what “Blackness,” means in a predominately white society and explores reasons why black adolescents begin to believe that they are inferior or in other words “not normal” in society, especially in academics where some black adolescents claim that “doing well in school is often identified as being White” (para. 30) which leads them to not give their education their maximum effort in the fear of being labeled as “too white” or simply just “not black”. She uses her son’s personal experiences as well as typical stories of how blacks are misunderstood in order to educate the reader as to how black people eventually develop a self-identity based on the implications of society and the situations that surround them. This can be seen when she says, “The stereotypes, omissions, and distortions that reinforce notions of White superiority are breathed in by Black children as well as white” (para. 10). In this quote Tatum further examines what “Whiteness” means in the same context and explains that since American society associates White people to be the normality, they are not able to create a well-balanced self-identity without it being based off of racial
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how tatum examines what "blackness" means in a predominately white society and explores why black adolescents begin to believe that they are inferior or in other words "not normal" in society.
- Analyzes how tatum's essay focuses on black adolescents with little acknowledgement of other races' struggles to discover their self-identity.
- Analyzes how tatum's use of a conversational tone and repetition of the word identity are effective in portraying racial relations, but her essay leaves the readers to question if her points are truly valid.
- Analyzes how tatum examines what "blackness" means in a predominately white society and explores why black adolescents begin to believe that they are inferior or in other words "not normal" in society.
- Analyzes how tatum's essay focuses on black adolescents with little acknowledgement of other races' struggles to discover their self-identity.
- Analyzes how tatum's use of a conversational tone and repetition of the word identity are effective in portraying racial relations, but her essay leaves the readers to question if her points are truly valid.
- Analyzes how beverly daniel tatum's book "why are all black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?" uses a conversational tone and emotionally charged words to relate to her audience.
1011 wordsRead More - Analysis Of Cool Pose: The Dilemmas Of Black Manhood In Americaanalytical essayThus, men experience social and cultural pressures to conform to the ‘tough guise’ and those who fail to conform are negatively labelled as pussies, whimp, emotional, bitch, fag and queer (Katz, 2013). Likewise, in their book “Cool Pose: The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America” Majors and Bilson (1992) argues that the term ‘cool posing’ is a coping mechanism formed by black men in order mask the oppression of white patriarchal supremacy and in turn, construct their male identity. Furthermore, the ability to mask the harsh realities of oppression and limited opportunities to social and economic resources enables black men to convey the idea of power and control (Majors and Bilson 1992). Equally, in her work “We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity”
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how black men experience social and cultural pressures to conform to the ‘tough guise’ and are negatively labelled as pussies, whimp, emotional, bitch, and fag.
- Analyzes how black men experience social and cultural pressures to conform to the ‘tough guise’ and are negatively labelled as pussies, whimp, emotional, bitch, and fag.
181 wordsRead More - Summary Of Our Spiritual Strivings By W. E. B Duboisanalytical essayIt is no secret that there is a complicated history with race in America. The issue has been discussed by scholars such as Sterling Brown or W.E.B Dubois. Brown’s article, “Negro Characters as Seen by White Authors” outlines a variety of common stereotypes for black characters in American literature from the late nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. DuBois went a step further in his essay “Of Our Spiritual Strivings”, in which he outlined his theory of “double-consciousness”, a theory that has shown itself time and time again, especially in hip hop. Kanye’s West’s fifth studio album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”, takes listeners on a lyrical journey through common stereotypes and double-consciousness. For example,
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there is a complicated history with race in america, which has been discussed by scholars such as sterling brown or w.e.b dubois.
- Analyzes how west's use of the brute negro stereotype is echoed in his statements on how blacks are commonly stereotyped.
- Analyzes how west portrays many characteristics of the brute negro stereotype in "power." the vicious braggadocio in the song mirrors the fears that many white pro-slavery authors used to persuade their readers.
- Explains that there is a complicated history with race in america, which has been discussed by scholars such as sterling brown or w.e.b dubois.
- Analyzes how west's use of the brute negro stereotype is echoed in his statements on how blacks are commonly stereotyped.
