Race and Ethnicity in American Culture - Essay Example

Race and Ethni in American Culture Thesis: The racism and cultural differences in America had a great influence on the American citizens. Introduction American culture is composed of various ethnic issues, and racism is one of the primary aspects of it. Though it is not as prevalent as it was in the beginning, it still protrudes out sporadically. This implication is brought to picture by the continuous immigration of people from all over the world, leading to a divergent demography and thereby a variegated list of problems segregating in almost all parts of America. In spite of that, the American culture has maintained its solidarity and uniqueness. So it could be said that racism prevails to be the inherent cause for such problems in the culture of America. In the past, American culture has been greatly influenced by the films and books that were a part of every denizen’s life. In fact, films and books still play a major role in crafting the society with respect to every individual. It has touched many lives and has made people believe with hope. On a general perspective, it could be said that movies were much more impactful on people than books because of the simple reason- it catered to a wider audience, both demographically and intellectually. So to consider the analysis of such a medium on its impact on the American culture seems valid. Mighty Joe Young- one of the famous Hollywood flicks, created a wave of enthusiasm among the American audiences. The central theme of the movie was pertaining to racism. The movie released in a period when America, as a country, was ruling the roast on the global front– becoming the super power of the world. However, within the country, racism was spreading its roots aggressively in every single aspect of the government. Even the government struggled to improve the strata of people who were affected by racism. So under these circumstances, the movie, showcasing the repercussions of racism, in its rudimentary form, proved to be a huge success and an enlightening experience. This paper will highlight the concept of racism that prevailed in movies as well as books. When compared with the other movies, Mighty Joe Young reflected the problems and differences among the Africans and Americans. This paper describes the similarities between a movie which depicted racism in the 1940’s and a book that revealed the severity of racism during the same age. Mighty Joe Young As mentioned before, the major theme of the movie is racism. The movie portrayed the life a girl who is abandoned due to her mother’s tragic death. From then on, her struggle for life begins. The various problems and the way she strives hard to make a living forms the rest of the story. The story of the movie was perceived from a novel which describes the life of a gorilla which moves from its original habitat. The problems and sufferings it undergoes have been clearly depicted in this movie. 1Though during the initial days, the movie did not receive many critical acclaims; as days went by, people started accepting such imaginative ideas. The reason was the importance that was given to realistic nature of the script. Added to this, the movie had more of issues related to day to day life of an African-American. Since this was not included in the original novel, audiences were awe-struck with an unexpected realistic portrayal of their problems. The script seemed far more appealing than the book, and so it captured the hearts of many. This movie had a close relationship with most of the books that were authored during that period. Its story revolves around the gorilla and the girl who brings him from his habitat. This movie became popular since it was a combination of almost all genres of American cinema. The movie had comedy and action sequences which made the film still more interesting. The way in which the character of Jill was perceived received critical acclaims. When compared to the original version, this movie had the elements that could make it a success. Walt-Disney pictures insisted that the movie has to have scenes to attract the younger children. Their aim was to cover a wider range of audiences and they managed to release the movie in an appropriate time. Though the movie became a grand success, it lacked certain aspects that a normal film would include. Joe, the gorilla was exhibited in a more powerful character and it took the audience by its action and comic sequences. Since Joe was the main character, Jill and others had a very little role to play. Though the story was similar to that of King Kong, the film created by the same director, this managed to keep the audiences entertained. When striking a comparison between the films that were a part of this book, Mighty Joe young was a decent film which an entire family could watch. Pre-code Hollywood Several authors expressed their opinion about the situation that prevailed during the 19th century. Pre-code Hollywood was one among the famous books that were written based on the life of an American actor as well as an American citizen. Though most of these books became popular, very few made it to the popular and influencing list. This book in particular, received great reviews and critical acclaims for its emphasis on American culture and racism and thereby revealing the darker side of America and American cinema. Many people felt that this book has demoralized and degraded the way in which American cinema was conceived around the world. But most of the films that were released during that period were in line with the author’s description. The book aimed at revealing the way in which people were treated in American cinema. This was an eye opener to most of the film makers. From then on they made it a point to have a control on the way how people were portrayed in the films. Mighty Joe Young vs. Pre-Code Hollywood The historical movies and movies which described the periods in American history emphasized on the difference among the blacks and whites. 