Great literary works have several characteristics which make them pass the test of time and for the population to hold them dear in their heart. One such characteristic is the ability for a work to be able to give a snapshot of the environment in which they were written, usually from a unique perspective that cannot be gleamed from a standard history book. The authors are able to use personal experiences in their stories that have come from their own lives which gives a more firsthand experience and the ability to evoke emotion from the reader.
Two plays that have been discussed this semester, Toomer’s “Kabnis” and Akhtar’s Disgraced, both give a unique view on the theme of prejudice and how two different minorities operate in a hostile setting. …show more content…
After listening to the stories the Layman gives about the lynching of Sam Raymon and Mame Lamkins, Kabnis in his cabin that night has a breakdown thinking that someone is out to lynch him. As it turns out, it is no more than Layman and Halsey coming to check on him, and the group proceeds to drink “licker” to get Kabnis to calm down a bit. It is at this point when the principal of the school, Hanby, walks in, observing Kabnis in his near hysteric state. Hanby can be thought of as a racist himself, and is described as “a well-dressed, smooth, rich, black-skinned Negro who thinks there is no one quite so suave and polished as himself” (Toomer 93), and that he “delivers his words with a full consciousness of his moral superiority” (Toomer 93). Although Hanby is a black man, his disdain for Kabnis is evident in how he does not question Kabnis on the events of the evening, but merely terminates his employment. The fears and prejudices towards Muslims also serves to start the downfall of Amir in Disgraced, his meeting with Abe’s imam causes the firm to question his heritage, ultimately firing him for being duplicitous. While this is a good reason not to trust someone, the real reason, according to Isaac, “it looked like he was representing a man who was raising money for terrorists” (Akhtar 69), and “Steven is a huge fund-raiser for Netanyahu. I have no idea why Amir would go anywhere near a guy like that imam” (Akhtar 69). In both situations, neither bosses are willing to look past their own fears and prejudices, instead just using these beliefs to label the protagonists in a negative light and speed them along to their
Two plays that have been discussed this semester, Toomer’s “Kabnis” and Akhtar’s Disgraced, both give a unique view on the theme of prejudice and how two different minorities operate in a hostile setting. …show more content…
After listening to the stories the Layman gives about the lynching of Sam Raymon and Mame Lamkins, Kabnis in his cabin that night has a breakdown thinking that someone is out to lynch him. As it turns out, it is no more than Layman and Halsey coming to check on him, and the group proceeds to drink “licker” to get Kabnis to calm down a bit. It is at this point when the principal of the school, Hanby, walks in, observing Kabnis in his near hysteric state. Hanby can be thought of as a racist himself, and is described as “a well-dressed, smooth, rich, black-skinned Negro who thinks there is no one quite so suave and polished as himself” (Toomer 93), and that he “delivers his words with a full consciousness of his moral superiority” (Toomer 93). Although Hanby is a black man, his disdain for Kabnis is evident in how he does not question Kabnis on the events of the evening, but merely terminates his employment. The fears and prejudices towards Muslims also serves to start the downfall of Amir in Disgraced, his meeting with Abe’s imam causes the firm to question his heritage, ultimately firing him for being duplicitous. While this is a good reason not to trust someone, the real reason, according to Isaac, “it looked like he was representing a man who was raising money for terrorists” (Akhtar 69), and “Steven is a huge fund-raiser for Netanyahu. I have no idea why Amir would go anywhere near a guy like that imam” (Akhtar 69). In both situations, neither bosses are willing to look past their own fears and prejudices, instead just using these beliefs to label the protagonists in a negative light and speed them along to their