Racial Representation in Langston Hughes' Mulatto and George L. Aiken's Uncle Tom's Cabin

 

The representation of race in various plays is important in showing the manner through which individuals in American society viewed one another. This is especially the case in plays that are set in the era of slavery, showing the manner through which the various characters see the members of other races, such as the way that whites view blacks, and the justification for the institution of slavery. Race and slavery are institutions that are tied together in such a way that promotes the idea that it is the right of one race to enslave the other; a situation that essentially leads to the conflict that is seen in plays such as Mulatto: A Play of the Deep South, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In this paper, there will be an analysis of the representation of race in these two plays and the manner through which the various characters within them deal with the issue of race and racial relations.

One of the most fundamental aspects of these plays is that they handle such issues as the statuses of mulattoes and the children of slaves. Mulattoes are depicted as being stuck in a world where they are neither white nor black but are instead in a confused state where they are not able to decide where they belong. This depiction is seen in Mulatto, where the character of Robert, who is the son of a white plantation owner and his slave, feels that he should not be treated any differently from the white people in society. A result is that there are constant warnings concerning the potential tragedy that Robert might bring not only to himself, but also to other slaves in the region (Hughes). In addition, Uncle Tom’s Cabin seeks to show the fate that awaits the children of slaves, especially in situations where their masters believe that they have to sell them. One of the first incidents that take place in the play is where Eliza escapes with her son in order to avoid having her son sold by her owners because the latter need the money. Furthermore, later in the play, the character of Cassy is introduced, and she is an individual who was separated from her son and daughter after they were sold. Her story is a tragic one because she ends up in a situation where she makes the terrible decision to kill her third child rather than get separated from it (Aiken). Therefore, the fate of the children of slaves seems to be doomed to slavery, and this is to such an extent that they are often separated from their parents.

Among the most significant aspects of the representation of race in these plays is the constant depiction, by some characters, of blacks being inferior to their white counterparts. This is especially the case in Uncle Tom’s Cabin where Uncle Tom is forced into situations that would daunt any other human being. For example, despite having a wife and children of his own, his owners do not hesitate to separate him from them when they sell him to a new owner. In addition, Uncle Tom is forced into a situation where he is tortured by Legree, his new owner, who is hostile to him because Tom will not submit to his will (Aiken). The brutality that Legree delivers on Uncle Tom is based on racial prejudice and this is to such an extent that it eventually causes the death of Uncle Tom. In Mulatto, Norwood is criticized by members of his society for having a relationship with his slave, with one, Higgins, going as far as suggesting that Norwood gets married (Hughes). He suggests marriage because of the belief that the presence of a white woman on the plantation will help Norwood not to treat his slaves so softly. This is an important indication of the belief that blacks are inferior because Norwood’s relationship with his slave, Cora, is seen as scandalous to such an extent that Norwood is torn between acknowledging his children and seeking to ensure that they are forced into becoming more submissive.

The humanity of the black people is depicted in both plays, especially considering that some of their white counterparts look upon them as little more than animals. In Mulatto, there is an attempt to depict the humanity of the characters, especially Cora and her son Robert. Robert is an individual who is proud of his white heritage and believes that it is a means of ensuring that his rights as a human being are recognized. Furthermore, he is an individual who, unlike his siblings, seeks to ensure that Norwood acknowledges him as his son, despite the scandal that it might cause as a result (Hughes). In the course of the play, Cora, following Robert’s murder of Norwood, is shown to have a sense of bitterness because Norwood did not acknowledge any of their children together. In Uncle Tom, there is also an attempt to depict the humanity of blacks through a diversity of methods, including showing the manner through which Eliza makes the decision to escape slavery because she does not want to be separated from her son (Aiken). In addition, Uncle Tom is shown to be a deeply religious individual, whose faith is the one thing that ensures that he is able to endure a life in slavery. His close friendship with Eva, a white girl, because of their common interest in their faith as Christians is also essential in promoting an image of Uncle Tom as being a very human individual. Also, it is Uncle Tom who encourages Cassy to escape their enslavement by Legree, which is an extremely brutal experience.

The theme of desire for freedom is another fundamental aspect of the two plays because it is essential to the understanding of the representation of race. Unlike their white counterparts, who are essentially born free, the black people or those with black blood are born into slavery because of their racial status. In Uncle Tom, the escapes made by Eliza, and later by Cassy, are based on a desire to achieve the same freedoms that are exercised by the free members of society. A consequence is that these characters seek refuge in a country where it would be declared free, that is, Canada (Aiken). This was at a period in history when the British had declared slavery illegal in their empire, meaning that it was a safe place for them to start their lives as free individuals. In Mulatto, Robert is seen to be an individual that is determined to attain his freedom, and this is based on his belief that because he is Norwood’s son, he has the right to be free. This is a fundamental aspect of the play because it depicts an individual who is able to make sure that he not only accepts who he is, but is determined to ensure that society accepts him as well, despite his having a black mother who is also a slave. Robert refuses to accept the reality of his enslavement and is determined to fight against it in order to become free.

