A CONTRADICTORY VIEW OF RACIS M SEEN THROUGH
THE CHARACTER GEORGE DAWSON IN DAWSON AND
GLAUBMAN’S
LIFE IS SO GOOD
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters
By
FARIZ
Student Number: 014214077
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
A CONTRADICTORY VIEW OF RACIS M SEEN THROUGH
THE CHARACTER GEORGE DAWSON IN DAWSON AND
GLAUBMAN’S
LIFE IS SO GOOD
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters
By
FARIZ
Student Number: 014214077
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
L IF E IS G O O D
T H E W A Y IT IS
v
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to
My beloved parents
My dearest brother
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma : Nama : FARIZ
Nomor Mahasiswa : 014214077
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :
A CONTRADICTORY VIEW OF RACISM SEEN THROUGH
THE CHARACTER GEORGE DAWSON IN DAWSON AND
GLAUBMAN’S
LIFE IS SO GOOD
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, me-ngalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Yogyakarta, 11 September 2008
Yang menyatakan
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Allah SWT for everything I’ve achieved in my life. I would like to give my deepest thanks to my beloved family; my mother, my passed away father (Miss u so dad!), and brother for their everlasting love. I would also like to thank my beautiful Nurul for all the love and support which really encouraged me to finish my study.
I would like to thank Miss Enny for all the kindness and patience in guiding me through the process of finishing my thesis. I would also like to thank my academic advisor Miss Dewi and Miss Tata for all the guidance in my years in Sanata Dharma University. Finally, I really thank all the lecturers in the English Letters Department for all the knowledge they gave me.
My special gratitude goes to all of my beloved friends in English Letters Sanata Dharma University Imbik, Wawan, Oseph, Iksan, Garry, Deny, Petrus, Sigit, Sandi, Bertus, Vanny, Maria, Farrah, Mila, Yongki, Tito, Ian, Obed, Wisnu, Bimo, Ayu, Sinda, and Erna. You guys mean a lot to me, thanks for the memories. Last, but certainly not least, I thank all my friends out side my college life. Big thanks to PSS (my pride) and all the boys at Ultras (Fight for Glory!). I would also like to thank everyone that I cannot mention here who had been a big help for me in finishing my study.
vii
B. George Dawson’s Reaction towards the Racism Act He Receives ………...……… 34
C. How George Dawson’s Reaction towards Racism Reflects a Contradictory View of Racism ……… 46
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ……… 59
viii
ABSTRACT
FARIZ. A Contradictory View of Racism Seen through the Character George Dawson in Dawson and Glaubman’s Life is so Good. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Humanity against racism had been an issue for years throughout the world. The racist people would be the antagonist and the oppressed people as the protagonist. It would be a very interesting fact if there is an oppressed black American who does not regard racism as an enemy. This is one point of view which is revealed in Dawson and Glaubman’s Life is so Good. This thesis will reveal how George Dawson’s reactions towards racism can be seen as a contradictory view of racism.
There are three problems revealed from the topic. The first problem is how racism towards the blacks is depicted in the novel. The second is how George Dawson reacts towards the racist act he receives. The third is how Dawson’s reaction towards racism reflects a contradictory view of racism.
In answering the problems, this study uses library research. Theories of racism are the basic theory to answer the problems, while theories on characters and characterization are also used to answer the second problem. This study uses the sociocultural- historical approach. This approach is applied in this study since the study needs some evidences about the American society.
ix
ABSTRAK
FARIZ. A Contradictory View of Racism Seen Through the Character of George Dawson in Dawson and Glaubman’s Life is so Good. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008
Kemanusiaan melawan rasisme sudah menjadi persoalan selama bertahun-tahun di seluruh dunia. Rasisme akan berperan sebagai antagonis dan sebaliknya para korban sebagai protagonis. Akan menjadi sangat menarik apabila ada seorang warga Amerika berkulit hitam yang tidak menganggap rasisme sebagai musuh. Hal ini adalah salah satu sudut pandang yang terungkap dalam novel Life is so Good karya Dawson dan Glaubman. Skripsi ini akan mengungkap bagaimana reaksi George Dawson terhadap rasisme, bisa dilihat sebagai pandangan kontradikftif terhadap rasisme.
Terdapat tiga masalah yang terungkap dari topic. Pertama adalah bagaimana rasisme terhadap orang kulit hitam digambarkan dalam novel. Kedua adalah bagaimana reaksi George Dawson terhadap rasisme yang Ia alami. Ketiga adalah bagaimana reaksi dari Dawson terhadap rasisme merefleksikan pandangan yang kontradiktif terhadap rasisme.
Dalam menjawab permasalahan diatas, penelitian ini menggunakan metode studi pustaka. Teori tentang rasisme adalah teori dasar yang digunakan dalam menjawab permasalahan yang ada, sementara teori tentang karakter dan karakterisasi juga digunakan untuk menjawab permasalahan kedua. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan pendekatan sosiokultural-sejarah. Pendekatan ini diaplikasikan karena penelitian ini memerlukan beberapa bukti tentang kondisi social di Amerika.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
People say that human are created equal. Everyone from any race or sex have the same rights in life. Success in life depends not on one’s origin but from how they achieve it. It is all about commonsense. People today with their similar idea of morality would produce the same idea. It sounds very cliché but many do not ha ve the same idea. For many years discriminations had haunted powerless people. As a result, class in society would become a major factor in life.
Racism and class distinction ha ve always been big issues in the world. Colored people being segregated, lower class people being oppressed, and poor people not having opportunities are just some examples of oppressions towards the weak. Racism itself had always been an interesting topic for discussion. Racism is defined as treating differently a person or group of people based on their racial origins. We can see how racism does not specify a certain race, but in this work the writer wants to emphasize the racism between the white Americans and the blacks / afro Americans.
