The history of violence in America, particularly the violence accompanying slavery and genocide against Native Americans has continued to abominate society. Because of colonialism, both Native and African American women often find themselves forced into silence around sexual and domestic violence in their communities. For example, the film The Searchers, portrays a pioneering attack on racism. Viewers are able to see the protagonist Ethan Edwards, as he returns from the Civil War. As a member of the Confederate Army, Ethan’s duty entails protecting the white community and restoring white supremacy. According to Hogan, “history, like geography, lives in the body and it is marrow-deep. History is our illness. It is recorded there […]. Those of us who walked out of genocide by some cast of
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Unfortunately, Santana was born due to rape. As a result, the rapist holds a lot of shame and he transfers it to his victim, Santana. In addition, Santana was also raped while he was in the juvenile detention center. Gilligan reports that, “prison officers have a vested interest in maintaining the system of prison rape because it deflects the violence of the inmates away from the officers and onto each other” (Gilligan 1996, 172). Unfortunately, this contributes to the fact that, Santana was formed out of violence and his life will remain in violence. In fact, Santana’s life pattern has much to teach to us about violence. The psychological meaning of his entire life pattern, including both the repeated acts of violence and the repeated imprisonments which were their predictable, indeed inevitable, consequence, can be summed, up in terms of the theory of shame and violence being presented here, and illustrate Freud’s concept of the ‘return of the repressed’” (Gilligan 1996, 118). Thus, the film American Me, speaks to the legacy of
Unfortunately, Santana was born due to rape. As a result, the rapist holds a lot of shame and he transfers it to his victim, Santana. In addition, Santana was also raped while he was in the juvenile detention center. Gilligan reports that, “prison officers have a vested interest in maintaining the system of prison rape because it deflects the violence of the inmates away from the officers and onto each other” (Gilligan 1996, 172). Unfortunately, this contributes to the fact that, Santana was formed out of violence and his life will remain in violence. In fact, Santana’s life pattern has much to teach to us about violence. The psychological meaning of his entire life pattern, including both the repeated acts of violence and the repeated imprisonments which were their predictable, indeed inevitable, consequence, can be summed, up in terms of the theory of shame and violence being presented here, and illustrate Freud’s concept of the ‘return of the repressed’” (Gilligan 1996, 118). Thus, the film American Me, speaks to the legacy of