NauticaJefferson

Advisor

Racisminthesouth

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3/21/16

Racialinequalityexistedformanyyearsandstilluntilthisdaycontinuetobeamajorfactorinoursociety.Thetreatmentofpeopleofcolor,more
specificallymanofcolorhasbecomeanmajorissueoveralongperiodoftime.Sotodaydirectorsarewidelyportrayingthisissueinoureveryday
filmstobringattentiontoit.TheGreenMileisamasterpiecebecauseitmaintainscommunicationwiththeimmediatepastsuchasthedeath
penaltyandracialinjusticeinthe1930s,itrepresentgreatthemessuchasracism,injustice,anddeath,anditmovesindividualswithansurgeof
emotionsuchasanger,sadnessandcuriosity.

TheGreenMileisamasterpiecebecauseitmaintaincommunicationwiththeimmediatepastsuchasthedeathpenaltyandracialinjusticeinthe
1930s.Thegreenmiledatesbacktothegreatdepressionandthetimewhendeathrowwasusedforconvictedmurderers.Accordingtofindlaw,
ThomasReutersFromthe1920stothe1940s,therewasarevivalintheuseofthedeathpenalty,due,inpart,tothewritingsofcriminologists,who
arguedthatthedeathpenaltywasanecessarysocialmeasure.Intheunitedstates,peopleweresufferingthroughprohibitionandthegreat
depression.Thereweremoreexecutionsinthe1930sthaninanyotherdecadeinU.S.history,anaverageof167peryear.Thesocialproblems
goingoninthesocietysuchaswarbegantogetpeoplescaredandtriedtocontrolthisonegroupofpeopleinsocietybecausesomeafrican
americansdemandthroughtheiractionsequality.Sonomatterthecrime,theyautomaticallysubjectblacksinsocietytothedeathpenaltytocontrol
theuproarinsociety.Itsthosewhoarethemostvulnerable,DietertoldNewsoneinaphoneinterview.Ifyouhaveapoorlawyerorifyoukilla
whiteperson,youremorethanlikelytogetthedeathpenalty.Whatisevenmoreunfairisthat,since1977,themajorityofdeathrowdefendants
havebeenexecutedforkillingwhitevictims,accordingtoamnestyinternational.Butmorethanhalfofallhomicidevictimsareafricanamericans.A
yaleuniversitylawschoolstudyreportsthatblackdefendantsaresentencedtodeathatthreetimestherateofwhitedefendantswhenthevictimis
white.Duringthistimemostblacksthatwereintrialforbeingaccusedofkillingsomeone,havelittletonochanceinthecourtsystem.They
immediatelygetsentencedtodeath.Theseindividualsdiedpossiblybeinginnocent.Studiesshowtheinjusticeinthesystembecausemajorityof
peoplebeingexecutedisthoseofcolors.Ifanafricanamericanwaskilled,theyautomaticallynameditasahomicideandifwhiteswerekilledthen
ablackwassentencedtodeathanditwasn'tnamedasanhomicide.Inthegreenmilejohnimmediatelythedayaftertheincidentgotsentencedto
deathwhileawhiteguardwasmistreatingandabusingthemeninthejailandtheydidn'thavenoconsequences.

TheGreenMileisamasterpiecebecauseitmaintaincommunicationwiththeimmediatepastsuchasthedeathpenaltyandracialinjusticeinthe
1930s.Historicalevents,socialchanges,etc.thatisincludedinthetextisthedeathpenalty(executionofmalemen)innocenceoncrime,andracial