In America, racism could not be separated from the nation’s long history. In this case there are two major roles which create the system, they are the whites and the colored (mostly the blacks or afro Americans). The whites in America believe that they are more superior to other races especially the blacks. “Europeans and white Americans came to portray African society as primitive
and uncivilized (in part to justify the enslavement of Africa’s people)” said Alan Brinkley in his book The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People. The blacks are considered as uncivilized people. One major reason why the whites assume this is because the blacks first came to America as slaves. They were sold by Europeans from Africa to the Americans. The blacks worked as slaves mainly in plantations. After slavery was abolished in America, the blacks were finally free but still were not treated equally. This led to class distinction, where the whites were considered as the upper class.
of old age, physical and mental handicap, high fertility, social incompetence – also it was added later, of discrimination against women, against coloured people, and against other minorities.” (Westergaard and Resler, 1975: 32) Black people were considered to be the weaker class in the American society. They were oppressed and dominated by the Whites which therefore trapped them in their own circle of life. They could not release themselves from the situation of being caught in their social status. Social mobility was not possible for them, as they didn’t have any opportunity to move up the scale.
In their novel Life is so Good, Dawson and Glaubman reveals how racism was felt and dealt with from the black Americans point of view through the character of George Dawson. George Dawson is the main character of the novel. He is an African American who lived in Marshal, Texas, which is located in the southern part of America. During his life in Marshal, George Dawson had received much racial discrimination. As a grandchild of a slave and a colored boy living in a racist nation, George learned how to act and behave as an inferior human being. Like other colored boys, he faced much economic and racial adversity in his life, but was taught by his parents to always know how to act and behave as a black. Always look down when you talk to a white man, do what you are told, never contradict or show up a white man, stay out of trouble, do not speak out when cheated, be ever vigilant to appear obedient, etc.
reaction to deal with all the injustices he faced during his life. His first lesson of racism came when he was a little boy, as he saw his best friend, Pete, lynched by the whites for a crime he never committed. From that moment, George had found out that life was unfair and cruel for him and his people. From year to year throughout his life, George would face many kinds of injustice; not being able to get education, having to work hard fo r his family since he was 8 years old, being cheated in payments, and always have to be inferior against the whites.
George’s reaction towards racism is amazing. He would always accept it and made the best of it. He would always put his fathers wisdom kept in his mind in dealing with racism. No matter how hard and bitter the injustice was for him, George would always feel just fine as he did not permit any kind of hatred control his heart and mind.
B. Problem Formulation
In order to have thorough analysis, this thesis will be focused on the problems stated below.
1. How is racism towards the blacks depicted in the novel?
2. How does George Dawson react towards the racist act he receives? 3. How does Dawson’s reaction towards racism reflect a contradictory view
of racism?
C. Objectives of the Study
D. Definition of Terms
According to International Encyclopedia of Ethics, racism is defined as a kind of belief that humanity is divided into stratified, genetically different origins, called races: for the people who support this idea, racial differences makes one group superior to another. Racism also becomes a support for imperialism, institution of slavery and for the denial of human and civil rights to people of color (Walker, 1995: 722).
According to Encyclopedia Americana, segregation is "the physical separation or isolation of races by law or custom. in The United States, Negroes have been most directly affected by such segregation, and it concerning their status that the great bulk of legislation, litigation, and controversy has centered" (1978: 523)
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter covers three main parts. The first part is the review of certain studies related to the work and the topic of this study. Then, there is the review of several theories used in this study, including the explanation of the relationship between literature and society. The second part is the review of the related theories. This part contains the reviews of the most relevant theories for the study. It discusses some theories of literature in which become a base for analyzing the study. They are the theory of characters and characterization and the theory of racism. The third part contains the biography of the author, George Dawson. It is quite important to know the author’s biography because the novel which the writer works on is a semi-autobiographical novel. The last part is the theoretical framework where the contributions of all previo us studies and theories stated are used to conduct this study.
A. Review of Related Studies
There are already many reviews of the novel Life is so Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman. But those reviews mainly focus on the cruelty of racism towards the colored, especially the black Americans. In his review, a critic said that there is a powerful lesson for each of us to learn by following the life journey of a common man, a black man that grew up and grew old the last century. George Dawson, the subject of the book, provides the reader with a view
of life, growing up, and survival in a place and time in America when the disadvantages of being poor and uneducated were significantly compounded by the fact of being a black man.
<http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780141001 685&crvAll=1&crvStart=1&displayonly=CRV&z=y>
From the review above we can see how the critic wants to emphasize on how life was very unfair for the colored Americans. It is shown out that during a period of time, there were so many disadvantages for being black and living in America. Being black meant also being poor and uneducated. Those disadvantages are basically created by racism. The racism act which the black Americans receive is considered as something terrible. The maliciousness of the act itself is often condemned to be the main issue in why the black Americans are isolated in their own society. These opinions are the main concern from the critic.
Some other reviewers found a different twist in the novel. They tried to view the values in life which could be seen on the novel. From the characterization of George Dawson, one would simply find great knowledge in respecting life itself.
The review above is surely another interesting fact we can find behind the story. George Dawson is undoubtedly is a pure example of how people should act and react in life, a simple but yet rare role model for everyone. His willingness to learn to read at the age of 98 is astonishing and could give great inspiration for people that it is never to late to learn something.
In this analysis the writer wants to focus on the contradictory view of racism seen through the character of George Dawson. The study is mainly about how racism could be viewed in a different way than usua l. While other studies shows us how life was full of injustices for the colored people, for those who are uneducated, and for those who are not wealthy, the writer in this study will reveal how those racist acts could be viewed in a contradictory way through the character of George Dawson.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
According to Jacob Abraham in his book A Handbook of Literary Terms (1990:26), “Characters are persons, in a dramatic or narrative work. His dispositional and moral qualities are expressed in what he says and does. A character may remain ‘stable’ or unchanging in his outlook and dispositions from the beginning to end of work. He is, we may say, a ‘Flat Character’, while Characters that do grow me ntally and in their outlook to life are called ‘Round Characters”.
In Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms, characters are the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say the dialogue and by what they do the action (1981:20).
We may also regard soliloquy as a means of characterization. The playwright finds it necessary to let us know the whole mystery of his contrivance, he is willing to inform us of this person’s thought; and to that end is forced to make use of the expedient of speech, no other better way being yet invented for the communication of thought (1958:197).