- Analyzes how west portrays many characteristics of the brute negro stereotype in "power." the vicious braggadocio in the song mirrors the fears that many white pro-slavery authors used to persuade their readers.
- Analyzes the brute negro stereotype depicted in "monster," which features rick ross and jay z. the brutal lyrics depict extreme criminality and thuggish lifestyle with young, black men.
- Analyzes how west explores the exotic primitive stereotype from a first-person standpoint and connects it to occupation in america.
- Analyzes how west's take on the exotic primitive in "power" is subtler than the other two songs, but elements still remain.
- Analyzes how west tackles double-consciousness in a lot of his songs, but more so i "gorgeous" and "power".
- Analyzes how kanye west's album explores many aspects about which sterling brown and w.e.b dubois have written. his portrayal of stereotypes is abstract and subtle, but is mostly very direct.
1141 wordsRead More - Summary Of Just Walk On By Brent Staplesanalytical essayStaples begins his piece with a flashback of his personal experiences dealing with discriminatory behavior. “I was twenty-two years old, a graduate student newly arrived at the University of Chicago. It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into.” The establishment of a young boy, coming of age, to enter the real word creates a sense of compassion within the reader for the difficult transition between adolescence and adulthood applies to all. As a boy already facing this disturbance, the thought that Staples has to simultaneously balance biased inequity shows readers exactly how difficult certain minorities live life. The reason Staples is treated as a monstrosity can only be credited to his appearance of African American; since the woman didn’t linger in close enough proximity to develop other reasons. Representing the population, the women demonstrates the automatic fight or flight response elicited when close to minorities. Her second nature response signifies that unless minorities change their appearance they will always be judged. Their stagnant appearance is liable for the involuntary positions of oppression they are subjected into. The unattainable necessity to change his appearance elicits a sympathetic response from the reader. Staples desire of image modification becomes more relevant with his utilization of the personal pronoun ‘I’, which furthermore assigns the hopelessness he felt in the situation to the reader's sense of emotion. Interlacing emotions, the reader can comprehend Staples’ proposed solution in his state of hopelessness. The injustice of not being
In this essay, the author
- Argues that racism is a result of society's perception common settlers' faces and ideas are the ideal. brent staples proposes that minorities must appease concerns of oppressors by disregarding their personal dispositions.
- Analyzes how staples argues that because innate discriminatory actions against irregular appearances persist, the oppressed can only achieve hopes of freedom through submission.
- Analyzes how staples' proposed solution in his state of hopelessness evokes indignation in the readers.
- Argues that racism is a result of society's perception common settlers' faces and ideas are the ideal. brent staples proposes that minorities must appease concerns of oppressors by disregarding their personal dispositions.
- Analyzes how staples argues that because innate discriminatory actions against irregular appearances persist, the oppressed can only achieve hopes of freedom through submission.
- Analyzes how staples' proposed solution in his state of hopelessness evokes indignation in the readers.
- Analyzes how staples asserts that the oppressed have no option but to assimilate to the wishes of their superior or face punishment at the hands of the power.
- Analyzes how staples introduces norman podhoretz, an esteemed author, to demonstrate the reality in his claim.
- Explains that brent staples' proposition for solving racial prejudice by satisfying the beliefs of superiors is effective to the extent where his claim can be applied to broader scenarios.
1512 wordsRead More - “ Language is the most vivid and crucial key to identity: It reveals the private, and connects, or divorces one from the larger public or communal identity.” The stories in Black Boy are original and captivating. It identifies Richard Wright as a writer and a person of incredible substance. The language identifies the books time frame and era. And most importantly shows Richard’s journey through social and personal acceptance.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how wright's autobiography, black boy, identifies richard wright as a writer and person of incredible substance.
- Analyzes how wright's use of words and his grasp of the english language gave him the power to convey his life story to the reader.
- Analyzes how language identifies the book's era. the term "white man" comes up many times, as if wright is reluctant to use he names of particular people.
- Analyzes how wright's autobiography, black boy, identifies richard wright as a writer and person of incredible substance.
