Race is usually something difficult to talk about because it affects everyone. Some follow and listen to strict stereotypes; never going too far outside their comfort zones while others feel uncomfortable in their everyday lives. The short-story novel, Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie, explores the lives of various Native American’s and their daily struggles and triumphs with race and assumptions based on stereotypes. Throughout the chapters in Ten Little Indians, each Native American is struggling to find their place in society, and like most Americans making sacrifices to fit in. Along with Native American’s feeling out of place, minorities in media have fought for onscreen attention. For example, in the evaluation “The Help: A Feel
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For instance if an act of terror happens and the perpetrator is of a certain race, then people stereotype that race with a negative connotation. In the same manner, minorities in media fight for on screen exposure; questioning whether or not they should be proud about the role or demand for equal representation. Stevens explains that The Help simplifies and reduces Civil Rights Movement, but at least people are discussing it; especially in the South, specifically Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960’s. Race is not discussed in everyday life but when it is discussed it often makes people feel uncomfortable or insulted. However, in order for the world to move past the barrier of skin tone, people must discuss the beauty in their differences. The color of skins specifically plays major role in The Help, “traditions of feel-good fables about black and white relations in America, movies in which institutional racism takes a backseat to the personal enlightenment of one white character”(776). In realty the movie is about Skeeter, an aspiring journalist and ambitious white woman, rather than the African American housemaids Skeeter is writing about. In order to see progression and understand how to talk to people that are different than oneself, they must first know the history and forget any stereotypes they had in their …show more content…
However, as shown in Ten Little Indians and The Help each story either exploited or triumphed traditional stereotypes. It’s important to remember that although the conversation can be tricky, it’s better to face the stereotype with the pursuit of understanding rather than defense. Along with stereotypes on race, people have them on religion, culture, socioeconomic status or even gender. Since this affects everyone, the history and stereotypes don 't have to control hate or destruction but rather start the conversation for
For instance if an act of terror happens and the perpetrator is of a certain race, then people stereotype that race with a negative connotation. In the same manner, minorities in media fight for on screen exposure; questioning whether or not they should be proud about the role or demand for equal representation. Stevens explains that The Help simplifies and reduces Civil Rights Movement, but at least people are discussing it; especially in the South, specifically Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960’s. Race is not discussed in everyday life but when it is discussed it often makes people feel uncomfortable or insulted. However, in order for the world to move past the barrier of skin tone, people must discuss the beauty in their differences. The color of skins specifically plays major role in The Help, “traditions of feel-good fables about black and white relations in America, movies in which institutional racism takes a backseat to the personal enlightenment of one white character”(776). In realty the movie is about Skeeter, an aspiring journalist and ambitious white woman, rather than the African American housemaids Skeeter is writing about. In order to see progression and understand how to talk to people that are different than oneself, they must first know the history and forget any stereotypes they had in their …show more content…
However, as shown in Ten Little Indians and The Help each story either exploited or triumphed traditional stereotypes. It’s important to remember that although the conversation can be tricky, it’s better to face the stereotype with the pursuit of understanding rather than defense. Along with stereotypes on race, people have them on religion, culture, socioeconomic status or even gender. Since this affects everyone, the history and stereotypes don 't have to control hate or destruction but rather start the conversation for