While Rohrberger and Woods have different opinion about characters, they explain that “character in a novel can be divided into major and minor characters. Major character is the most important character, the central character, the one to whom all the events in the story have relevance” (Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 20).
qualities of his own nature while in other works, he just presents the characters of the real or imaginary people and does not involve more than just in the background. Characterization is meant to help the reader in understanding the character’s reason for doing such thing. Moreover, the readers will be emotionally involved when they read the story (Yellend, 1953:30)
2. Theories of Racism
As one of the main issue of the novel, it is important to understand about race and racism. The novel itself mainly discusses the lives of black American during their lives in the segregation era in America, so it very important to know about race and racism in order to gain an understanding about the main issue which the writer wants to state out. In the work it self, the understanding of racism is important to support the analysis where the writer wants to show how racism is depicted in the novel and how George’s reactions towards racism reflects a contradictory view of racism.
Craig Donnelan in his book Racial Discrimination issues for the ninties, states that racism is the attitude of treating one group of people less favorable than another because of color, religous belief, or etnic origin. Racism becomes the basic that some "Races" are superior and the others are inferior (1995: 1)
important split within the society, the body politic, and the national psyche. Second, that values proceses and practices of exclusion and subordination based upon colour are built into the major public institution (Labor market, education, politics, and Law enforcements). With the effect of maintaining special privileges, power, and values for the benefit of the white majority (1970:124-125).
In his On Racism in America, Harvey Sarles points out that racism can operate on two levels: (1) Individual and/or group and (2) institutional. Individual racism simply means that one has racist views according to its definition. It is also supposed to be somewhat easy to eradicate so long as a “good” human relation approach is used to educate the racist and thereby prove to him that his fears and hostilities are unsound. However, institutional racism is far more subtle and very difficult to eradicate. It has been defined as the “operating policies, priorities, and function of an on-going system of normative patterns which serves to subjugate, oppressed, and force dependence of individuals or groups by establishing and sanctioning unequal goals, objectives, and priorities for blacks and whites, which forces inequality in status and in access to goods and services”(1970:49)
characters, intelligence, etc., that asserts the superiority of one race over another or others, and seeks to maintain the supposed purity of a race or races") (1991: 1170)
Another theory mentioned that Racial Discrimination is to treat differently a person or group of people based on their racial origins. Power is a necessary precondition, for it depends on the ability to give or withhold social benefits, facilities, services, opportunities etc., from someone who should be entitled to them, and are denied on the basis of race, colour or national origin.
(http://academic.udayton.edu/race/01race/race08.htm)
According to The Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology Volume 3, Racism is a set of beliefs held by individuals about categorical superiority of inferiority of groups socially defined by physical characteristics (1996: 1055). While Donald Light, Suzanne Keller and Craig Calhoun in their book, Sociology, states that Prejudice and Discriminations as the primary components of Racism, occur against the minority group members that are considered inferior and unsuited to higher-status occupation (1989: 352). Minority groups are people whose physical appearance or cultural characteristics mark them as being different from the dominant group as subject them to unequal treatment (1989: 350).
basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes.
3. Theories of Social Psychology
The social psychology theory is needed in this work because the writer will later on discuss about the character’s surrounding factors which would influence the character’s reactions towards the racism act he receives. By knowing the factors, one would understand how people’s surroundings are very important in building their psychology. After knowing how the main character reacts to the racism act he receives, we can then analyze deeper to know how his reactions could be viewed as a contradictory view of racism.
According to Psychology in Action, social psychology is a branch of psychology that studies how an individual's behavior (thoughts, feelings, and actions) are influenced by other people. The society and culture into which we are born directly influence us from the moments of birth until the moment of death. Our culture teaches us to believe certain things, feel certain ways, and act in accordance with these beliefs and feelings. These influences are so strong, and so much a part of who we are, that we find it difficult to recognize them (Huffman, 1997: 566).
Scott Miller in Child Psychology state that the development of a child is influenced by the people surrounding him/her especially the parents. Social development, like every other aspect of the child's development, is influenced by the context in which it occurs. During the early years, the most important context is the family. This is where young children spend most of their time, acquire many important social and cognitive skills, and develop for better or for worse, various attitudes, beliefs, and values (Miller, 1995: 474)
Most people conform to the norms of their groups or societies much most of the time. Conformity means to fit in with the other people around you or going along with society's expectations about how we should behave in various situations (1997:319)
There are two types of social influences, which are normative social influence and informational social influence. From the earliest days, people learn that agreeing with the persons around us, and behaving as they do, causes them like us. Parents, teachers, friends, and others often heap praise and approval on us for demonstrating such similarity. One important reason we conform is to get the approval and acceptance crave. This source of social influence and especially of conformity is known as normative social influence, since it involves altering our behavior to meet other's expectation (1997: 326-327)
another source of conformity, for in an important sense, other people's actions and opinions define reality for us. This source of social influence is known as informational social influence. It is based on our tendency to depend upon as a source of information about many aspects of social world. (1997: 327)
C. Theoretical Framework
To get a better understanding of the novel in order to be able to explore it deeper one should not disregard other people’s work on the play. It is important to recognize what has been done and what should be done to make the paper interesting. This is why the writer applies a review of related studies.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter consists of three subtitles, namely the object of the study, the approach of the study and the method of the study. The first subtitle covers the description of the object of this stud y. In the second subtitle, there is an explanation of the approach used in this study. The procedure of analyzing the work is explained in the method of the study.
A. Object of the Study
In this study, the writer uses Dawson and Glaubmans’s Life is so Good as the main object. Life is so Good is a novel written by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman.The novel was written in Texas in the year 2000. It was first published by ‘Random House’ in 2000. The novel later won the Christopher Award. The novel which is used in analyzing this study is taken from the novel published by Penguin Books, Inc. in 2001.
Life is so Good tells the story of a black young boy living and growing up in the segregated southern states of America during the segregation era in America. This novel explores the malicious effects of racism and class oppression from the point of view of an innocent young boy. It shows their efforts to raise their situation into a better one, spotlighting on their struggles and conflicts in achieving their dream which would finally reflect a quite different view of racism.