- Analyzes how wright's use of words and his grasp of the english language gave him the power to convey his life story to the reader.
- Analyzes how language identifies the book's era. the term "white man" comes up many times, as if wright is reluctant to use he names of particular people.
- Analyzes how wright's use of a fast-paced writing shows his journey through social acceptance. he is willing to do anything to be accepted even if those things are not exactly conscience approved from him.
- Explains that identity and acceptance were important to wright, who spent his whole life trying to find himself. his writings proved educational and helped him find acceptance amongst many.
591 wordsRead More - How Expectations Changed In Richard Wright's Black Boyanalytical essayIn Black Boy we see a very clear difference between Richard and the majority of other African Americans who accept society’s expectations for them. Even from the beginning, Richard can see how different he is
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how standards society had for african americans caused massive division between blacks and whites. in richard wright's black boy, we can see these prominent expectations through the childhood of wright himself.
- Analyzes how richard is different from the majority of other african americans who accept society's expectations for them. his differing personality and beliefs cause division, and he is expected to be submissive to white people.
- Analyzes how richard is divided from his family because of their differing beliefs and expectations.
- Analyzes how standards society had for african americans caused massive division between blacks and whites. in richard wright's black boy, we can see these prominent expectations through the childhood of wright himself.
- Analyzes how richard is different from the majority of other african americans who accept society's expectations for them. his differing personality and beliefs cause division, and he is expected to be submissive to white people.
- Analyzes how richard is divided from his family because of their differing beliefs and expectations.
- Analyzes how wright shows that if you don't conform to society's standards while growing up, you will live a life of division.
777 wordsRead More - Comparing Men And Ralph Ellison's Invisible Mananalytical essayRichard Wright’s “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” the opening story in his Eight Men (1961), and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man ( 1952) both deal with the development and structuring of black male subjectivity in a United States dominated by institutionalized Jim Crow laws. Both deal with a first-person phenomenological perspective: tracing the development of the protagonist in his respective environment. Both of these pieces contain similar themes in that sense; however, they do not approach the problem of developing subjectivity in the same way. While one may be superior in a literary sense to the other, Ellison’s Invisible Man will be in the American canon in one hundred years.
In this essay, the author
- Compares richard wright's "the man who was almost a man" and ralph ellison’s invisible man, both dealing with the development and structuring of black male subjectivity in the united states dominated by institutionalized jim crow laws.
- Analyzes how wright's "the man who was almost a man" ties race and masculinity together seamlessly. in the short story, dave saunders is presented as powerless and must acquire some supplement to himself.
- Analyzes how wright's depiction of dave can be put into psychoanalytic terms. he is castrated by white society through the use of institutionalized jim crow, and, through his desire for a gun, wishes to reappropriate his lost masculinity.
- Compares richard wright's "the man who was almost a man" and ralph ellison’s invisible man, both dealing with the development and structuring of black male subjectivity in the united states dominated by institutionalized jim crow laws.
- Analyzes how wright's "the man who was almost a man" ties race and masculinity together seamlessly. in the short story, dave saunders is presented as powerless and must acquire some supplement to himself.
- Analyzes how wright's depiction of dave can be put into psychoanalytic terms. he is castrated by white society through the use of institutionalized jim crow, and, through his desire for a gun, wishes to reappropriate his lost masculinity.
- Analyzes how dave's inability to handle the pistol kills jenny, mr. hawkins’s mule, and his second castration opens up a genuine space for him to reappropriate his masculinity.
- Analyzes how ellison's invisible man focuses on having a general application. the novel introduces similar thematic material to eight men, but this is abandoned later.
- Analyzes how ellison introduces and utilizes his thematic material and symbolism, but its interpretation is not as deep as wright’s.
- Analyzes how ellison's protagonist is torn between conflicting emotions and accepting his symbolic castration at the hand of the prevailing white institutions or to claim his masculinity by touching the woman with the american flag tattoo.
- Compares the literary elements of eight men and invisible man, stating that the novel set the stage for explorations of the human experience, regardless of symbolism.
