Used Racism example essay topic

Racism. It's the big issue. But just how long has this form discrimination been going on for? Why has it plagued our society? Who is responsible for the continuation of acceptance of racism?

All these questions, and more are answered as Patrick Allen writes about racism, and how it is still stronger than ever throughout the world today. Racism has been around as long as man has walked the earth. Does this mean it is right? Should man have learnt to 'deal with it' over time?

I think not. Racism has become a part of day-today life for most people in the world today, whether it be committing the brutal act ourselves, or being the innocent victim that doesn't understand why the human race can be so mean. After all, what can you expect when one of the 'all time greatest' writers, Shakespeare used racism in one of his 'greatest' works? In Shakespeare's 'Othello', he has used very harsh, racist dialogue to convey to his audiences that the other characters look down on Othello for being black. Is this fair? Examples of this harsh word choice can be found in the metaphor in Act 1, sc. i.

Line 85, where Iago says to Brabantia "an old black ram / is tupping your white ewe". This is not a very nice way for Iago to talk about his general, is it? In fact, it is a revolting and racist way to talk about his general. Shakespeare has used the word 'tupping' to make this act of love sound inhumane and disgusting. He refers to them as animals... "black ram", "white ewe".

These all infer that it is unacceptable for a white women to love a black man. The result of this racist gesture by Iago was not as large back in Shakespearian times as it has become today. After all, the people of the sixteenth century saw racism as an accepted part of day-to-day life. And again, in Act I, sc. i. line 123, Shakespeare has crafted another racist quote into the dialogue, this time through Rodrigo, he sais "To the gross clasps of a lascivious moor".

This example of emotive word choice makes Othello out to be a sex-crazed object that is out to get what he wants. This is not the case. It is simply a racist comment that puts Othello down. The words 'gross' and 'lascivious' carry with them connotations of dirtiness, vulgar, and again, inhumane being. This is no way to treat anyone, is it? But, Shakespeare is not the only person to use racism in his work.

Just look at the cartoon from 'Der Sturmer' in 1935. The illustrator of this cartoon has made a distinct effort to portray Jews as gross and inhumane people. Many graphic techniques have been used to tell the reader that Jews are bad. But why are Jews bad? Is it because of their race? That is hardly fair, is it?

Examples of these graphic techniques include the axe in the background. The axe symbolises death imagery. Couldn't the axe have been replaced with a happy, smiley bunny rabbit? This is a great example of how a composer's biased view of a certain race can influence the way their readers think. The most obvious technique in the cartoon is the death imagery of the rat in the mincer. What sort of a mean ogre would put a live rat in a mincer?

A Jew? Another way the illustrator has portrayed racism in the cartoon is the body language of both the Jew's. They are both slumped, look unhappy, and some might say that it looks like the man is enjoying his power over the poor, defenceless rat. Only a racist mind could come up with ideas like these. There is no place in this world for such revolting racism. The act of committing racism is not only found in plays and cartoons, but also in children's stories.

Racism is not an appropriate thing for children to read about. In "The Jewish Doctor and the little girl", the author has used many techniques, among metaphors and personification to tell the small children that Jews are evil and inhumane. The sentence "His face is the face of a devil" symbolises hell imagery and is also a metaphor describing how revolting the Jew is meant to be. Would you trust someone with the face of a devil?

The author used the line "A grin that says I've got you at last, little German girl!" . This is good use of personification, because a grin can't talk, and this line would be very effective to its intended target audience - children. This is a very biased view that the author is telling the children, and who knows? They might grow up believing that this is the right opinion... So, ultimately, as one human race, we need to work together to see the end of racism, and make it clear to the world that racism is revolting!