George Dawson, a 101- year-old man who learned to read when he was 98, reflects on the philosophy he learned from his father -- a belief that "life is so good" -- as he offers valuable lessons in living and a fresh, firsthand view of America during the twentieth century.
Born in 1898 in Marshall, Texas, the grandson of slaves, George Dawson tells how his father, despite hardships, always believed in seeing the richness in life and trained his children to do the same. As a boy, George had to go to work to help support the family, and so he did not attend school or learn to read; yet he describes how he learned to read the world and survive in it. "We make our own way," he says. "Trouble is out there, but a person can leave it alone and just do the right thing. Then, if trouble still finds you, you've done the best you can."
At ninety-eight, George decided to learn to read and enrolled in a literacy program, becoming a celebrated student. "Eve ry morning I get up and I wonder what I might learn that day. You just never know."
In Life Is So Good, he shares wisdom on everything from parenting ("With children, you got to raise them. Some parents these days are growing children, not raising them") to attitude ("People worry too much. Life is good, just the way it is").
presidents, inventions such as the car and the airplane, and much, much more. And throughout his story, George Dawson inspires the reader with the message that sustained him happily for more than a century: "Life is so good. I do believe it's getting better."
B. Approach of the Study
In analyzing Life is so Good which the writer focus’ on how the main character reacts towards the race and class oppression he receives, the writer tries to explore the main character’s reactions and the factors which influence the main character in reacting in such way by using the psychological approach. “A psychological approach is, however, merely one way of evaluating characters; it is also possible to analyze character presentation in the context of narratological structures” (Klarer, 1999: 17).
C. Method of the Study
In getting resources for analyzing the novel Life is so Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman, the writer used some methods of researches. The main method is by using a library research. The writer uses the novel Life is so Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman as the primary source. To support the analysis of the novel, books on literary terms and literature, racism, and books on American History are used by the writer. Some examples of those books are: A Handbook of Literary Terms by Jacob Abraham and Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms, Robert Blaunner’s The Question of Black Culture and On Racism in America by Harvey Sarles., The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People by Alan Brinkley and America: A Concise History by Henretta and Dumenilis, and Class in a Capitalist Society by John Westergaard. These books are used as the secondary source of the study.
This literary study also employed some internet research to complete the materials needed in analyzing the novel. Useful data are found to support the study. Some websites that contain the data are as follow:
To know other peoples study on the work for comparison, the writer uses these links:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=97801410016 85&crvAll=1&crvStart=1&displayonly=CRV&z=y and
http://literacyconnections.com
http://www.adl.org/hate-patrol/racism.asp is used to analyze the meaning and understanding of race and racialism.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
The analysis will be divided into three subchapters. The first subchapter is to answer the first problem. It is the description of how racism towards the blacks is depicted in the novel. It is important to discuss racism itself first, and how it is depicted in the novel. By knowing the types of racial discriminations, we will be led to answer the second subchapter. In the second subchapter the discussion goes to the description of how George Dawson receives racist acts and how he would react towards it. Based on the first discussion, the writer describes the types of racism act George Dawson receives and his reactions on it. The last subchapter is to answer the third problem. It discusses how George Dawson’s reaction towards the racism act he receives reflects a contradictory view of racism. From this discussion the reader will understand why George Dawson can be described as a person who triumphs over racism.
A. Racism towards the Black Americans
Racism towards the Black Americans could be set as the main issue in the novel. The basic problem of the novel is mainly about racism. It is the main buildup towards all the conflicts which appear in the novel. The novel is a pure true story. Every event in the novel is history itself. The story in the novel is based on the true life experience of George Dawson who is the main character of the story. He is a remarkable man who had lived through out the 20th century. He ould be describes as a remarkable man by seeing how he deals with his life, how he had
shown his wonderful attitude in living his life. From his life we can tell how black Americans had suffered greatly in the past.
Racism itself had been a great problem in the world for a long time, it is a problem which many nations has and had suffered the inferior people of those nations. Thomas Sowell in Race and Culture: A World View says that racial, ethnic, and cultural differences among people play a major role in the events of our times, in countries around the world, and ha ve played a major role with the long history of the human race (1994: 1)
When talking about racism, we cannot separate it with the long history of America, for America is one of the countries where the racist acts were a big problem for the nation. Racism had made many people suffer in America, not only mentally but physically as well. Beginning from the slavery days where many Africans were brought to America as slaves by the European traders, to the segregation policy which happened in the southern states of America.
During the slavery times, many Africans would trade with European traders in the coasts of Africa. The Europeans would get people from Africa to be later on sold to the Americans as slaves.
‘When Portuguese sailors first explored Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries, they came upon empires and cities as advanced as their own, and they considered Africans to be serious rivals. Over time, though, as African civilizations failed to match the technological advances of Europe, and the major European powers began to plunder the continent and forcibly remove its inhabitants to work as slave laborers in new colonies across the Atlantic.’ < http://www.adl.org/hate-patrol/racism.asp>
the main cause of racism in America. They basically came to America already being inferior. Not only that the blacks worked for the whites, but they were also owned by them. This gave them no chance to improve themselves.
If it is associated with morality, slavery surely should not be accepted by anyone who has a sense of one. No one can agree that slavery is allowed to be practiced by one human being to another. The same thought should be set to the minds of the Americans who bought African slaves from the Europeans. They had no right to unjustifiably force anyone to do something or to be someone outside their own will.
In order to justify their actions in recruiting these African People as slaves, the white Americans convinced people that the Africans were considered as deficient human beings. They are said to be at the bottom of the world’s social stratum and are considered as dangerous human beings which should be benefited. ‘Africans came to be seen as a deficient "species," as "savages." To an important extent, this view was necessary to justify the slave trade at a time when Western culture had begun to promote individual rights and human equality. The willingness of some Africans to sell other Africans to European slave traders also led to claims of savagery, based on the false belief that the "dark people" were all kinsmen, all part of one society - as opposed to many different, sometimes warring nations.’