1063 wordsRead More - Hoodoo Economics Essayanalytical essayThe film invites the fantasy, black men exist in childlike relations to economic matters and would cede their material gains to be in a certain set of social relations
In this essay, the author
- Argues that blacks are represented in terms out of a fundamental ignorance of african american life and culture.
- Opines that hollywood screenwriters don't know much about black people other than what they hear on records by hip-hop stars eminem.
- Explains that the maaf genre is that black males are not magical or saintly but have magic that directs toward helping a white male character.
- Argues that blacks are represented in terms out of a fundamental ignorance of african american life and culture.
- Opines that hollywood screenwriters don't know much about black people other than what they hear on records by hip-hop stars eminem.
- Explains that the maaf genre is that black males are not magical or saintly but have magic that directs toward helping a white male character.
- Explains that black characters are assigned as good to counteract the racism white audiences automatically direct toward them.
- Explains that one of the ‘realistic’ elements of films incorporating black magical men is their attention to the work lives of their white male characters.
- Analyzes how the magical ‘power’ of black men in the films serves as an expression of their economic vulnerability.
- Analyzes the film unbreakable, a mystical black men to help an alienated white man find his place in the world.
- Analyzes how david dunn is defined economically first by his wife, then by a mysterious black men, elijah price.
- Analyzes a recurrent theme within the film: ‘men must struggle free of the influence of women, who threaten to ‘break’ them.
- Opines that david's wife would marry him if he set aside his dreams of being a pro football player.
- Explains elijah's belief that if someone can be as fragile as david, there is someone opposite of him.
- Analyzes elijah's role as the architect of david’s transformation (‘buddy film’), from freeing him from his wife’
- Explains that elijah caused several acts of sabotage in order to discover someone like david and to find out his place in the world.
- Opines that the black man needs a white man to be hero.
- Analyzes how elijah sacrifices his economic and social position to find his place after being sent to an institution.
- Analyzes how unbreakable sets a revision to social order, where white men feminized by the service economy regain power from women and blacks.
- Analyzes how the film invites the fantasy, black men exist in childlike relations to economic matters and would cede their material gains to be in a certain set of social relations.
- Describes the green mile, death row prison guards and a black inmate who possess supernatural powers of healing.
- Analyzes how the black protagonist, john coffey, is a mixture of racist stereotypes: represented as ignorant, childlike, and hypersexualized.
- Analyzes how the film explores white working men and dramatizes their negotiation of their gender identity through their work lives.
- Analyzes how the film imagines the white workers on death row as much more fully in command of their masculinity.
- Analyzes how the green mile focuses on an era when working as a guard provided white men with prestige and decent wages.
- Analyzes how no female character in the film organizes its meditation on the workplace in deeply gendered terms and imagines death row as a merging of public and private spheres.
- Describes the green mile as a place where inmates are cared for and disciplined like children.
- Explains that a black man with supernatural powers is assigned the role of negotiating the social relations of white men to gender and work.
- Analyzes how the functions of elijah and john offer the white male worker as a heroic protector.
- Analyzes how the film can be seen as a celebration when white men still made the rules.
- Explains that guards can be gentle or stern because they are in control of their world. the uniforms they wear underscore the power granted by their gender and race.
- Explains that paul learned that his work threatened innocent lives and left the green mile to work at a juvenile delinquent shelter.
- Analyzes how john grabs paul's hand, and later paul is well over one hundred years old and has become ‘unbreakable’.
- Analyzes how the film uses black magic to imbue a white man with superhuman power.
- Analyzes how family man transports a businessman into an alternative life and explores the tensions for white men btw their self-conception as public workers and private husbands/fathers.
- Analyzes how the maaf in the film is compared with a young child who eases the white protagonist’s transformation
- Analyzes how the black magical man becomes marginalized and disempowered, while the white man suffers in a feminizing service economy.
- Explains that jack has the opportunity from magical intervention of a supernatural black man to see what his life would have been if he settled down with his girlfriend kate, 13 years earlier.
- Analyzes how she declared ‘i choose us,’ a tension that pits masculine power against autonomy and economic prosperity.