injusticeinthejudicialsystemaroundthe1930s.Accordingtotheinnocenceproject,In1931,afightoccurredbetweenblackandwhiteboysona
freighttraintravelingthroughthetownofscottsboro,Alabama.Thepoliceroundedupallblackboysridingonthetrainandultimatelyarrestednine
blackboys,ranginginagesfrom12to19yearsold.Twowhitegirlsthencameforwardallegingthattheyweregangrapedonthetrain.Allnine
defendantsclaimedinnocence.Afterfourseparateonedaytrailswithallwhitejuries,eightoftheninewereconvictedandsentencedtodeath.On
retrial,oneoftherapevictimstestifiedthattherapewasfabricated,yetallwhitejuriesagainreturnedguiltyverdicts.Eventhoughthewhitewomen
toldthetruth,itwasunfortunatethatnomatterwhat,blackswerewrongnomatterinnocentornot.Andsomeonehadtotakethefallandtheywould
neverletawhiteindividualtakethefallbecauseit'snotcommon.Andthejuryisallwhitewhichmadeitevenworst.BurtHammersmithsays,
That
dogattackedmyboyfornoreason.Justgotitinhismindoneday.SamewithJohnCoffey.Hewassorryafterwards.Ofthat,Ihavenodoubt.But
thoselittlegirlsstayedrapedandmurdered.Maybehe'dneverdoneitbefore.Mydogneverbitbefore,butIdidn'tconcernmyselfwiththat.Iwent
outtherewithmyrifle,grabbedhiscollarandblewhisbrainsout.IsCoffeyguilty?Yesheis.Don'tyoudoubtit,anddon'tyouturnyourbackon
him.Youmaygetawaywithitonceorevenahundredtimes.Butintheend,you'llgetbit.
Justbecauseallthemaleswereblacktheycategorized
themallasthesameanddecidedtokillthemall,Insteadofinvestigatingthesituation.Justlikeburtsaidinthequote,blacksarejustlikedogsand
dogscan'tchangewhatthey'vedonebuttheystillshouldbepunished.InTheGreenMile,theydidn'tgivejohnachancetobeinnocent.Thejury
wasallwhite,sotheysentencedhimtodeathimmediatelybecausehesblack.Alsofromthebeginningtheyhavenoonetoblamesotheeasiest
waytoputasituationoutofsightistoputallblameonthosecolor.Thecolorofblacksautomaticallypredictedtheirlife.Beingamanofcolor,gave
themnochanceofmakingitinaworldfullofpeoplewhoseesthemasnothingbutthecoloroftheirskin.

TheGreenMileisamasterpiecebecauseitrepresentgreatthemessuchasracism.Fromtheencyclopediaofthegreatdepression,Insouthern
cities,whiteworkersralliedaroundsuchslogansas,nojobsforniggersuntileverywhitemanhasajobandniggers,backtothecottonfieldscity
jobsareforwhitefolks.Blacksdidnothaveequalrightsaswhites.Theywerewrongfullyturnedawayfromsocietyandtheywereputdowntolower
standardsbecauseofthecoloroftheirskin.Theybelievethatwhitesaresuperiortowhitesandthatblacksdeservenochanceuntilwhitesmadea
completecomeup.AccordingtotheEqualJusticeInitiative,onAugust7,1930,awhitemoblynchedThomasShippandAbrahamSmithinMarion,
Indiana.Thetwoyoungblackmen,18and19yearsoldrespectively,hadbeenarrestedthatafternoon.Theywereaccusedofattackingayoung
whitecouple,beatingandfatallyshootingtheman,andattemptingtoassaultthewoman.JustasThomasandAbram,InthemovieJohnwaskilled
justlikethemforbeinginthepresenceofwhitewomen.Justbecausetheywerepresentinthetimeoftheseindividualdeath,theywere
automaticallyaccusedfortheirdeathsbecauseblackwasrepresentedasbad,evilandharmfultowhitehumanbeings.

TheGreenMileisamasterpiecebecauseitrepresentthethemesofinjusticeanddeath.Accordingtooxnotes,aresourceforstudentsintheUK,
whitesandblacksweresegregatedin1930sAmericaandblackswereconsideredassecondclasscitizens.Blackpeoplewerepaidlessthantheir
whitecounterpartsandtheyhadtoworkharderthaneveryoneelse,oftengiventhemoredirtywork.Thelynching(hanging)ofblackpeoplewas
commonin1930sAmericaandTheKuKluxKlanstillhadalotofpower.Blacksweretreatedlessthanthosenotofcolor.Theyhadless
opportunitiesandpeoplesegregatedthemselvesfromthembecausetheyweren'tseenasgreataswhites.InTheGreenMile,Johncoffeywas
foundholdingtwoyounggirlsthatwerealreadydeadinhisarmswithbloodeverywhere.Hewasconvictedofrapingandkillingthetwoyoungwhite
girlsbecausehewasabigblackmanwithtwowhitefemales.Inthesouthinthe1930s,asformanyyearsprior,AfricanAmericanswereterrorized
byracistextremistsparticularlyinthesouth.Theywerekidnapped,beatenandaftertimeslynched.Johncoffeyswrongfulaccusation,conviction
andexecutionwassimilartoacountrylynching.Itwasdoneunderthefacadeofjusticebutreflectedtheracismdeeplyrootedinsouthernculture.