< http://www.adl.org/hate-patrol/racism.asp>
Although not all people agreed with the policy, slavery did came to America and haunted the African Americans for years, before they were finally freed from slavery.
from slavery, they were still not free from poverty, and more dreadfully from racism.
Another moment of suffering for the black Americans would be the segregation era. This act is practiced in the southern states of America. The colored people were segregated from the white Americans. They could not have the same rights. There are even separated school, church, and restaurants for each group.
In the novel, black Americans are also treated with very less respect. From the beginning of the novel we can see how George Dawson’s grandmother was a former slave. She even took the time to tell little George how lucky he is to be a free person, knowing that life was much more difficult for the black Americans during the Slavery years. She would tell George about how slavery had caused many problems for them, and after slavery was abolished, they had to live a very difficult life.
George’s grandmother would always tell George how lucky he is to be born as a free human being. Although George did not experience the slavery days himself, he certainly got the idea his grandmother wanted to show to him.
‘I figured to be nervous when I was unwinding the rope from the cleat. I remember everybody watching, but, fact is, it didn’t bother me. I felt the rope in my hands, I looked out, and then stepped off.”
George could figure out why freedom is so important for human because despite being free from slavery, the black Americans during the segregation era could not actually feel the freedom as they were discriminated in every aspect of their lives.
It is true that the black Americans were free from slavery after it was abolished, but in reality life was not easy for black Americans. Although they were granted with forty acres of land and a mule, still they did not have anything else and had to work on it them selves. They had to start from zero to build up a living of their own.
‘“Just the journey, not our troubles.” Sylivie laughed. “As freed slaves we were given forty acres and mule. It was a start.”’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 20)
Still things were not easy for the black American’s lives. They did not have anything they could benefit to build their lives except for the forty acres of land and a mule. They did not have any savings because they did not actually get much money when working as slaves. The situation for the black Americans at the time was as if they were just brought to the world and had do figure out how to survive by themselves without any aid from anyone.
After the slavery years, came the segregation era where in the novel is stated that where George Dawson lived, which is a city located in Texas called Marshal, Segregation had really haunted the black Americans living in the small city.
Through out his life, George Dawson had received many kinds of racism acts since he was a young boy, weather he realized it or not. Different from other black Americans, for George Dawson, being racially discriminated was just a part of his life, he felt as if he was destined to be inferior compared to the whites. For George who was born in the segregation era, being inferior was not something surprising, because it is something he was born with.
George Dawson even came to the thought where racism had been a part of his life and that he had to live it and regard it as something common for him. From the day he was born, George had already lived as an inferior race in the society, so he got used to it although deep inside him, George felt very ruined, he was hurt, and he did not want to live that kind of miserable life.
George, like other black Americans at the time, suffered greatly from racism. Since he was a young boy, he had received many kinds of racism. Never in his mind, did he think of life without segregation and racial discriminations. And that is just the way life was for George Dawson.
1. Racism on Economy
It is quite clear in the novel, that the colored Americans could not achieve the same economy level as the white Americans. This is a product of the racial system which was built by the white Americans to create a social stratum which made them the highest class in the society. The white Americans at the time would not accept the fact that human are created equal, so they tried to create a system which would make them the most supreme race amongst the rest. Knowing how the black Americans first came to America as slaves, a lot of white Americans would not admit that the black Americans were finally equal with them when slavery was demolished from the nation. There was such a pride amongst the white Americans (especially in the southern states where segregation acts were practiced) to see a black American live an equal life as the whites did.
‘Reaching down into my boot, I pulled up some money. I enjoyed his surprise in seeing a colored man with money, but I was smart enough not to let it show.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 99)
The black Americans during the segregation era were smart enough not to show up amongst a white American. Even though they had something which they could show up to the whites, the black Americans would not take any risks in making a white American angry because it could endanger their lives.
One interesting fact that we can get from the novel is that no matter how extreme racism is practiced in some place, people’s human nature when they have the same fate as each other, would still be a strong factor for human beings to treat each other equally.
as things were down by the track was at the bottoms of things. But they were together and got along. I guess poor white and poor colored had enough in common with just being poor.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 96)
Simply by being in common, people would ha ve the same feeling to ignore the boundaries created by racism and would view others (including different races) as equal.
From the novel we can find out how in the segregated states, all black Americans were poor. Although not all white Americans were prosperous, but there was a thick line to differentiate them from the whites. The poor white Americans still had the chance to climb the social latter. They still had the opportunity to improve them selves. Not like the black Americans, white Americans could get a proper life. The poor white Americans could still be wealthy if they tried and worked hard to achieve it. While in the other hand, the black Americans were stuck in their own circle of life. They could not improve their selves because they were not treated equally no matter what quality they had. It would not matter if a black American was intelligent or if they had great abilities on something, because those capacities would be worthless to the white Americans who controlled the whole system of life in the society.
‘I may have been grinning like a kid, but I felt like a man, all right. I admit it. With my own mule and wagon, I was mighty proud of myself. I had never really owned anything of my own, except for Pete’s baseball.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 119)
Racism had really ruined the black Americans’ hope of living a suitable life. Life was very unfair for them knowing how they would still be the lowest class in the society no matter how high their quality are as a human being.
‘Taking my money out of my boot I counted it. I kept most of it and put two dollars back in. Papa said, “be generous in your dealings, but always have something saved for rainy weather.”’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 123)
The black Americans were used to the situation of being poor. The situation made them respect money very much. They lived a difficult life which gave them an understanding on not to waste money for useless things.
‘Still it was enough for me and I had no complaints. As a matter of fact, I didn’t have anything to buy, and I always saved most of my check. That turned out to be good, for it gave me the chance to better myself.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 121)
The experience of poverty since they were born made the black Americans knew how to save their earnings. They did not have a consumptive habit because by their life experience of being poor, they knew not to waste money.
Things were very frustrating for most black Americans who could not accept the fact that they are treated very unfairly only because of their skin colors. They knew that they were not again slaves, but living in a state where segregation acts are still practiced made them no different from a slave. The only difference would be their status. They no longer owned to anyone, but still they could no live a free and equal life where poverty would really suffer the black Americans.