- Analyzes how jack has achieved a remarkable degree of economic autonomy and social prestige by not ‘choosing us’.
- Narrates how jack enters a convenience store on christmas eve to witness cash get in an altercation with the shop owner.
- Describes how jack returns home and wakes up in an alternate universe where he stayed with kate and had two kids.
- Analyzes how cash explains that jack is being given a rare opportunity of the life he could have had, having the film also romanticize family life in the suburbs.
- Analyzes how jack has earned the comforts of masculinity through his paid, public work, but then his life is merged with hers.
- Describes how the designer now works for a small business rather than giant, and his designer suits are now uniforms.
- Describes how jack is trained in his new life by his daughter, annie, who is a double of cash.
- Analyzes how cash offers jack a small bell where when rung cash will appear yet it is annie who appears.
- Narrates how jack tries to merge his new life with his old, yet he wakes up to old life and decides to search for kate.
- Analyzes how jack is advocating a more feminized existence for kate and jack implores kate not to go to europe.
- Analyzes how cash's name draws attention to the economic relations in which he is embedded.
- Explains that black men are systematically excluded from public, paid work because of the threat to white male hegemony they might pose if economic power.
- Explains that they are shown instead as from another dimension, ‘magical’ because their lives are a mystery and their means of existence are
- Explains that black men are ‘power brokers’ who interact with their white counterparts not for selfless reasons, but to fulfill their own needs.
1345 wordsRead More - The Not So American Dream In Ralph Ellison's Battle Royalanalytical essayAmerica is the place of freedom and where all men are created equal. Unfortunately, the blonde and the black male are not treated as such at the Battle Royal. The African American narrator is considered an oppressed minority to the white man. “You sure that about ‘equality” was a mistake?” (234) Is the question that was asked when the narrator accidentally said the words ‘social equality’ during his speech. This upset the white men and they “shouted hostile phrases” (234) at the boy. The discomfort expressed from the crowd when the black male uttered those two words gives insight as how a black man is not allowed to be accepted as equal in their
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how ralph ellison depicts the struggles an african-american male goes through, in a world dominated by caucasian men, while trying to succeed in life.
- Analyzes how an african-american male is viewed as inferior to the caucasian man. the protagonist is used as a laughingstock for the white men.
- Analyzes how ellison exploits a stark naked woman to perform, reflecting the dignity the black man is stripped of after being blindfolded and the humiliation he experiences.
- Analyzes how ralph ellison depicts the struggles an african-american male goes through, in a world dominated by caucasian men, while trying to succeed in life.
- Analyzes how an african-american male is viewed as inferior to the caucasian man. the protagonist is used as a laughingstock for the white men.
- Analyzes how ellison exploits a stark naked woman to perform, reflecting the dignity the black man is stripped of after being blindfolded and the humiliation he experiences.
- Analyzes how the nude tattooed woman symbolizes the lack of authority she and a black male possess. the dancer is placed in the middle of the ring to taunt the black man.
- Analyzes how ellison uses the woman's american flag tattoo as a form of irony. the blonde and the black male are not treated as such at the battle royal.
- Analyzes how ralph ellison's use of a nude, blonde woman is symbolic of the exploitation black men endure and how they are perceived in the word full of white men.
662 wordsRead More - A mother’s first instinct is to protect her child. That task is made more difficult by the influence of society. Especially when society is tainted with racism. The short story, “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright features Mrs. Saunders, a character who has tried her best to raise a young, black male in a time that is not kind to others with a different skin tone. His journey to adulthood has been clouded by confusion on what defines a man and whether this kind of society will ever accept him as a man. Being African American, he is already viewed as less than a man. Yet, he keeps chasing the idea of others viewing him as a man, deferring to outside things to reinforce his manhood. The sad fact remains that, in the eyes of society, he was never going to viewed as a man the same way a white man would be. His mother acted as a buffer between him and society, but once he broke away from that link, he was exposed to his reality. He may still be chasing it, looking for new ways to change the perception surrounding him. However, until society sheds all taints of racism, he will never find what he is searching for. Wright utilizes the mother’s character as Dave’s connection to society, but as he breaks that link in search of his own, the harsh reality of life as a black man is brought to light. A mother’s love runs deep, but it cannot protect an individual from the harsh world. It will not last as armor forever. Only love and respect for one another, no matter the race, gender, sex, or religion, can fight society’s ugliness. Only then can the man who was almost a man, get the opportunity to be a man in everyone’s
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the powerful influence of a mother is demonstrated in the short story, "the man who was almost a man" by richard wright.
