Racism in American History X - 1021 Words

Racism in American History X â€Å"Get the fuck out of my house!† exclaims Derek as he pulls down his wife-beater to reveal a swastika tattoo, â€Å"See this? That means not welcome.† American History X, directed by Tony Kaye, is a movie about the transformation of Derek Vinyard: a young neo-Nazi skinhead. Derek’s father, Dennis Vinyard, was a middle-class fireman who disagreed with many of the ideological changes–such as affirmative â€Å"black† action–happening in America at the time. His father died while trying to put out a fire in a minority community. Derek essentially put the blame on the minorities for his father’s death as he says in the news interview: â€Å"Decent hard working Americans like my dad are getting rubbed out by these social†¦show more content†¦And Murray also adds that the statistic could also be due to a large amount of prejudice in the justice system towards race. For instance Derek’s bl ack friend in jail was accused of assault and sentenced to six years because he dropped a stolen TV on the policeman’s foot. Derek oversimplifies the issue by presenting two reasons and fails to acknowledge any of the underlying factors that may be in play to produce the statistic. Finally, near the end of the conversation Derek uses the red herring fallacy to further support his radical view. â€Å"If Rodney King had been driving along, hopped up on Chivas Regal and PCP and had killed Danny, you’d be singing a very different tune about the force of those cops.† In order to prove his point that King deserved the beating for what he had done, Derek presents the situation in a totally different light. Derek immediately shifts the discussion to something emotional (the death of his brother Danny) and the possibility of King hitting into someone during his high-speed chase is totally off topic because he didn’t in fact hit anybody. In doing so he uses appeal to fear to commit the fallacy of red herring. Derek’s blatant racism against the â€Å"struggling black man† is shown throughout this scene. Derek refers to King as a â€Å"monkey† twice, which displays his obvious lack of respect towards other races. Derek’s strong racial prejudice is obvious towards the end when heShow MoreRelatedRacism in American History X951 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican History X is clearly a film dealing with racism. The interesting thing about this film is the way in which the subject is treated. First of all, it is obvious that, though racism is always a difficult subject to deal with, American History X presents it without any reservations or dumming down. Second, the films figurehead for racism, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), is not an unintelligent redneck racist as films often portray them, but is in fact well-spoken, charismatic and intelligentRead MoreEssay on Racism in American History X936 Words   |  4 Pages American History X is clearly a film dealing with raci sm. The interesting thing about this film is the way in which the subject is treated. First of all, it is obvious that, though racism is always a difficult subject to deal with, American History X presents it without any reservations or dumming down. Second, the films figurehead for racism, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), is not an unintelligent redneck racist as films often portray them, but is in fact well-spoken, charismatic and intelligentRead MoreSociological Analysis of Racism American History X2317 Words   |  10 Pages Sociological Analysis of American History X: A Breakdown of the Stages of Racism Racism being a common concern for most sociologists is somewhat inevitable and a cause for a large proportion of the problems that occur in the society. American History X (1998) is a film that tells a rather heartrending tale of two brothers that got caught in a ghastly web of bitterness and hatred. Although racism is openly practiced, it isn’t entirely irreversible. The process of escaping from it, however, canRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie American History X 1586 Words   |  7 PagesIn the movie, â€Å"American History X†, the plot surrounds the life of two brothers who are involved with the D.O.C. a well-known white supremacist group in Venice Beach. Danny Vinyard is a high school student who admires his older brother, Derek, a former skinhead. Through the incarceration of his brother Derek, Danny becomes more affiliated with the skinheads and is mentioned at times as being the resemblance of his elder brother. The movie begins with flashbacks of Derek’s incarceration, and everythingRead MoreThe Great Melting Pot By Malcom X936 Words   |  4 Pagesstruggling with racism throughout it’s history. Studies show that about half of Americans believe that racism is still a big problem in our society. But despite this, racism has improved over the years. Contemporary America is a better society in terms of discrimination than it was in the 1960’s. In the 60’s racism was so severe that African Americans had to face racial segregation, white supremacy and unequal opportunities. In â€Å"saved† by Malcom X, Malcom depicts his view on racism in the 60’s asRead MoreStereotypes, Conformity, And Discrimination1742 Words   |  7 PagesPrejudices and Discrimination in American History X Abstract Stereotyping, prejudice, conformity, and discrimination are well portrayed in the movie American History X. The negative attitude held by Derek towards to black people is greatly influenced and learned from his father who was a racist. Derek also transfers these prejudice attitudes towards his younger brother Danny as he grows up seeing the racism practiced in his family and his brother. Although these attitudes are based on propagandaRead MoreAmerican History X By Tony Kaye1130 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican History X American History X, directed by Tony Kaye, is one of the most controversial, critically-acclaimed movies of the twentieth century. The film is about a man named Derek who serves three-years in prison for murdering two African-American gang members who broke into his truck. Derek’s younger brother, Danny, tells the story of how Derek became this hateful, racist person through various flashback throughout the story. Danny and Derek’s father was killed by an African-American whileRead MoreAmerican History X : Tony Kaye Essay1651 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican History X (Tony Kaye. 1998), is an example of a Hollywood film that boldly embodies Bernardi’s argument; â€Å"US cinema has consistently constructed whiteness, the representation and narrative form of Eurocentrism, as the norm by which all ‘Others’ fail by comparison† (Bernardi page5). The plotline centres on the main character; a former neo-Nazi skinhead named Derek Vinyard, and his atte mpt to stop his younger brother- Danny Vinyard from getting involved in the white supremacy gangs of LosRead MoreMartin Luther King And Malcolm X1424 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the 1950s and 1960s, racism was a patent fact in American society. And it is that United States was impregnated by the scorn and rejection toward the black man, having this contempt its maximum expression and support the racist organisation Ku Klux Klan. As consequence of racial segregation, the rights of people of color were strong mind clipped by some laws, forcing them to eat in different places, sit in seats determined within the public transport, and even being forbidden to enroll inRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement Essay1180 Words   |  5 PagesThe civil rights movement was a span of time when the African Americans endeavor was to acquire their constitutional rights of which they were being deprived. A commendable bearing of the civil rights movement was the unachievable triumph that the blacks so ught after and built. Through courage, persistence, and determination, the African Americans won their independence (enotes, 2010). The civil rights evolution was a period when society was oppressed for many years, rose up against the disadvantage