In conclusion, Mulatto and Uncle Tom’s Cabin are essential plays when it comes to the representation of race. They suggest that race is made use of to enforce a social order where one race establishes dominance over another. A consequence is that there is both conflict and resistance on the part of some individuals as they seek to overcome the burdens established by the highly oppressive social order.

In The Blood

 

In the Blood is a play by Suzan-Lori Parker that focuses on the life of Hester, a woman who lives in poverty and has to struggle every day in order to make ends meet. This is a woman who has five children that have different fathers who she believes have to be supported well in order to have better lives. It is also important for Hester that she advances the lives of her children so that they can have the opportunities that she did not have. She seeks to make sure that she gets the help of her children’s fathers, but this ends up not being possible and she is disappointed. This play shows the manner through which Hester is led by her frustration as well as illiteracy and sense of shame into killing her oldest son.

One of the most fundamental subjects that are discussed in the play is Hester’s illiteracy. While she is an individual that cannot read, she is determined to make sure that her children achieve a level of literacy. However, it is essential to understand that for Hester, her illiteracy must have been an extremely frustrating factor because she was not able to achieve the qualifications that would have made her life better. In addition, she seems to be a highly empathetic individual that seeks to ensure that those around her receive happiness, and forget their troubles. This is the case with the manner through which she ends up giving herself to men in order to console them when having a bad time in their lives.

However, her lack of literacy can be considered a reason behind her eventual murder of her son. When someone scrawls the word ‘slut’ close to where Hester and her family live under a bridge, she is not in a position to read it. Her son, Jabber, who is more literate than his mother, makes the decision not to tell his mother what it means. When Hester learns the truth about the scrawl, she must feel all her frustrations build up until she cannot take it anymore. Her bludgeoning Jabber to death is a means of taking her frustrations out on him to such an extent that she does not think rationally. She is instead governed by her baser emotions which make it extremely difficult for her to realize the consequences of her actions until it is too late.

In conclusion, Hester is an individual that is governed by her emotions to such an extent that she ends up taking an action that she regrets. Her life is essentially a tragedy because it is one that she has to struggle every day in order to make it work. She is involved in acts that are considered loose by other members of her society and this it to such an extent that she is looked upon as a person at the sidelines of the community in which she lives. Therefore, her killing of her son, despite its being deplorable, can be considered a means through which she fights back against the humiliation she feels for being called a slut.

The Narcissism of Minor Differences

 

The narcissism of minor differences is a concept that promotes the idea that human beings have a tendency to want to promote their differences with others rather than similarities. A consequence has been that human beings often seek to ensure that they emphasize on differences to such an extent that there comes a time when they end up in conflict with others who they believe to be different. In this paper, there will be an analysis of the theory of narcissism of minor differences as a nature of humanity, a form of self-identity, a form of uniformity, and finally, its negative effects.

The theory of narcissism of minor differences can be used to effectively explain the aggressive nature of human beings. Individuals tend to seek to enhance the differences between them, even though they may have the same origins, because they seek to advance their aggression towards one another. There is often a failure among them to recognize that rather than being different, they are actually quite similar and this creates a situation where they seek to magnify their differences to such an extent that they create a gap that seems unbridgeable. When this theory is considered from the perspective of human aggression, it explains a lot concerning the manner through which individuals end up not being able to handle being similar to one another because others remind them too much of themselves (Muris, Merckelbach, Otgaar, and Meijer, 2017). It might also be because of the desire to be so different from one another that they do not see their deficiencies; a situation that can be considered a cause of the aggression that they show towards one another. Therefore, minor differences end up becoming extremely pertinent to the lives of individuals because it makes them come to terms with their aggressive nature.

The narcissism of minor differences can also be made use of in determining the manner through which self-identity develops. This is especially the case considering that individuals have ended up forming groups that they believe hold similar characteristics and make them superior to others. A consequence has been that some groups have developed centuries of hatred and aggression towards one another to such an extent that they have not been able to determine the extremely greater number of similarities between them. The case of the Shia and Sunni divide among Muslims is an extreme example of the manner through which the narcissism of minor differences can end up disrupting the lives of individuals to such an extent that the way that they self-identify is based on the minor differences rather than the greater number of similarities between them (Nuruzzaman, 2017). The failure to better understand each other can lead to situations where it is difficult to bridge the divide made from minor differences. This is the case when it comes to the Shia-Sunni divide, which has been ongoing for centuries and has led to a situation where both sides consider themselves to be superior to the other and also look at their counterparts as heretics because they do not have the same minor political beliefs (Van Notten, 2014). They also fail to recognize that despite their minor differences, they both strongly identify as Muslims, and have the same practices of worship that bind all Muslims.

