In short fiction there are numerous works that exhibit racism. In the short story “Artificial Nigger” by Flannery O’Connor, the two main characters show racism during the 1930’s. The two main characters, Mr. Head and his Grandson, Nelson, show readers that anyone can exhibit racism. Even though there is gap on how old they are, the way they make other people feel inferior, and themselves superior, towards other races shows their morals. Racism was shown by both Mr. Head and Nelson and the age difference of the two characters does not make a difference on how they act; Although Nelson shows less racism because of his youth, Flannery O’Connor writing made the age difference not issue regarding racism due to the actions of Mr. Head and Nelson.
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Head and Nelson both show Racism when deliberately trying to make another race feel inferior. When on the train that was going to Atlanta, Mr. Head wanted to go see the kitchen with Nelson. The waitress who was a different skin color then Mr.Head and Nelson, told them that passengers are not allowed in the kitchen. Instead of siding with the waitress knowing that he was wrong, Mr. Head tried to make the waitress feel embarrassed. Once the waitress said they were not allowed to go in their, “Mr. Head stopped where he was and turned. ‘And there's good reason for that he shouted into the Negroes chest, because the cockroaches would run the passengers out!’” (257) All of the passengers laughed including Nelson. Mr. Head fully knew that the waitress could not say anything back to Mr. Head even though Mr. Head was the only one who was making a fool out of himself. Similarly, Mr. Head made another race feel inferior by making fun of an offensive lawn ornament. After Nelson and Mr. Head got in a fight and were about to board the train, they spotted a lawn gnome that looked to them like an “Artificial Nigger”; “They stood gazing at the Artificial Negro as if they were faced with some great mystery some monument to another’s victory that brought them together in their common defeat. They could both feel it dissolving their differences like an action of mercy” (269). After this happened Nelson decided to forgive Mr. Head once they both had spotted the lawn gnome. This shows racism because the two characters bonded over having another race inferior to them.
Although Nelson and Mr. Heads age difference is big, the actions they both exhibit show that they are both racist. The acts that they both endorse, from inappropriate language, to not saying anything at all, shows that they are racist. The
Head and Nelson both show Racism when deliberately trying to make another race feel inferior. When on the train that was going to Atlanta, Mr. Head wanted to go see the kitchen with Nelson. The waitress who was a different skin color then Mr.Head and Nelson, told them that passengers are not allowed in the kitchen. Instead of siding with the waitress knowing that he was wrong, Mr. Head tried to make the waitress feel embarrassed. Once the waitress said they were not allowed to go in their, “Mr. Head stopped where he was and turned. ‘And there's good reason for that he shouted into the Negroes chest, because the cockroaches would run the passengers out!’” (257) All of the passengers laughed including Nelson. Mr. Head fully knew that the waitress could not say anything back to Mr. Head even though Mr. Head was the only one who was making a fool out of himself. Similarly, Mr. Head made another race feel inferior by making fun of an offensive lawn ornament. After Nelson and Mr. Head got in a fight and were about to board the train, they spotted a lawn gnome that looked to them like an “Artificial Nigger”; “They stood gazing at the Artificial Negro as if they were faced with some great mystery some monument to another’s victory that brought them together in their common defeat. They could both feel it dissolving their differences like an action of mercy” (269). After this happened Nelson decided to forgive Mr. Head once they both had spotted the lawn gnome. This shows racism because the two characters bonded over having another race inferior to them.
Although Nelson and Mr. Heads age difference is big, the actions they both exhibit show that they are both racist. The acts that they both endorse, from inappropriate language, to not saying anything at all, shows that they are racist. The