The Effect Of Stereotypes Essay Research Paper free essay sample

The Effect Of Stereotypes Essay, Research Paper In the book of Matthew, the Bible provinces that the 2nd greatest commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself. When a individual holds on to stereotypes and bitternesss towards his fellow adult male he can non perchance love them to the grade called for. Both William Faulkner and Mark Twain show their characters fighting to come on past their stereotypes and the effects of cleaving on to them. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner the writers show that stereotypes frequently lead to the inability to see the state of affairs as a whole every bit good as the internal struggle when these stereotypes are questioned. The stereotypes that a individual seaports can frequently ensue in the inability to see the # 8220 ; large image # 8221 ; in a state of affairs. Twain showed this consequence through the duke and king when they are remaining at the Wilk # 8217 ; s house. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effect Of Stereotypes Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The duke and king pose as the brothers of the asleep Harvey Wilk # 8217 ; s in order to claim the luck that he left behind. Wilk? s will state them of a bag of gold in the basement. When they find the bag, they offer it to the girls of Harvey Wilk # 8217 ; s ; nevertheless, the girls suggest that the money would be safer in the custodies of the duke and male monarch. The duke and male monarch hide the money behind a drape in their room, but so the duke thinks that they did non conceal the money good plenty. Huck observes them concealing the money and describes it. # 8220 ; They took and shoved the bag through a rake in the straw tick that was under the plume bed, and crammed it a pes or two amongst the straw and said it was all right, now, because a n_____ merely makes up the plume bed, and wear # 8217 ; t turn over the straw tick merely about twice a twelvemonth, and so it warn # 8217 ; t in no danger of acquiring stole, now. # 8221 ; ( Twain 235 ) . The concluding behind the duke and male monarch # 8217 ; s action shows the stereotype that they have towards the Negro slaves. They think that a Negro will neer make a more than equal occupation. Turning over the straw tick represents a occupation that merely a Negro slave would go to to. The duke and male monarch could non see anyone else turning the straw tick in the close hereafter. After the duke and male monarch leave the room, Huck recovers the money and hides it from them. The stereotype that they have prevents them from seeing Huck as a suspect in the larceny of the money. The duke shows the consequence of this stereotype when he says, # 8220 ; It does crush all how orderly the n_____s played their manus. They let on to be regretful they was traveling out of this part! # 8221 ; ( Twain 182 ) . The duke thinks the Negroes deceived him. The duke? s stereotype prevented him from faulting anyone else except the Negroes ; because the duke thought that the lone people who would be around his straw tic k would be the Negroes. Ironically, by overlooking Huck, the individual closest to them, as the perpetrator, the duke and male monarch allowed the majority of the Wilk? s estate to steal through their fingers. This same type of stereotype occurs in Faulkner? s novel when Charlie runs place to state his uncle the narrative of Vinson Gowrie? s slaying harmonizing to Lucas. His uncle, Gavin Stevens, responds to Lucas? narrative by stating # 8220 ; That? s precisely what I would claim myself if I were Lucas # 8211 ; or any other Negro liquidator for that affair or any nescient white liquidator either for the affair of that, # 8221 ; ( Faulkner 79 ) . This remark shows how Uncle Gavin stereotyped Lucas? narrative as a typical, or even commonplace alibi. This stereotype prevented Gavin from seeing that Lucas was genuinely non guilty of the slaying. Gavin eventually acknowledges that Lucas did non kill Vinson when he answers Charlie? s male parent? s boom of disapproval of non being inf ormed of the whole state of affairs. # 8220 ; It took an old adult female and two kids for that, to believe truth for no other ground than that it was truth? # 8221 ; ( Faulkner 126 ) . Here, Gavin states for the first clip that Lucas did non perpetrate the slaying. The stereotype that Gavin had of Lucas? narrative made him decelerate to accept and respond on the truth. Merely after Charlie points out the truth is he certain plenty to move upon it.. Gavin? s stereotype blinded him from looking past Lucas? colour to the truth that Lucas, and finally Charlie, knew. Couple shows an indistinguishable state of affairs when he depicts the Grangerfords feuding with the Shepardsons. When Buck describes the feud to Huck, the Grangerfords? stereotype of the Shepardsons surfaces. # 8220 ; ? a feud is this manner: A adult male has a wrangle with another adult male, and kills him ; so that other adult male? s brother kills him? But it? s sort of slow, and takes a long time. # 8221 ; ( Twain 111 ) . When Huck asks how long this feud has been traveling on, Buck can non give a consecutive reply, alternatively, he says # 8220 ; It started thirty old ages ago, or som? Ers along at that place. There was problem? bout something? # 8221 ; ( Twain 111 ) . These comments show how Buck blindly clings to the stereotypes that have become portion of his life. He does non cognize what they feud is approximately or how it started, he merely contend the Shepardsons because his household has done so for old ages. This nescient stereotype led to the detonation of the feud when Miss Sophia, a Grangerford, ran off to get married Haney Shepardson. Both households, seeing this as unbearable, renewed