They also made a point of showing the Texans as heroes and Mexicans as villians when they were only trying to take back what had been taken from them first. The film also largely ignored the concept of slavery only highlighting on it with two of the minor characters in the film when in reality it was a large issue for the
“Chained and imprisoned; constantly thrashed by a leather whip, fed barely twice a day, meals consisting of bacon and corn meal, laboring countless hours and forced to sleep on the ground”. When you hear those conditions you naturally think of an animal held captive and abused. Back in the 1800s slaves were never seen or considered humans who needed care or respect. They did not get proper clothing, food, or shelter in white American minds but simply known as property. Slavery was a brutal establishment set into the minds of Americans by the devil himself, punishing humans with no difference but the color of their skin.
The film that impacted me the most is called Eve's Bayou because it abandons traditional linear storytelling and it is directed by a women filmmaker. The story is set in 1962 Louisiana; where it shows the dysfunctional family of five, who try and overcome all the struggles they are faced with. The story is told by a young girl named Eve (Jurnee Smollett), is the daughter of Louis (Samuel L. Jackson) and Roz (Lynn Whitfield). Louis Batiste although seen as well-respected doctor of the town, holds secrets from his family. One night when the Batiste family is holding a party; Eve resides in the shed after she is overcome with jealously when her father doesn’t give her attention, her father later enters the shed with another woman named Matty Mereaux
It all began with nine young-adult boys on a train, searching for work in the cities around them. Bumming on the same train were two young women, Ruby Bates and Victoria Price- lower class girls from poor families, also looking for work. After getting into a fight, the boys found police waiting for them upon arrival. Little did they know, they were about to begin an uphill battle for their lives, freedom, and justice. Price and Bates didn’t hesitate to accuse the boys, knowing it was an easy story to convince an all white jury of.
David Gaspar and Darlene Hine evaluate similarities and contrasts in the role of gender in different slave societies. Together, they create a novel on the topics of contrasts such as, Africa and the Americas, life and labor, and slavery, resistance, and freedom. What harsh conditions did these poor women go through? This book explains an African American woman’s life from experiencing slavery first-hand, to, at last, freedom. I will use examples of the harsh encounters Gaspar and Hine explain throughout this novel to support my main topic of my thesis; the theme of the corrupt power of slavery Harriet Jacob
A vehicle made of shiny steel, rubber wheels, and a gas engine gives America its name and fame. The automobile symbolizes America’s legacy of freedom because it allows ease in job, home, and entertainment. To begin, the automobile broadens the options for the working class through a larger spectrum of places to settle and a larger salary for the average person. For the citizens of America owning a car means being able to arrive at work from wherever they may live, despite the circumstances. In “America’s Key to Freedom” Carol Domblewski states that” They had mobility any time they wanted, not just when a train schedule said they had it.”
Over twelve million Africans were captured and taken against their will by Europeans in the Atlantic slave trade from about 1525-1866. The experience that the slaves endured was horrendous, unsanitary and overall the worst time of their lives. The middle passage was where the slaves were taken from Africa to the Americas via ships. After they arrived in the Americas, they were sold and forced to work for their new owners. Due to strong European force, slaves experienced dehumanization through being captured from their villages and tortured, living with awful conditions on ships, and being sold against their will to Americans.
This incredible movie is written by John Ridley and directed by Steve McQueen. It was released in 2013 and it is based on the insightful autobiography of Solomon Northrup, who was an African American man living in New York in the beginning of the 1800’s. This movie’s excruciating and authentic portrayal of how slavery was exercised greatly in America is not only heartbreaking, but also an important eye-opener for the people who are ignorant on the subject of slavery and who are not aware of the extreme circumstances the African slaves were forced under in over two centuries. Watching this movie’s portrayal of Solomon’s tragic story and seeing how his autobiography was turned into a painfully beautiful and powerful masterpiece was indeed one hell of an emotional ride. The plot of the movie is based on the life of the main character Solomon Northrup and his journey in life as an educated African American man, husband, father and last but not least slave living in
Two Concepts of Liberty Summary of the essay: In this essay, the famous political theorist Isaiah Berlin tries to differentiate between the notions of positive liberty and negative liberty. Berlin briefly discusses the meaning of the word ‘freedom’. He says that a person is said to free when no man or body of men interferes with his activity. He makes reference to many philosophers in the essay, but there is more emphasis on the thoughts of J. S. Mill and Rousseau, the former being a firm advocate of negative liberty while the latter believes strongly in the ideals of positive liberty.
Unchained Memories Review The documentary Unchained Memories were reading by African American actors and actresses from the last generation of born into slavery slaves and their experiences as slaves, their treatment as slaves, and the culture of the time. This documentary really stood out from other documentary and movies because these narratives were from actual slaves and none of the slaves had the same or even similar experiences. These narratives are so precious that they are held in the Library of Congress. Unchained Memories helped better my knowledge of the history of slavery in America because it solidified how hard the slaves were worked and how awful they were treated.
From the genocides of different ethics, to freedom is taken away in minority nations. Angela Davis expresses her views on political aspects of hard punishment upon human beings Americas’ society. She composed many books supporting her idea on political activism. In chapter 9, “Freedom Is A Constant Struggle,” opens different viewpoints, as a results of a transition in today’s society, starting from the 1960’s to the age of Obama. In addition to the few minority groups, as she relates in this book, the similar of a constant struggle for freedom with in the different ethics groups.
While there are many other films based on slavery, what sets Sankofa apart is the journey of the characters and their transformation. I believe that the larger theme in the movie is the discovery and preservation of one 's identity; finding courage, defeating fear and seeking liberation, and most importantly,
Black women are treated less than because of their ascribed traits, their gender and race, and are often dehumanized and belittled throughout the movie. They are treated like slaves and are seen as easily disposable. There are several moments throughout the film that show the racial, gender, and class inequalities. These moments also show exploitation and opportunity hoarding. The Help also explains historical context of the inequality that occurred during that time period.
The movie clearly exposes the many ways that the human dignity of African- American maids was ignored. They had suffered daily embarrassment but were able to claim their own way dignity. The film described about empowerment of individuals as well as about social justice for a group. It is a moving story depicting dehumanization in a racist culture but also the ability to move beyond the unjust structures of society and to declare the value of every human being.
‘12 Years a Slave’ is an eye-opening film that displays incredible themes and ideas throughout it. As the movie follows a man named Solomon, who is captured as a slave, the director, Steve Mcqueen uses an array of camera techniques, dialogue and fascinating characters to make these themes come to life. In two particular scenes, the idea that males feel they have the right to use women however they desire attracts the attention of the audience. This is because the female slaves have to endure not only difficult labour tasks for their masters, but also being used as sexual objects frequently. One of the techniques the director uses in the scene, in which Master Epps is counting up how much cotton each slave has picked, is dialogue.