2. Racism on Education
in reaching success. The higher the educational background of someone, the bigger opportunity they would have in getting a proper life. Being educated means that one would have more capacity in doing something, because the educated would have larger knowledge on many things compared to the uneducated.
During the segregation era in the southern states of America, only the white Americans could receive education. Back in those times there were no schools for Black Americans. They could not attend the white schools, so they had no choice but to stay uneducated. The black Americans back then did not really mined though, because they did not believe that education would be too important for them. The black Americans knew that although they were educated, things would not change for them and that they wo uld still be treated unfairly. They did not know that in future times, things were actually going to change and that they would someday be equal with the white Americans. Not even a glimpse of those thoughts came through the black Americans mind back then. We cannot blame them for that, because life was very difficult for them and they only could think how to survive and make a living of their miserable lives.
‘Too bad we don’t have those newsreels anymore. Matter of fact, that’s how a lot of folks got their news back then, especially people that couldn’t read the newspapers. I remember president Hoover, people talking about him anyway. After times got tough, seemed like the white folks didn’t like him anymore. Course, it was mostly white folks that could vote then, so they should of blamed themselves if they didn’t like him. For the colored folks, times was already tough and it wasn’t so different from before. (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 191)
but by hearing stories from other people, or by getting news from the radio. Their incapability of reading was also a big factor which made them stuck in poverty.
‘I always had a dream that I would learn how to read. It was my secret, that I couldn't read. There was nothing I couldn't do and my mind was as good as anyone's. That's just how it was. All my life, I had been just too busy working to go to school. I kept it a secret that I couldn't read. My mind worked hard. When I traveled somewhere, I could never read a sign. I had to ask people things and had to remember. I could never let my mind forget anything, never let my mind take a vacation.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 224)
Not like today, back then black Americans who lived in the segregated areas of the country, could only dream of having the opportunity to obtain good education, even when there was school for the coloured people. Being educated was something priceless for the black Americans at the time especially for those who are very poor. The children with a poor family did not have a chance of getting formal education because they had to help their family raise their income by helping their parents working. They wanted to feel the pride they would have if they were able to read a newspaper, to read a work agreement contract, or to even be able to sign their signature.
‘When we got to the front, I handed the lady my money order list and set my check down on the counter. Then came the part I like. While she was watching, I signed my name in cursive.
She smiled and said, “Thank you, Mr. Dawso” “It’s my pleasure.”
And it is too. After all those years of signing my name with an X, I am proud to sign my full name.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 247)
3. Institutional Racism
From the novel it is revealed clearly how the white Americans had created an injustice society where the white Americans placed themselves on the top of the social stratum which they created. The black Americans on the other hand are clearly victimized by this ruled society. They are regarded as an inferior race which could not get the same rights as the white Americans.
The segregation policy created clear boundaries between the white Americans and the black Americans. The black Americans were regarded as an inferior race because of their origins. They were brought to America as slaves sold by the European traders. From the fact mentioned before that the black Americans were slaves, the white society created a policy which would differentiate them to the black Americans. This policy actually happened in the southern states of America, including here, in Marshal, Texas, the town where the story takes place.
‘Once I got back from Mexico, I wasn’t fool enough to just walk into a restaurant or drink at any fountain, but I missed that. Texas was home, but I didn’t feel so welcome there when I got back.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 142)
The racial discrimination act was not just a case of individual actions. The whole society in the southern states of America had made the black American groups tucked in their own society without the chance of increasing their life values because they are isolated inside their own society. This policy was clearly unfair for the black Americans who could not receive any equality and did not experience any human rights.
they had to deal with the injustices caused by the policy. They could not use the same public facilities as the whites while the quality of the facilities for the black Americans was very inhuman. This condition often frustrated the black Americans because they gad to live an injustice life as the white American discriminated then at will. The second suffering is of course the suffering caused by poverty. Related with the segregation policy, it is quite clear that the black Americans could not increase their life values. They are isolated in their own society and segregated to other societies that they could not get a good living. The social stratum created by the white society which is bounded by the segregation policy, trapped the black Americans in their society and could not expand their expertise to increase their life values.
Suffered by poverty and racial discriminations, the black Americans’ lives were really ruined during the segrega tion era. They had to work very hard because of their financial troubles. Regardless of the low pay, the black Americans had to force their strength so they could go on with their lives.
B. George Dawson’s Reaction towards the Racist Act He Receives
He could and should be a role model for all human beings seeing the way he views and lives his life.
There are some factors in George’s life which contributes to George’s reactions towards racism.
1. The Friends Factor
As a black American living and growing up in the segregated area of the nation, George Dawson had seen the worse things racism could do to the colored people. As a child, he saw with his bare eyes, how his best friend, Pete, was hung for a crime he never committed. The horrific view in the eye of a 10 year old kid really was a lesson he could not forget for his entire life. He was very mad, he was angry, and he had every right to feel bitter for what he had witnessed. For the first time in his life, George Dawson learned something that would change his view to the world for the rest of his life. He would find out how unfair the world was for his people and that life would be very difficult for him and for all of the black Americans.
‘We was halfway home and I hadn’t wanted to raise my eyes to the world. I had always looked closely when we passed the swamp, see if I could see any muskrats or water moccasins. Now I didn’t care. I would never care again, I promised my self.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 11-12)
‘With a different mule, I did the same work as before, but somehow it was different. I guess death, even with a mule, can change things. For a long time, I had something that depended on me, something to take care of. All of a sudden, I only had to take care of myself.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 124)
Death was something which often gave George different view towards life. Not only the death of humans, but for animals which are close to George as well. When people loose something for the rest of their life, that moment would be the time when they realize how big their lost is and how much they love them. For George, Pete’s death taught him to respect life more, and that he must face and try to overcome every obstacle in his life no matter how bitter it would become.