One of the most significant aspects of the narcissism of minor differences is that it involves a situation where despite an emphasis on their uniqueness, they are actually quite similar. Such is the case with societies such as the United States, which consider themselves exceptional because they pride themselves in attributes such as living in a society governed by democratic institutions, the rule of law, and an emphasis on individualism (Fosshage and Hershberg, 2014). However, these attributes tend to be based on more similarities than differences among individuals in society. This is especially considering that because of their beliefs in these attributes and their exceptionalism, rather than emphasizing their differences, these individuals are actually submitting to a form of uniformity. Therefore, without even realizing it, their indulging in the narcissism of minor differences has led individuals towards the bridging of these differences and essentially becoming a more cohesive society. Under such circumstances, it becomes possible for the narcissism of minor differences to act as a means of bringing people together rather than keeping them apart.

The narcissism of minor differences more often than not ends up leading to chaos. Chaos comes about because individuals of similar origins or beliefs are forced into situations where they take on antagonistic positions towards one another. This is to such an extent that they fail to consider their common origins and their similarities and are instead more focused on seeking to advance their differences. The conflict between the Croats and the Serbs is an example of such a situation because these peoples are of a common origin and their languages are so close that they are practically dialects of the same language (Brodić, Amelio, and Milivojević, 2015). However, the enmity and sense of superiority towards one another has led them into conflict that has lasted many years (Reidy, et al, 2015). The chaos that has come about, especially from the attempts of the Serbs to dominate the Croats can be considered the negative result of the narcissism of minor differences because it has led these individuals towards a failure to advance their similarities. Instead, wars have been fought between these two peoples and there has been massive loss of life and property that should not have happened.

In conclusion, the narcissism of minor differences can be considered an extremely destructive force in human societies. This is because it leads individuals towards a false sense of superiority and uniqueness that makes them blind to the similarities that they have with others. A consequence is that it magnifies differences that are virtually nonexistent and makes individuals fail to come together so that their similarities can enable them to build a more cohesive and just society that cater for all their needs. The examples provided above show that getting into a situation where the narcissism of minor differences is prominent is easier than getting out of it.

Pre-Modern to Modern View of Nature and Death

 

Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson in their poetry address diverse issues concerning nature and death. These are two aspects of life that all human beings have to live with and have to come to terms with the fact that they will have an effect on them. In this paper, there will be an attempt to compare the pre-modern to the modern view of nature through an analysis of the poetry of Whitman and Dickinson.

One of the most important aspects concerning the views of these poets is that they promote the idea that death is essentially something that has to be feared. This is especially considering that in the modern world, people more often than not, because of the adoption of science as the mainstay of everyday life, are afraid of dying. In addition, the concept of nature is one that is seen to be hostile to human beings and that there is need to bring about its taming. The taming of nature is considered an essential aspect of being civilized; meaning that being in touch with nature is viewed as regressive. Therefore, the modernist view concerning nature and death are essentially hostile to both because human beings do not often have control over these aspects of life.

The pre-modern and modern poetry’s views concerning nature and death have a considerable number of similarities. When it comes to death, both views look upon it as an extremely personal experience. This is exemplified in the pre-modern era where there was the belief that death brought about a level of relief from the problems of everyday life. Moreover, it was intensely personal because it was closely tied to religious beliefs in such a way that there was the promotion of life after death. Whitman, in “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd”, seeks to understand death and questions why God allows it to take place (Whitman). The modern perspective is also fairly personal when it comes to death because it is believed to involve the complete end of a life. In the poetry of both eras, nature is viewed as being beyond the control of human beings, with the latter having to live the best way that they can within it.

Despite the similarities between them, there are considerable differences between the themes involving nature and death in the pre-modern and modern eras. Among the most significant of these is that unlike in the modern era, in the pre-modern era, there was an acceptance of death an inevitable, but this was tempered by the belief that there was life after death. Moreover, acts of nature were believed to be the will of God and because of it could not be questioned. In the modern era, nature is viewed as essentially being hostile to human beings, as seen in Dickinson’s "Apparently with no surprise" where she questions the benevolence of God (Dickinson). This is an important perspective especially the case considering that these beliefs have become influenced by science.

In conclusion, the pre-modern and modern views of death and nature are displayed in the works of Dickinson and Whitman. In the analysis above, there has been an attempt to show the similarities and differences between the beliefs concerning death and nature in these two eras. The result is the realization that despite the similarities and differences, the views were extremely personal.