A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki - Assignment Example

A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki Question Most of the historical books portray America as though it was a dark continent before the European explorers made its discovery in the 16th century. However, the reality is that the native Indians inhabited America even before the exploration of the European communities. Therefore, it is hypocritical to recognize the Europeans as the founders of America. The only attribute to the presence of the Europeans in America is the documentation and accounting of history made after their presence in the country. In accordance to Ronald Takaki, the British presumed power from the Native Americans and succeeded to overturn them into their subjects with the belief that they were superior over the natives. The constitution remains disguised as it articulates that all Americans are equal as the multicultural differences crop and pass through the different generations (24). Takaki articulates the racial differences in the modern day America as a mode of succession from one generation to another as individuals grow in different ethnic and racial groupings. With the end of slavery, the inferior races of the American population did not gain equal rights to those referred to as superior races. For instance, the Europeans emphasized on the advantages of creation and wits that they had over the black and Asian races, and argue out on the fact that they were entitled to dominate and expose the inferior races to slavery and subjection. Further, Takaki observes the Europeans as hypocritical to term themselves as the descendants of the great white fathers, with the understanding that America was predominantly owned by native Indians and its constitution provides for equal rights to all Americans and recalls that the country is the land of opportunities (25). However, the whites preserve specific social classes and job positions as belonging to their culture and descendants thus; the inferior races have to struggle to achieve the scarce and odd job opportunities for survival. With the racial segregation and differences in beliefs and attitudes that the white race reflects on the African American and other inferior races, it would be hard to encourage and embrace the notion that the whites were the American founders. The fact that the white community encourages their subsequent descendants to understand their importance and hold high esteem as the most superior race, does not dictate that other races should realize them in accordance to their beliefs (34). Takaki observes the culture of racism as ill and alarming to the American democracy as the individual populations grow intensely and new divisive measures are adapted. History portrays Jefferson in two dimensions; one as the person who initiated mandatory relocation of Indians to Louisiana thus leaving the arable land to the white settlers, a factor that implicates on racism. Secondly, he banned slavery and its practice in America despite the fact that he owned many of them. Jefferson would think of Obama as inferior since his advocacy for the ban of slavery did not portray his will to treat the black race as fellow human beings (36). Question 2 Ronald Takaki portrays on the European ethnicity deeper by implementing on the possible meaning that William Shakespeare seemed to establish in the play, “Caliban”. He establishes that Shakespeare portrays Prospero as an overthrown duke from the city of Milan who reflects obsession to dominance and power. Prospero shows these attributes by setting sail to seek new territories which he would eventually own and dominate as a belief of leadership and civilization. Takaki relates Prospero’s greed to that of the Europeans to crave into alien territories with the desire to express authority over those territories (37). Ronald describes Prospero as a wicked white master who settle in the alien island named Caliban with his daughter without a show of any pride or intentions to secede power over the island. The author declares on the racism that Shakespeare expresses by describing Caliban in a primitive and barbaric manner without any signs of civilization. Further Caliban’s skin color is not even to that of Prospero and his daughter Miranda, but it is a dark complexion relative to that of the devil. Ronald describes Shakespeare’s writing as a portrait of racism and the fact that Prospero eventually seceded authority from Caliban implicates on the disguised ego that European immigrants would express to the aliens they found in the new territories (39). The fact that Prospero possessed Caliban with the devil’s spell to be bound by his spirits reveals an extent of wickedness upon the white culture. Shakespeare narrates of the fact that other kingdoms from Europe craved into the island and overthrew the Prospero and Caliban as well. With a reflection to the Bacon’s rebellion, the implications are that the white race was not at peace amongst itself because they expressed common interests and greed. Nathaniel Bacon was an official to the William Berkeley governance but did not recognize the importance of the Native Americans and perceived them as inferior thus; he retired from the government to oversee the plantations of whose land they obtained illegally from the natives. The Indians and other Americans would set frontiers against the white settlers, which led strenuous relationship and the urge of aggression (46). During the period of the Bacon’s rebellion, the white settlers would attack and destroy communities and villages of the indigenous races and would kill adults and children alike and eventually scorch and loot their properties. Takaki implements on the aggressive and the feeling of superiority for the Europeans over the inferior races because as the inferior races raided the Europeans without killing or destroying properties, the whites would retaliate with adverse attacks. Takaki portrays the “Giddy Multitude” as a composition of the landless white community and the inferior races. As a norm for the whites the less advantaged people in the society would be subject to the superiors and the same case applied over the Europeans comprised in the Giddy Multitude of Virginia. The argument is implicit of the colonial nature of the European slavery whereby all less advantaged people from the race would be inferior thus becoming an immediate subject of the wealthy and politically established white race of the society (50). Question 3 Fredrick Douglass was an anti-slavery advocate of the 19th century in the U.S.A. Through his artistic presentations and the skill of writing, the African American provoked unity among other anti-slavery advocates both of the inferior and the superior white race. He wrote of the plight that he underwent as slavery, his learning process despite the set embargoes meant to restrain African American from learning, and the eventual escape from slavery. His artistic writing was great and emphasized on the vital need to abolish slavery since all races were equal. He expresses of the learning process through the teachings from Mrs. Auld and expresses of the disguise that the white race reflected as Mrs. Auld thought Fredrick would never make any sensible progress thus; she was infuriated to learn that Douglass could read a newspaper. According to Fredrick Douglass, everybody had importance to the society despite his color and race (56). He denoted that the whites would do best to refrain from slavery and understand of the inferior races as fellow human beings whether their deeds were correct or incorrect as it dependent on a person’s perceptions. Martin Delaney was a black orator and a writer with an urge to learn and adapt the white collar jobs. Living in the 19th century was a challenge and his endeavors to learn would fall short after the whites alienated him from major issues. As a physician, he joined the Harvard School of medicine but was relegated on the basis that he belonged to the black inferior race, which could not at any point mingle freely with the correct and superior white race. Therefore, he wrote of the racial segregation as a permanent issue and that the inferior would find refuge and freedom by migrated into other free continents to establish their own country (57). Martin Delaney, a black orator and a writer with an urge to learn and adapt the white collar jobs and Fredrick Douglass, an anti-slavery advocate of the 19th century advocated for abolition of slavery. The two argued out that Europeans should abolish slavery eventually as all human beings were naturally free and no man’s subjects. However, the two writers differed accordingly from the fact that Fredrick advocated on all races as free to live in America whereas Delaney emphasized on the inferior races as having a choice to dessert America and find other new countries to inhabit (59). Work cited Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, and Co, 2010. Print. Read More