“At those hobo camps, they would sit around and lie their heads off all day. I liked to listen. There were some rough characters in those camps and wouldn’t bother to argue. The women were just as rough as the men, and they think they was the ones with the foulest language. That’s the honest truth. I had a good time in those camps, though. I could drop in anywhere. I shared what I have and could help myself to what I needed. They was poor folk but with a generous nature.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 175)
2. Parenting Factor
After witnessing the dreadful incident involving his very best friend, Pete, George Dawson; a young, honest, and innocent boy had learned a very valuable lesson which would lead him to adultness even at a very young age. George would then grow up as a very diligent young man, a type of personality which reflects the main idea of morality.
‘Papa looked at me and said. “Some of those white folks was mean and nasty. Some were just scared. It doesn’t matter. You have no right to judge another human being. Don’t you ever forget.”’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 12)
Luckily for George, his father knew what to do afterwards by giving George an advice which would later on be used by George to direct his life.
One major factor which then changed George’s life after that incident would be George’s father. He would always give lots of words of wisdom to George. George always had respect for his father and that became the major factor in his ways of dealing with life, especially in facing the racist whites.
‘Papa shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe that is the reason why. I guess there is good and bad white folks, just like there is with colored.”’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 36)
George’s father tried to convince George that human are all the same no matter what their skin colour are. He would teach George to respect that, and that no t all white people are evil. There are even some black people who are evil as well and those are just human nature.
other hand, George’s father had to keep George calm. He had to make sure that George’s mind would not fill with anger which could someday jeopardize not only George but the whole family’s life also. Luckily for his father, George was a young boy who really knew the meaning of respect. George always respected his father, and he never forgot his father’s advises which was proved to bring many benefits in George’s life.
For the first time in his life, George’s heart was full of anger and revenge after that incident. But in the other hand, George is smart, and he actually does not have any real intentions to show his anger. When he could get his mind calm, George could think straight and show his actual manner. He understands that his father knows what’s right for him, and that made things a lot easier for his father. George’s understanding for his father’s teachings and advices, showed how George, despite his age, was already very mature.
‘My father had spoken.
There was nothing to say, I didn’t know it then, but his words set the direction y life would take even till this day.’ (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 12)
For years to come after the incident, George would face many other kinds of racial discriminations, not only watching others who receive, but he would often experience it for himself. But he would face it quite different from his first experience. His father’s words would always stay in his mind, and he would know how to deal with the racial discriminations even with the worse situations.
George followed almost every single lesson his father taught him. When his mind is confused for having to face an injustice racist act, he would always remember his father, and what his father had taught him. This became very important for George in living his life in a racist nation.
3. Other Family Factor
George had turned into an adult. Not just any ordinary adult, but a very good mannered, hard working, and intelligent mature grown up man. George surely did not let his father down. He proved to his father and to all the rest of his family that he had become what his father and the rest of family wanted him to be. Although life ahead of him would be very difficult and cruel, George would show why his father’s teaching was a major factor in his own way of success in living his life.
George knew that his life was very difficult because he had to face racial discriminations and poverty for most of his life. But interestingly is that George never blamed the very difficult situations he had to face in living his life. George knew that despite being poor, uneducated, and always having to face racial discriminations, George still had pride inside him. In fact, George believed that the only thing left to have upon a white American would be his pride. In George’s opinion a man could show his pride if he works hard on anything he does.
No matter how hard work was for George, he would never stop trying to work as hard as he could so that he could show the world that he not worthless, and more important he would never let his family down, and would do anything to help his family in living their difficult life. He knew by keeping his pride alive, George would gain respect, at least by himself and for his family.
“Every day, we all did the best we could. The important thing, no matter what, was the keep our pride. I worked for a living and each day I did the best job that I could. When I had to quit my job in 1963, I didn’t stop working. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t have done that. I did yard work and gardening for people.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 208)
For most black Americans, especially in the southern states of America where the segregation policy and poverty made them suffer a lot in life, hard work would be very important for them because they believe that by working hard they could prove to themselves and to others how they are not worthless.
“I was there in the thirties, all right, but I didn’t know too much about a depression. Times was tough, but that’s just how it was, I never gave it no thought and it never slowed me down. I had already started working for the railroad in 1928. That was a fine job. And when I wasn’t doing a paying job like that, I still liked to break horses.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 192)
4. Meeting People from different Societies
When George began to grow into an adult, George took a big step in his life by deciding to travel out from his home town and see other places in the nation. This could be said as one major factor which would show George about the difference between his world at his home town, with the one s at the other places. During his journey, George found lots of interesting facts about the relationship of white and coloured people in other places. When he started his traveling by riding the rails, he met many kinds of people in the hobo camps. They were mixed coloured, some were white and the others were black. Interesting thing though, is that although they were black and whites, there were no boundaries between them. It is as if they feel equal for being poor.
“Pretty soon, even though we was white and colored, we got to talking like we was just people.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 138)
George could talk and communicate with the white people there without any feeling of shame, or frightened. George would no longer be inferior because equality was very strong although they were only homeless peoples.
George was even more surprised when he reached the northern states of America. Segregation could only be found in the southern states of America at the time, while the northern states were very common with equality. Although many of George’s people had already told story of the life in the northern states of America, George could not believed it before experiencing it him self, which he did when he first came to northern states by train.
The fact about the train was his first knowledge of equality in the northern states of America. Different from his home town where public facilities were segregated, in the northern states there were no such things as segregation and things were facilitated for everyone no matter what their skin colours are.
George’s journey to the north did not end only in the northern states of the country, in fact George even went further to the north to another nation. He reached Canada and found out that life in Canada, like life in the northern states of America, was also very different from the life in his home town in Marshal, Texas.
“I didn’t know much about Canada, but I liked the way he called me sir. I had been called a lot worse in Texas!” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 174)
The way he was treated in Canada made George feel good, he felt as if he is regarded as a human being who is equal with the white people. This was something which he could not find and experience in his home town, Marshal, Texas.
The interesting fact findings continued for George as he crossed the nation border in the south and visited Mexico. In this country George would feel as he had found his ‘paradise’. A place where there were really no difference between white and coloured people, a place where equality was really practiced and was not just a word, a place where all the black people living in the segregated areas would dream of living in.
else, touch no food unless I was asked, and to serve myself last. But though I was a worker, every one treated me like a guest.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 139)
George found out how life was very different when working in Mexico, the fact which he found was something new for George, and although he liked it very much, he was not used to it. George’s experience abroad did not made George forget about the life in his home town. George was to clever to get carried away with the life abroad and he acted as he should when he came back to his home town.
