Intolerance in Society
One
thing everyone can agree on, no matter what, is that everyone is different. People
come in different shapes, sizes, colors, ethnicities, cultures, religious
beliefs, and lifestyles. Every single individual should have to liberty to be
himself or herself. In society, diversity is something that should be
applauded. However, many individuals still practice intolerance and prejudice.
The short stories “Big Black Good Man†written by Richard Wright and
“Cathedral†by Raymond Carver are perfect examples of intolerance still being
exhibited. “Big Black Good Man†centers on the injustices African Americans
often times have to endure. “Cathedral†focuses on the intolerance some
individuals have with people who have disabilities. Although these stories have
two different kinds of inequalities happening, they both share a theme of
prejudice and both successfully teach one the importance of not practicing
intolerance.
Previously mentioned, “Big Black Good Man†focuses on the prejudice
that many face because of their race. In this case, it is between a Caucasian
man showcasing his racism and “fear†of African Americans. Olaf, the Caucasian
male, repeatedly states he is not racist at all and states he has given service
to many other black males and has not had a problem with it (186). However,
when describing Jim, the African American, Olaf thinks, “But this particular
black man…Well, he didn’t seem human. Too big, too black, too loud, too direct,
and probably too violent to boot (…) There was something about the man’s
intense blackness and ungainly bigness that frightened and insulted Olafâ€
(185). Olaf’s thoughts insinuate that even being black is too much. His
repetition of the word “too†showcases his ignorance towards African American
people. Also, to say someone can be ‘intensely black’ is highly insulting. Olaf
was implying there was a distinction between what is considered normally black individuals versus what
is not. Obviously, that is degrading and humiliating to the African American
community. He displayed his lack of knowledge and his racism by saying things
like “too loud†and “too black†as if people are not allowed to be loud or
direct. Adding on, skin color is out of anyone’s control making his statement
hurtful and fallacious. By just saying “too blackâ€, one can infer Olaf is
racist and displays a lot of prejudice against Jim. Again, Olaf repeatedly
tries to argue he is not prejudice. He asserts, “I’m not prejudiced…No, not at
all…But…He couldn’t think anymore. God oughtn’t make men as big and black as
that…†It is important to know there is a narrator whom conveys Olaf’s
thoughts. Also, the story often switches from first person to third person.
With that being said, the quotation proves his absolute bigoted views. Thinking
that god should not make men big and black is plain ignorant to think. Contrary
to Olaf’s narrow-minded beliefs, Jim was not a bad person for being “big†or
“blackâ€. They were just his natural born traits. It displays his views on
African Americans.
The
article “The Effects of Racism, African Self- Consciousness and Psychological
Functioning on Black Masculinity: A Historical and Social Adaptation Frameworkâ€
written by Martin R Pierce explains the injustices African Americans face in
society. He explains,
African-American
men are twice as likely to be unemployed as white men (Wilson, 1992, 1991;
Wilson 1978) and earn on aver- age only 73% of the income earned by their White
male counterparts (Watson & Smitherman, 1996).
Furthermore, African American males are vastly
underrepresented in professional and managerial positions, and are almost entirely absent in
other fields such as high-tech and science-related jobs that require access to advanced training and
educational opportunities (National Research
Council, 1989).
It is evident that black people, more
specifically, black men do not get treated equally in society. They also are
not given the same opportunities as others. Though Olaf was treating one
particular individual this way, society treats many black men this way. Black
men (and women) are not paid as much as Caucasian men and are obviously seen as
inferior. This is often times called racial discrimination. In the article “New
Approaches to Understanding Racial Prejudice and Discrimination†written by
Lincoln Quillian , the reality of racial discrimination is explained. He
writes, “Racial discrimination is the difference between the treatment that a
target group actually receives and the treatment they would receive if they
were not members of the target group but were otherwise the same.†It is when
people are not treated in the same manner because of their race. It is clear
that Olaf treated Jim differently because of his skin color. Perhaps if he
were not black, Olaf would have never
been afraid or so invested in this man. When society says things like what Olaf
said, it gives room for prejudice and allows racism and bigotry to remain
alive. Adding on, practicing prejudice and bigotry allows for society to think
it is acceptable to continue being racist. Nonetheless, not every single person
in society is being called ‘racist’ or intolerant. On the contrary, that is not
the point at all. The point being made is Olaf’s thoughts and actions are
racist and prejudice and many people think just like him. This tale teaches one
to stray away from those notions because it is intolerant, hurtful, and
degrading.