2The Native Americans had an aversion for the blacks and people who migrated from other parts of the world. This created problems which resulted in racist movements. Racial groups were a part of the American government and even this movie indicates the severity of racism and the way in which people were treated. Joe, the gorilla, had affinity towards the girl who brings Joe to hostile conditions. People in the country seemed to oppose the upbringing of such animals in the normal habitat. In spite of various issues and oppositions, Jill manages to keep him with her. The theme of the movie is how an abandoned girl comes to the rescue of a gorilla taken to hostile conditions. The ways in which Jill and Joe grow up together are more interesting and attracts the audience. The film depicted the problems they face in Africa and it also shows their life in America. The director had shown great amount of difference in the way they were treated in both the countries. American cinema went through various changes and still it continued to focus on the whites and most of the films emphasized on the difference between the Native Americans and blacks who immigrated from other parts of the world. Years pass by and at one stage they both are targeted by the African government. This situation is similar to that of the ones described in the book, Pre-Hollywood. American cinema, one among the best movie making industry in the world was more dependent on the problems that prevailed during the period of 1930 to 1934. Similarities The American cinema industry was dominated by whites and blacks were not given a proper stand ion the industry. Instead they suffered from various problems and each and every film of that time described factors like sex and life of whites. This movie and book hold a strong similarity since most of the Hollywood flicks concentrated more on attracting the audience rather than providing or inculcating knowledge among the viewers. The treatment of blacks and contrasting behavior of the whites form the crux of the story. When compared to the film, the book reveals the bitter truth of American cinema where more importance was given to whites and it also revealed the fact that movie makers did not concentrate on relevant information. 3 “On the other hand, the growing importance of African-American audience and that audience’s growing resistance to Hollywood’s moral color scheme is indicated by a cautionary note sounded in Motion Picture Herald’s review of a trader horn-like sequence in adventure Colombia’s racial adventure film Black Moon”. 1 Most of the films released during that time focused only on aspects like sex and racism. These movies clearly exhibited the dominance of whites and their behavior towards blacks and women. Though more than a dozen films were released, each of them had at least a single scene were women were ill treated and the blacks were shown as slaves. Slavery was more prevalent during those times and it paved the way to more problems. This was due to the increase in the numbers of African-Americans. African-Americans were a part of the American society and people opposed the development of such people. 4This movie also relates to the incidents that lead to problems in the American society. American Cinema- 19th century Years passed by and American cinema showed signs of improvement. The stories of the movies began to change and some of them were inspired from novels which were already a success among the readers. The concept of creating a film from a book was well received. Though the movies lacked certain features that were included in the book, the films managed to carve a niche for themselves. Movies like Mighty Joe Young were declared to be a success in spite of its flaws. During the 1930’s, the movie makers adopted a concept of entertaining the African-American audiences. But this was a bad decision since most of the movies emphasized on factors like racism and cultural differences. 5Ethnicity of a culture was not emphasized in a positive manner; instead the movies relied more on concepts which were not suitable for family audiences. This movie, Mighty Joe Young was a complete family entertainer and the directors made sure that the movie provided quality entertainment to all classes of audiences. “Like every other man-made blight, the Great Depression hit African-American harder than their white countrymen. Relegated to service work as maids, cooks, valets and chauffeurs, they were the first to be fired as middle-class whites moved downward economic ladder, the last to be hired in a workplace”.1 Conclusion This paper strikes a contrast between the book, pre-code Hollywood and the movie, Mighty Joe Young. The book and the selected movie had various aspects in common in spite of their cultural differences. The movie clearly depicts the life of Jill and the problem she undergoes as she helps Joe. People who come to her rescue also fail to help her in drastic situations. The rest of the film exhibits the problem that Jill and Joe face once Joe escapes from the preserve. The story plot relates to the various issues that America and American cinema faced during the 19th century. The directors could have concentrated more on graphics and could have shown Joe in a much better way. Similar to this, the book emphasized on the issues of American cinema and paved the way for its betterment. Works Cited Doherty, Thomas. Pre-code Hollywood: Sex, Immortality and Insurrection in American Cinema 1930-1934. U.S.A: Columbia University Press, 1999. Schoedsack, Ernest, dir. Mighty Joe Young. Perf. Terry Moore. RKO Radio Pictures, 1949. Law, Ian. Racism and Ethnicity: Global Debates, Dilemmas, Directions. U.S.A: Pearson Education, 2010. Kleg, Milton. Hate, Prejudice and Racism. U.S.A: State University of New York Press, 1993. Healey, Joseph. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: The Sociology of Group Conflict and Change. California: Pine Forge Press, 2006. Silk, Catherine. Racism and Anti-Racism in American Popular Culture: Portrayals of African-American in Fiction and Film. U.K: Manchester University Press, 1990. Read More