Theracismjohncoffeyexperiencedwasverysimilartothemistreatmentblacksexperiencedinthe1930s.IntheGreenMileittellsthesestoriesof
racismblackshaveencounterovertime.

TheGreenMileisamasterpiecebecauseitmovesindividualstofeelstrongemotionssuchasanger,sadnessandcuriosity.Uponviewing,the
majorityofthepeoplefeltshocked,amazed,hurt,sadandenlightenedontheissueofracialinjustice.10outof11peoplestronglyfeltshockedby
variouspartsofthemovie.Forexample,oneviewersays,Thepartwhenhetakesthediseasefromtheman'swifetohealher.Thiswasvery
shockingbecausenomatterhowmuchhewasaccusedormistreated,hestillsavedthewarden'swife.Hedidn'thavetobuthedidanywayseven
thoughtheystillweregoingtoexecutehim.7outof11peoplefelthurtbyvariouspartsofthemovie.Oneviewersays,Whentheguylettheguard
seewhattheothermandidtothetwolittlegirls.Thiswashurtfultomostviewersbecausethismanwasbeingkilledforacrimeheneverconvicted.
AllJohnwastryingtodowasbringthesegirlsbacktolife.ViewersweresadbecauseeventhoughJohnwasabletoshowguard,Mr.Edgecombthe
actualsituation,itdidn'tmakeadifferenceinthedecisionofhimbeingexecutedbecauseeveryoneelsewantedhimdead.

TheGreenMileisamasterpiecebecauseitmovesindividualswithansurgeofemotionsuchasanger,sadnessandcuriosity.Thedatacollected
fromsurveysandviewingssupportthefollowingassertion.Threepeoplethatweresurveyedwatchedthegreenmilemultipletimes.Theywatchedit
morethanoncebecauseReallypowerfulandmakesmethink,Iliketheconcept,dogoodbyotherseveniftheyaren'tgoodtoyou,andThe
emotionandinjusticeinthemoviedrivesyouintowatchitmore.TheGreenMilegrabbedthoseindividualsattentionandothersbecauseofthe
injusticethatwasportrayedinthefilmandtheemotionalpullithadonthemtoo.Attheendend,fromviewersquotes,theygainedalesson/moralof
themoviethatwasheavilystressed.Threeviewerswereenlightenedbyvariousparts.Theviewersrespondedbysaying,Theconversation
betweentheprisonerandtheofficer,WhenthemaninjailtouchedtheofficerandmadehimseethetruthandThegentlenatureofthemain
characterandhispatience/forgivenesswithpeoplewhodidnottrusthimorrespecthim.Theviewersgainedasenseofhopeandaspirationfor
john'ssituation.Thefactthatjohnwasveryforgivingandkindtothosewhomisjudgeandmistreatedhim,brightenthemindsofthosewhoviewed
themovie.

Thegreenmileisanoscarnominatedfilmmadein1999canbeconsideredanmasterpiecebecauseitconnect/relatetotheimmediatepast
regardingissueslikethedeathpenaltyandracialinjustice,itrepresentshistoricalthemessuchasracism,injusticeanddeath,andusingthese
themesemotionallyaffectstheaudience.Thedeathpenaltytodaywasbroughttothelightinafilmbasedoffeventsinthe1930s,whenablackman
waswrongfullyaccused.Hewasdeprivedofallhumanrights,thatallindividualsshouldhave.