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Racism And Prejudice In Gibbs's 'The Test'

1586 Words7 Pages

One of the most famous quotes from Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird states, "People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for" (Lee 192). In this quote, spoken by Judge Taylor, he states that oftentimes people only focus on finding what they believe while ignoring anything else presented to them. The story "The Test" outlines this idea quite well. Angelica Gibbs's "The Test" brings to light the truths of racism and prejudice and how they can distract people from the truth. This is seen throughout the short story in the characterization of Marian and her instructor as well as the conflict between the two and the way in which it escalates. In this story the reader follows the journey of a young woman by the name of Marian …show more content…

Right out of the gate he begins to express his disapproving stance towards people of color as he remarks, "Old enough to have quite a flock of pickaninnies" (Gibbs 90). In this quote, the driving instructor is reacting to Marian's age. He uses the derogatory term "pickaninny," which is a slang term that describes a black child. An article published by Dr. David Pilgrim of Ferris State University describes the caricature of a pickaninny as a black child with, "bulging eyes, unkempt hair, red lips, and wide mouths," that, as the article states, are, "tasty morsels for alligators." These children are also often shown as barely dressed or even nude, which greatly contributes to the normalization of the sexual objectification of black children. This word is very demeaning and carries a racist undertone with it, especially in its use here, which is making a harsh jab at Marian's skin color and womanhood. This comment is very sudden in the context of the story, as up to this point the instructor appeared to be quite friendly and kind. As soon as his mood and personality shifts, we begin to realize how much he was truly hiding the truths of who he is as a person. He seems to prefer not to make his racist remarks when he is in the presence of Mrs. Ericson, which reveals the fact that Marian was seemingly correct at the beginning of the story when she commented that they …show more content…

This story is meant to bring to light the reality that many people face day after day. Marian's experience with her second driving test is only the slightest glimpse through the smallest crack in a door into the life of many African Americans. Oftentimes the issue of race relations can sink to the back of one's mind, and many people brush off the idea of racism as a political ploy. With this story, the reader is able to peek into the life of a woman like Marian and witness the discrimination that many people face on a daily basis. You can watch as this driving instructor tugs the blindfold of prejudice over his eyes and waltzes blindly into Marian's life. Many people today seem to live life just as the instructor does, and they don't allow themselves to see people past their skin color. Others take up the traits of Mrs. Ericson as they simply watch racism and discrimination unfolding, only to do nothing to stop it. This short story is a reminder that to live a life of hatred is to live a life of blindness. The only way that racism can truly come to an end is if everyone does their part to stop it. If someone sees or hears something meant to demean a race or culture, then it is their duty to take action against it. If all of us can take a moment to think about the effect of our words before we speak, then perhaps the amount of hatred in the world will start to diminish. Maybe if everyone can become knowledgeable

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