the battle with new doggedness. Twain uses poignancy to demo how this incites the ruin of both households. # 8220 ; ? so I covered up their faces, and got off every bit speedy as I could. I cried a small when I was covering up Buck? s face, for he was mightily good to me, # 8221 ; ( Twain 118 ) . Huck covers up the face of his friend who dies because he could non look past the stereotypes of his seniors. The stereotype that said the Shepardsons were the enemies of the Grangerfords prevented them from recognizing that there was no ground for both households to contend as they did. Falkner shows the subject of stereotypes ensuing in the inability to see the large image in the character of Mr. Lilly. Mr. Lilly stereotypes that a black adult male such as Lucas found in the given state of affairs must be guilty. Mr. Lilly? s attitude falls short of the American ideal that a individual # 8220 ; is guiltless until proved guilty. # 8221 ; This stereotype prohibits him from seeing that Lucas did non perpetrate the slaying. He responds to the possibility of a lynching, by stating # 8220 ; That sonofab____ ought to hold thought of that before he taken to killing white work forces? # 8221 ; ( Faulkner 49 ) . Mr. Lilly shows here how he views the state of affairs. He instantly a ssumes Lucas as guilty and feels that he has no 1 to fault but himself if the Gowries lynch him. Mr. Lilly thinks Lucas executed the slaying entirely for the ground that he is black and Vinson is white. Gavin responds to this by talking how Mr. Lilly likely does non even detest Negroes. He so explains how Mr. Lilly would be among the first to donate money to Lucas? widow and kids if he had them ( Faulkner 49 ) . Mr. Lilly? s stereotype prevents him from looking past the obvious, and from seeing the bigger, more of import, image. Faulkner sums this thought this when he says # 8220 ; ? no adult male can do more heartache than that one cleaving blindly to the frailties of his ascendants # 8221 ; ( Faulkner 49 ) . As seen in these two novels, that stereotypes that a individual possesses can forestall him from seeing the larger image. When a individual holds the stereotypes of his ascendants, there comes a clip when these must be questioned to see if they apply to the person at all times, and in all state of affairss. William Faulkner and Mark Twain both place their characters in these state of affairss in their books. When placed in these state of affairss, the characters are forced to step back and review their stereotypes through internal struggle. Couple shows his supporter, Huck, contending this internal struggle in two cases. First, two work forces that are looking for runaway slaves confront Huck on the river. The work forces inquire Huck if anyone else is on the raft, and if so what colour is he. Huck hesitates with an reply because he feels trueness to Jim but besides because the # 8220 ; right # 8221 ; thing to make is to turn in Jim. This vacillation becomes evident when Huck says, # 8220 ; I didn? T answer up quickly. I tried to, but the words wouldn? t semen. I trie vitamin D for a 2nd or two to poise up and out with it, but I warn? t adult male adequate – hadn? t the kindling of a coney. I see I was weakening ; so I merely give up seeking, and up and says: ? He? s white? † ( Twain 94 ) . Huck? s stereotype tells him that leting Jim to get away is the incorrect thing to make, ensuing in his vacillation. When he returns to the raft after the two work forces leave, Huck shows his defeat with himself for non making the right thing. â€Å" ? experiencing bad and low, because I knowed really good I had done incorrectly? † ( Twain 95 ) . Due to the stereotype of Huck? s upbringing that said all Negroes should be enslaved, Huck could non see that Jim was human as he was and should non be a slave to anyone. Huck? s feeling of sorrow for non making the right thing shows the internal struggle of right versus incorrect. Harmonizing to Southern society, the right thing is to turn in Jim, and Huck, holding been brought up in the thick of it, feels this manner as good. Twain topographic points Huck in a state of affairs that forces him to step back, expression at the stereotype and use it to his current state of affairs. Through this state of affairs, Huck comes to footings with his stereotype and begins to recognize that it can non use to all people and state of affairss. This growing in Huck continues when he is once more driven to analyze his stereotype. This struggle arises when the duke and male monarch sell Jim to the Phelps. When Huck learns of this, he must make up ones mind whether or non to deliver Jim. Huck starts an internal struggle, because he knows that, harmonizing to his stereotype, delivering Jim is the incorrect thing to make ; nevertheless, Huck reexamines his stereotype towards Jim.. Huck tries to pacify this internal struggle with composing a missive to Miss Watson explicating the state of affairs but decides that he can non populate with himself if he takes this manner out. Huck believes that l iberating Jim will ensue in him traveling to hell, and must do his determination on this premise. When Huck decides to deliver Jim he says, â€Å"All right, so, I? ll go to hell! † ( Twain 210 ) . The fact that Huck even thought of liberating Jim as incorrect shows the stereotype that Huck has towards Negroes. Ironically, society committed the lone incorrect by enslaving Jim. This stereotype starts the internal struggle in Huck. If Huck has no stereotypes towards the Negroes, so he could non see the release of Jim as morally incorrect. Couple shows that when Huck? s stereotype eventually applies to his present state of affairs, it causes him to reconsider the logic behind it, and do an action that goes beyond what it says. Huck eventually breaks