Do The Right Thing Movie Response

What similarities / differences do you see between Do The Right Thing and "How Bigger Was Born"?

In both Do The Right Thing and "How Bigger Was Born" society played a huge role in how the characters talked and acted. In "How Bigger Was Born" Richard Wright wrote, "I do say that I felt and still feel that the environment supplies the instrumentalities through which the organism expressses itself, and if that environment is warped or tranquil, the mode and manner of behavior will be affected toward deadlocking tensions or orderly fulfillment and satisfaction." (442) In Do The Right Thing Mookie's neighborhood seemed "warped and tranquil" because everyone knew eachother, giving it a small town feel. Mookie's street had citizens from all different types of racial groups which included: Asians, Italians, and African Americans. Their neighborhood was accepting of all races, which is why Mookie, an African American man, aquired a job working at an Italian pizzaria. There was never much violence towards the beginning of the movie because no one believed there was a need for it because they all got along. Bigger Thomas on the other hand, always felt a need for violence because he lived in a society where there was always prejudice towards his people. The Bigger Thomases Richard Wright knew always seemed to be rebellious and terrorized the people around them. Since Bigger's society believed all African Americans were rebellious "apes", he gave into what they believed and became that rebellious "ape". If Bigger had grown up in a society much like Mookie's he would probably see other races more as equals and not as competitors.


Personal Response

I believe that at the end of the movie, Mookie does do the right thing by throwing the garbage can. If he had not created a distraction, Sal, Pino, and Vito would have surely been killed by the angry mob of African Americans. I think that towards the end of movie Mookie was upset with Sal, but since he viewed him as family he still tried to save him. When he threw the garbage can, it did start a larger riot which ended in Sal's Pizzaria being burned to the ground but I think Mookie assumed something like that was going to happen anyway. By directing the angry mob's attention towards the garbage can, Mookie gave Sal and his son's time to flee the scene. In doing so Mookie was still respected by his fellow African Americans, but also got to save his friends.

Two Societies: Riots

Vaughn says of the riots, “I don’t think it was the call for Black Power that did it. I think it was the

lack of power that did it.” What does he mean?

Vaughn believes that the reason blacks rebelled and rioted against whites was not because of how much they wanted power, but was because they were keenly aware of how much more power whites had over them and wanted change. For example, the police force in Detroit whom was prodominately white abused their sense of power to terrorize black citizens. They made notorious "elite" teams called 'Tacs' whose only job was to strictly patrol black communities for prostitution and illegal drug and alcohol sales. "During these patrols, suspects were regularly harassed and beaten; in a few cases, blacks were even shot and killed." Because only whites were chosen to be put in a position of power, blacks literally could not even attempt to fight the laws from the inside. They rioted because it was the only way they could physically get their point across.

Beloved - Memory, Rememory, and the Power of the Past

In chapter 9 of Beloved, Sethe goes to the Clearing, a place Baby Suggs went to pray, to sit and remember her. She remembered Baby Suggs church-like "service" where men, woman, and children would gather to listen to her speak. She also went there to pay tribute to her husband Halle, who had mysteriously dissappeared. Denver and Beloved followed close behind her. The silence of Sethe's prayer is interrupted by Denver and Beloved running up to her after she is mysteriously being choked. Beloved points out bruises on Sethe's neck and procedes to massage it. Sethe decides to go back to the house  and as she walks back she starts thinking about what happened that day. She wonders about Beloved and reveals "the suspicion of the girl's touch was almost exactly like the baby's ghost dissipated." Sethe remembers that Beloved was agitated, behaving like a two year old. The connections Sethe makes between Beloved and her child whom had died can not just be coincidental. Because Sethe can remember what happened in the past and connect Beloved's characteristics to the characteristics of her dead baby it helps her in her attempts to figure out why Beloved came to them. I believe that in the end the characters' memories and rememories will help them get to the bottom of what's really going on with Beloved.

Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"

How does (and should) a person define his/her place in society?

Ralph Waldo Emerson views "society" as "a conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members; a joint' stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater." He believes that society is something a person can conform to which in his eyes is a sin. Later on in the essay "Self-Reliance" Emerson describes society as a wave. A wave that moves onward, but the water of which it is composed does not. He describes society as a wave because like society, waves have high, middle, and low points. The high point are the rich, higher portion of society and the low points are used to represent the poor. As the wave moves the water stays in the ocean but the wave eventually collapses. If the wave stayed collapsed everyone would be the same and there would be no variety. Emerson believes that people should be themselves and not conform to what is seen as "normal". A person should just be an individual because without individuality America wouldn't be as strong and successful as it is today.

Response to "Obama implores minister to call off Quran-burning"

All week we have been hearing about Reverend Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida planning to engage in a Quran-burning protest on Sept. 11, but does anyone know why? The Quran is a sacred religious text of Islam. "Muslims consider the Quran the word of God and insist it be treated with the utmost respect. At least one cleric in Afghanistan said it is the duty of Muslims to react and that could mean killing Americans." The way I see it is this guy is trying to pull a publicity stunt, and when the president gets involved you know it's working. "Although Jones has said repeatedly he planned to go through with his plan despite the mounting pressure to call off the bonfire, USA Today reported Jones said in an interview that if the White House, State Department or Pentagon were to call him, "that would cause us to definitely think it over. ... I don't think a call from them is something we would ignore." Sure this can be seen as a smart way to get attention, but America is a diverse nation. There are quite a few people in the U.S. who follow and respect the Quran. Since there are so many people who repect the Quran, if Jones follows through with this it could cause major problems in our country.

The Signers of the Declaration of Independance

The Declaration of Independance, signed July 4th 1776, changed the view of America to every country in the world. We were seen as strong and not afraid to take risks. what they didn't know was those 56 patriots who put their names on the Declaration "were not Gods". in fact, they are all one hundred percent more respeted today than they were then. "When we see them in paintings, with their ruffled shirts and powdered hair, they look a little like fops, softies. But life then, at best, was thougher than we know, and they were too." I believe that the reason they are so respected now is because they were so determined then. They were all very smart, started off as well educated businessmen or physicians; it's too bad they all had such terrible lives after. Carter Braxton "sold his home an properties to pay his debts and died in rags" while Richard Stockton was pulled from his bed at night and beated by British soldiers. He later went to jail. I can't believe these terrible things happened to such great men. They pretty much wrote the rules for our country while giving us freedom.

Thomas Paine: The American Crisis

In Thomas Paine's American Crisis, he writes about the effect a government such as the government of Great Britian, can have on society. "Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there no such a thing as slavery on earth." Great Britian is not just taxing the colonies, but is taking advantage of them. The only way Paine can describe this is slavery. He believes God is the answer and that "Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celstial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated". My favorite quote in this writing was "I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strenth from distress, and grow brave by reflection." This quote reminds me so much of my dad because he has lived through some hard times but he also learned from them and gradually grew stronger. I am so glad we have people like that in our world.