- Analyzes how a child's first human connection is to its mother, and in dave and mrs. saunders, the readers can see how this relationship can eventually prevent the development and progress of the child’s maturation.
- Analyzes how dave's immaturity and belief that a gun would ascend him into adulthood showcase his distorted view of the world around him.
- Analyzes how the powerful influence of a mother is demonstrated in the short story, "the man who was almost a man" by richard wright.
- Analyzes how a child's first human connection is to its mother, and in dave and mrs. saunders, the readers can see how this relationship can eventually prevent the development and progress of the child’s maturation.
- Analyzes how dave's immaturity and belief that a gun would ascend him into adulthood showcase his distorted view of the world around him.
- Analyzes how mrs. saunders, an african-american woman raising a young black male, is awake to the harsh realities that they will have to endure due to their skin color.
- Analyzes how dave saunders has shattered the shared chain of his mother to society, and he has failed to form his own. his obsession with becoming a man has blinded him to what it really means.
- Opines that the connection between mother, child, and society is one that could be applied to any race, but the experiences surrounding the mother and child are not the same when it involves people of color compared to whites.
- Analyzes how richard wright's "the man who was almost a man" features mrs. saunders, who has tried her best to raise an african-american male.
2196 wordsRead More - Masculinity and Raceanalytical essayRacially and ethnically other men have always been equated with characteristics that symbolically effeminate and disempower them. Those other men are African Americans and Asian Americans as well as Latinos and Native Americans, which are not my concern in this essay. I want to argue that race and masculinity cannot be regarded as distinct matters but are closely linked and intertwined with each other because the hegemonic masculinity by definition is only valid for Caucasians and also constructed by them. Ethnically and racially other men can never fully become masculine by that definition, they have to content themselves with the role of a marginal other. To emphasize the importance and historical significance I like to quote Dollimore:
In this essay, the author
- Explains that masculinity in the united states has been constructed as being white protestant anglo-saxon, furthermore heterosexual and in charge of all matters. michael kimmel provides a good definition.
- Argues that race and masculinity cannot be regarded as separate matters but are closely linked and intertwined with each other.
- Opines that no consideration of cultural and/or racial differences should ever neglect the negativity, evil and inferiority with which such differences have been associated throughout history.
- Explains that masculinity in the united states has been constructed as being white protestant anglo-saxon, furthermore heterosexual and in charge of all matters. michael kimmel provides a good definition.
- Argues that race and masculinity cannot be regarded as separate matters but are closely linked and intertwined with each other.
- Opines that no consideration of cultural and/or racial differences should ever neglect the negativity, evil and inferiority with which such differences have been associated throughout history.
- Opines that these others have the opportunity to approach masculinity, in terms of the definition provided by kimmel, when they assimilate to white hegemonic structures, mannerisms and habits, but they have to depend on those same structures to grant them this reward.
- Opines that others can always help the caucasian hero to reach his goal and safe „the world“ because they might possess a specific and peculiar skill that helps to achieve the
- Explains that african americans have been hypermasculine as well as emasculated, portrayed as either the overwhelmingly strong, sexual aggressive invader or the harmless boy not to be feared.
- Analyzes how asian americans are depicted as malicious, sneaky and evil minded people that always threaten to rape innocent white maidens.
- Analyzes how asian americans in movies made by americans show us the „yellow peril“ as a constant fear of rape, because on the larger scale the white woman represented the christian white society and had to be protected from the demonic oriental.
- Analyzes how stereotypical images have ceased to exist in contemporary movies, but they resound in the depiction of those groups.