After finding many interesting facts and getting many life experience of living in different areas of the nation, George would have new kno wledge about life and people. George would travel a few times more and with his experience he knew how to act and behave in one place and another.
“I put my hand out and said, “George Dawson”. I think it’s traveling that makes a person think you can just walk up and talk to someone like that. Growing up in Marshall, I never would of done that whether it was a colored or a white man. But I wasn’t in Marshall anymore.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 144)
The knowledge about life and human behavior which George found when traveling across the nation and abroad the country, taught George a valuable lesson about how to bring himself upon a white man. He than knew that different places mean different people as well. This helped George to react upon the white people in different places.
George knew about life after the traveling days and he found out great facts about human beings regardless of their skin colours.
didn’t have much chance in life either.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 144)
George learned a great lesson about life back then. No matter what colour your skin is, people are actually the same. White man like black could suffer in life as well. These things happen to people in any race. These knowledge and experience made George appreciate life better.
George was a bright young man, and he knew well not to get in any kind of problem with a white person. George’s experience traveling to other states in America, and even crossing the nation’s border, gave George new perspectives of the world. He found justice and equality in the lands outside his home town. His knowledge and experience in living in a more justice and equal society made George sometimes hoped to find the same feeling in his home town.
“It was kind of strange. He didn’t know me, but I remembered him, even knew the questions that would be coming. But I couldn’t let on and show him up neither.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 142)
Even when a white and coloured person knew or recognizes each other well, there was still a thick line which would separate them from just being human beings. One of them is white and the other is black. That is how things were in George’s home town. George could only in his heart dream of a world like the one he experience in other places to exist in his home town.
living his life, but still would not blame his conditions towards the ones who actually should be placed as the antagonist for his miserable life.
‘People forget that a picture ain't made from just one color. Life ain't all good or all bad’(Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 233)
George would not blame his suffering on anyone, because George knew that it is all a part of living. People in their journey in life would meet good tings and bad things, and regarding to human beings, good and bad people as well.
Other black Americans, especially teenagers like George, who are just beginning to know the world, becoming an adult, and feeling more emotions, would have lots of feeling of hate if being hurt physically or mentally by others. These feelings are very common for teenagers who are still searching for their identity. But we could rarely find this in George Dawson. He is as normal as any other human being. He has emotions like others of his age. Like other people, George could get angry, feel hatred, and to dislike others in an extreme way. But George would not let these feelings enter his heart and mind, which later on could lead him to act and react dangerously to him.
George was a smart kid. He respected others and he gave a large respect to himself as well. He knew what was right for him and that anger was not the way he would have chosen. He is a person who realizes and understood well the meaning of equality, something which was very rare and priceless at the time.
knew what was best for him, and that gave him strength and courage to walk his injustice world.
“Don’t worry about what someone else thinks. Just do the right thing and take pride in yourself.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 214)
George showed the world his way of dealing with problems. His unique and uncommon way in facing problems in his life and living his horrible life, made George a very rare but special person in the world.
George’s reactions towards the racism act he receives really gave George strength inside him. George would not let the racial discriminations be set back for him in gaining a happy life. As hard life was for George in the segregation era, George could always find love and happiness in his life because he never let anger control his heart and mind.
“I admit that bothered me a little, but not for long. What someone thinks about me is none of my business. He don’t know me. I just keep moving and go my own way.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 221)
George did not care what other people thought about him. He also did not want to bother other people by minding his own business. When the racists gave him injustices, George would always just walk on and did not want to give it a big thought. George always reacted to all the injustice racist acts he received with a good manner. He knew that life was too good for us to be worried about it.
C. How George Dawson’s Reaction towards Racism Reflects a Contradictory View of racism
something that they did not do, a person would get angry if they did not get the right pay despite doing a good job, a person would get angry if they were not allowed to do things which others were allowed to do. All those things mentioned before are very natural because human should be treated equally. When people don’t receive what they supposed to receive, it is obvious that they would react and feel bitter because they do not get what should be their rights.
One of the most interesting matters from this work is surely how a human being can take so much hatred and suffering but still could always see things on the positive way. This is of course quite amazing, knowing that it does not associate with the actual basics of human nature. We can see this through the character of George Dawson throughout the story in the novel.
George has a mind set which is very different from other people. He could see things through different views which other people would not even think of.
“Most folks, if they see a rattler, and had a gun, they would try and shoot it. People always say that it tastes like chicken. But I swear, some folks would say that anything tastes like chicken. No one ever says that a chicken tastes like a rattle snake, though. Go figure that one.” (Dawson and Glaubman, 2000: 22)
Words which came out from George Dawson about the rattle snake and the chicken are actually very strong. Which could symbolize many things in life, including here, racism, which is the main issue in this work.
being. We can see this from how George Dawson lives his life. Despite being poor, being uneducated, and having to suffer racial discriminations, George would always view his life as a good life, a life which is worth living, although from the facts before, we wo uld obviously consider George’s life as a miserable and unfair life.
As humble as George’s heart and manner is, he still had some pride inside him to show that he still is a human being like the others, and no one could treat him with disrespect. Although he showed great respect despite of the racism act he gets, deep inside, he had enormous pride inside him. He knew that without his pride he would be worthless. Because to him, his pride would be the only thing to have when facing the whites.
Looking at the fact how George Dawson reacts to the racism act he receives, we can see how George Dawson had created a contradictory view towards racism which is quit uncommon. Mostly black Americans or other colored Americans who had received racial acts by the white Americans would feel very angry, and would have revenge inside them. George Dawson, in the other hand, is quite unique. He never showed any kind of bitterness or hatred despite the prejudice he received all his life. No matter how cruel the whites treated him, he would always know how to react to it, in the way he was brought up and taught. He really kept in mind his father’s teachings about life and about how George Dawson has to live his life.