free of his stereotype through this action. Faulkner? s supporter, Charlie, faces this same struggle. Charlie? s stereotype nowadayss itself when he sees Lucas in the market place after the decease of Lucas? married woman, Molly. Thei r brush disturbances Charlie because he thinks that Lucas does non retrieve him at all. Merely subsequently does Charlie recognize that Lucas â€Å" ? was sorrowing. You wear? T non hold to be a N in order to sorrow? † ( Faulkner 25 ) . This stereotype shows that Charlie hardly even thought of Negroes being able to demo a basic human emotion such as unhappiness. Charlie? s stereotype of Lucas leads to an internal struggle of whether or non to assist Lucas. Charlie knows that assisting Lucas in this state of affairs could be unsafe to both of them. In this mode, Charlie ends up holding to size up his stereotype towards Lucas as a Negro, which leads to his struggle. Faulkner gives Charlie an flight from the force per unit area of this determination. Charlie is tempted to saddle up Highboy, his pony, and sit out and back to avoid the inquiring of his stereotype. Charlie thinks â€Å" ? turn him in a consecutive line? and sit in that one undeviable way for 12 hours? and so sit t he 12 hours? but at least all over finished done? † ( Faulkner 41 ) . One side of him wants to assist Lucas, yet the other side wants to run off and fiddle his duty since Lucas was a Negro. Charlie about thinks of the state of affairs that Lucas is in every bit unimportant to himself, but Charlie must make up ones mind what holds more importance to him: his duty to Lucas or his ain comfort. For the first clip, Faulkner forces Charlie to analyse his stereotype and use it to his state of affairs. Helping Lucas would be a really dearly-won action in Mississippi during this clip period, yet Charlie must analyze his stereotype and the logic behind it. His analysis of the stereotype leads to the internal struggle. Later in the novel, Faulkner forces Charlie to analyze another of his stereotypes. When Charlie falls in the brook while runing, Lucas pulls him out and tells him to follow him. Inside Lucas? house, the first thing that catches Charlie? s attending is the odor. Faulkner de scribes Charlie as â€Å" ? enclosed wholly now in that unmistakable olfactory property of Negroes? † ( Faulkner 11 ) . This observation shows how Charlie views Lucas? place. He sees it as a unusual and uncomfortable topographic point, and Faulkner topographic points him here to desensitise him to Lucas. As Leslie Fielder provinces in her literary unfavorable judgment of Faulkner, â€Å"the tenderest feelings he evokes? are between? a male child and an old adult male, whether a white hophead and Indian huntsman or a proud Negro? † ( Fielder 150 ) . This statement rings true in the relationship between Lucas and Charlie every bit good. As Charlie overcomes his stereotype of Lucas as a Negro, his uncle recognizes it foremost. Sing that Charlie has eventually progressed past it, Gavin says â€Å"Some things you must ever be unable to bear. Some things you must neer halt declining to bear. Injustice and indignation and dishonour and shame.† ( Faulkner 206 ) . When G avin states this, it is his acknowledgment that Charlie has come full circle in his growing. A struggle on the cogency of his original stereotype ignites in Charlie, Charlie can no longer keep this stereotype because he knows that it does non use to all state of affairss and all times. Through this struggle, Charlie is able to develop beyond a simple stereotype of Lucas to a friendly relationship. Twain topographic points Huck in a state of affairs that addresses his similar relationship with Jim. While concealing out on Jackson island, Huck tries to play a fast one on Jim by puting a dead rattler in the pes of his bed. When Jim walks into the cavern he finds a rattler prevarication at that place and kills it. Then he takes the dead serpent and coil it up at the pes of Jim? s bed. Huck waits until that flushing for what he expects to be some merriment ( Twain 59 ) . In his literary unfavorable judgment, Chadwick Hansen states that Huck â€Å" ? expects, of class, that Jim will resp ond like any other phase Negro. His eyes will tease out ; his dentitions will click ; his articulatio genuss will strike hard together ; and Huck will hold a good healthy laugh. But we are covering now with person who is more that a stereotype† ( Hansen 3723 ) . Hansen? s observation shows how Huck had stereotyped Jim as a typical Negro. Through this action, Huck begins to recognize that his stereotype does non use to his present state of affairs. Huck begins to contend an internal struggle about his stereotype of Jim. He knows that Jim is more than what he antecedently thought him to be and Huck must come to footings with this epiphany. This realisation is complete when Huck apologizes to Jim for the fast one in the fog. Huck says â€Å"It was 15 proceedingss before I could work myself up to travel and humble myself to a n_____ ; but I done it? † ( Twain 90 ) . Huck rids himself wholly of his stereotype when he allows himself to apologise to Jim. By holding to face his stereotype, Huck is able to believe past it and get the better of it every bit good. In both novels, characters must face their stereotypes and seek to understand the logic and concluding behind them. As seen in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner, stereotypes can take to restricted apprehension every bit good as internal struggle. In the Bible, God calls for the love of your neighbour as yourself, and nil less. This sort of love is impossible to exhibit when a individual holds fast to stereotypes. Possibly through facing these stereotypes a individual can analyse them sufficiently plenty to understand, and finally fade out them.