- Explains that the asian realm is not demonized anymore, but still referred to as the other, because they have different cultural features that are alien to our perception. this new masculinity was introduced by bruce lee, who shot a handful movies that have influenced literally every production from either asia or america since then.
- Explains that true, authentic masculinity cannot be achieved by a ethnically other man and if they possess these characteristics, they float above all conventions that are existing in real life and those characters become supernatural.
- Analyzes how sidney poitier portrays integrative characters that earned him several academy awards, but all these narratives present him as an accepted and integrated figure in the white hegemonic world. his character is completely detached from all the issues the black community has been confronted with during the filming period.
- Analyzes how interracial marriage is reduced to an individual problem of two families, yet the black family has objections to the alliance, while the white family is okay with it. poitier portrays a harmless figure that brings him closer to white society and detaches him from his african american cultural background.
- Explains that us elites favored these types of individuals because they could be handled and treated without a white man's bad conscience regarding slavery and the conditions of the black community in the us.
- Explains how the so-called „blaxploitation“ era began and black people could no longer be deprived of a more complete depiction of their masculinity on screen. this formula showed self-assertive strong and hypermasculine characters taking on whole police squads.
- Explains that hollywood started making such movies because they couldn't afford to neglect the demands of black audiences after the social situation of the late sixties. hollywood had a major fiscal crisis and studios looked for an opportunity to make money without considering any questions of race and gender identity.
- Compares the representation of whites and caucasian male characters in the movie world. they represent strong, dependable, and reliable characters that take on the worlds inequalities and injustice.
- Analyzes kimmel's observation that caucasians represent the reigning masculinity that others are measured against, and it is through their actions that the weak are saved. strong white males cannot permit other strong male individuals in their realm.
- Opines that movies that represent this relation are not made by hollywood directors and more likely foreign productions for instance from asia. the blaxploitation era was an exception due to fiscal problems in hollywood.
- Cites brod, harry, and kaufmann's theorizing masculinities as homophobia: fear, shame and silence in the construction of gender identity.
1601 wordsRead More - Social Confinementanalytical essayEllison reveals the imbalanced relationship between intellectual whites and inferior blacks in the Battle Royal setting. Battle Royal is an extended metaphor for the egalitarian of the white American society for blacks, and the whole setting resembles a circus act. Just like a circus everyone is gathered around an arena or ring to watch animals, clowns and performers to entertain them. In this circus act it pushes to keep African Americans oppressed and running, everyone who is in the ring is being stripped of their humanity, dignity their pride and their rights to have their own identity in society. All of the black males are sexually and physically humiliated as entertainment for the community leaders. The protagonist and other males arrive to the boxing match, “crowded together into servants’ elevator” (Ellison 18). Each opponent is caged like an anima...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes ellison's use of metaphors, symbols, and diction to reveal black obedience is the only prescribed course for getting along in the segregated south.
- Analyzes how ellison reveals the imbalanced relationship between intellectual whites and inferior blacks in the battle royal setting.
- Analyzes how ellison reveals black males' social position through many different symbols throughout the novel. the boxing ring symbolizes the blacks’ social confinement.
- Analyzes ellison's use of metaphors, symbols, and diction to reveal black obedience is the only prescribed course for getting along in the segregated south.
- Analyzes how ellison reveals the imbalanced relationship between intellectual whites and inferior blacks in the battle royal setting.
- Analyzes how ellison reveals black males' social position through many different symbols throughout the novel. the boxing ring symbolizes the blacks’ social confinement.
- Analyzes how the battle royal is meant to awaken the ambitious protagonist to the inherent danger of the posture of humility which he advocates.
- Analyzes how ellison shows how oppressed blacks can deceive and exploit white benefactors. by serving mr. norton, the unnamed narrator becomes inhuman.
- Analyzes how the 'golden day' chapter makes it clear that black community has no respect for those who choose to abandon their race in hopes of making selfish advances.
- Analyzes how ellison isolates himself from society at the end of invisible man to sow that equilibrium cannot be reached between the two races.
1407 wordsRead More