In
Cathedral, Carver writes a captivating short story about a married couple and
their experience with the wife’s best friend, Robert, who happens to be blind. The
narrator of this tale is the husband and writes his thoughts on the visit of
this blind man. The husband is incredibly hesitant about having a visually
impaired individual in his home. It makes him uncomfortable. He writes, “A
blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to†(261). He displays
a lot of prejudice by just saying that because he was insinuating accommodating
a blind man would be so difficult and awkward. Also, he had a preconceived
notion about what blind people are like by saying, “My idea of blindness came
from the movies. In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed.
Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs†(261). Clearly, his views on the
visually impaired are erroneous. Stating that the blind move slowly is
offensive; many blind people are able to walk at a normal pace just like those
with clear sight. Moreover, he assumed this blind friend would need seeing-eye
dogs. Not all blind people require eye-seeing dogs. Also, some visually
impaired individuals use other methods to help them navigate themselves. Not to
mention, some do not need any methods to help at all. The narrator also
believed Robert’s wife Beulah must have led a miserable life being married to Robert
because he was not able to physically see her (262). This proves the husband
perceived Robert to be unworthy of giving his wife enough love for the simple
fact of being blind. He is prejudiced by stating that because people with
perfect sight are able to love without been seen. Robert’s wife loved her
husband for who he was and sight was irrelevant in their relationship. He was
hinting he would be unable to love someone if they were blind. This is hurtful
to anyone who is visually impaired as it implies blind people should not be in
relationships. Now, this is not the only injustice blind people like Robert
have to endure.
The
article “Workplace Prejudice Keeps Blind people Out of Employment†written by
Henriette Jacobsen affirms,
The
blind and heavily impaired sighted people have the highest unemployment rate among disabled groups, despite their
great desire to be part of the labor market, according to organizations representing the blind. But, workplace prejudice
might be even more crippling than disability,
a new survey shows. The survey, conducted by the Danish Blind Society, shows that prejudice is a
major reason why so many blind people in Denmark are unemployed. According to the survey, more than one out three
Danes is skeptical about having a
colleague with sight impairment.
This
quote expresses the intolerance the visually impaired must face even in the
workforce. Like just stated, it is because of the prejudice that accompanies
the impaired that many happen to be unemployed. Also, it is disheartening to
know many employers are suspicious when thinking of hiring an individual with a
disability is not only worrisome but aggravating. It is illegal to discriminate
against anyone in the workforce. It is also highly unethical. When the husband
decided to think of Robert in a certain way, with judgment, it proved how many
people in society think as well. The alarming facts quoted above show that even
in modern society people still choose to be intolerant without even getting to
know an individual. This husband encompasses everything an individual should
strive not to be. One should encounter everyone, regardless of background, with
an open mind and zero-ignorance.
“Cathedral†and “Big Black Good Manâ€
both tell stories that embody what society should try hard not to do. On the
one hand, Cathedral focused on prejudice towards people with disabilities. The
tale shows the ways people can encounter situations. The wife of the narrator
was never prejudiced and welcomed Robert into their home with no judgment and
practiced kindness. On the other hand, for majority of Robert’s visit, the
husband was very rude and intolerant. He judged the man solely on his
disability and had preconceived beliefs before even getting to know him. From
this, one can conclude the author wanted the reader to understand the absurdity
in discrimination and teach the reader how to try to eradicate prejudice in
society. Now, “Big Black Good Man’s†focal point is on the prejudgment of black
people. Olaf was bigoted in his perceptions of Jim. He criticized Jim for his
skin color but also based all of his ideas of his character off of his skin
color. Unfortunately, this occurs a lot in society. Racism is still very alive
and is something society has to work on. Olaf is the perfect example of “ignorant†racism. He repeatedly stated he
was not racist or close-minded but his actions proved the complete opposite. Therefore,
the tale shows one to never accept intolerance, even when people claim it to be
“naïve†or “innocentâ€. The author, Wright, also educates one on the injustices
African American’s have to deal with constantly. Both of these stories allow an
individual to stray away from being judgmental and ignorant. They showcase
despicable characters to teach the lesson of fairness and respect.
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