Tracing Society's Pattern: Literature, TV & Movies - Essay Sample

Introduction

Literature and television play a significant role in tracing a pattern in society. The views we have on certain things and people are mostly based on the ideas put in our heads using what we read, listen to, or watch. Movies have been used to convey messages and ideas in society; they help shape our social interactions, shade light on the future of the community based on the current events as well as convey the truths about our society.

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Thesis statement: This article strives to outline the various ways in which Native Americans and African Americans have been depicted in Hollywood films throughout the history of cinema, with regards to how the filmmakers have responded to this. The paper uses specific examples to analyse these situations.

Much as movies do portray the truth about our society, they have not always been reliable and accurate in depicting such. There are many shortcomings attributed to the fact that some filmmakers base their ideas of the truths they wish to portray on the picture they have formed in their heads before seeing the real situation on the ground (Stoddard & Marcus, 2006). This has led to quite several stereotypical errors being made in the making of movies meant to reflect on certain societies.

The Hollywood film industry features quite an array of film genres with diverse cast members. One of the storylines featured is that of the Native Americans who were colonized by the white settlers (Stoddard & Marcus, 2006). Another storyline that features in the films is that of immigrant populations, especially that of black immigrants.

Depiction of Native Americans

Generally, the portrayal of Native Americans in Hollywood films has been biased and inaccurate. In the early 20th Century, the Indians in the movies were featured as backdrops given minor roles with very little diversity (Rollins, 2011). The plot line and scripts for Native Americans were almost standard. The idea that the filmmakers had was that the natives were a society of backward savages who were out of touch with modern society.

The Native men in the movies were portrayed as warriors trying to defend their territory while still using amateur and backward weapons which were no match to the white man's arms.

The women, on the other hand, were depicted as beautiful maidens who were ready to avail themselves to the white man representing that such women were promiscuous ladies with shallow standards.

One way to spot a native in the movies is by the attire they adorn. Most filmmakers run with the idea that natives have to be wearing some form of traditional regalia in the type of red paint and a hat of feathers (Stoddard & Marcus, 2006). This is, however, a misrepresentation of the native's way of life as the feathered hat did not necessarily feature in their daily attire but was meant for special occasions, mostly sacred ones (Rollins, 2011). The native's in the movies are also depicted as stoic; they are presented as individuals who lack the full range of emotions, they are usually people of very few words and are indifferent to pain or pleasure.

Whereas in America, there are five hundred and sixty-two recognized native tribes, the representation of these in the films has been ambiguous. It is difficult to tell which tribe is being represented as the natives are considered as one large society with standard cultural practices and language.

Depiction of the African Americans

The themes that are commonly used to portray the African Americans in Hollywood films are those of rising from poverty, violence, and the segregation that existed in the 20th Century (Stoddard & Marcus, 2006). Early in the 20th Century, the plotlines handed to the African Americans were those of servants and poor laborers who worked at the pleasure of the white (Diawara, 2012). They were also given roles that put them on the sidelines not being the main focus of the movies, no significant parts were handed to them, and all they had to do is support the narrative (Diawara, 2012).

In cases where a black person is featured as successful and influential, in most cases than not, the plot is usually that of rising from rags to riches. There is however a common stereotype that features in such storylines, that of hand ups, where the rising black individual is helped up from a state of poverty to that of riches through awarded scholarships funded by white corporations or individuals (Diawara, 2012). Other than being featured as mere servants, slaves, supporting characters and needy individuals, African Americans have continually been portrayed as violent villains. Hollywood films have advanced the idea that blacks resort to violence first as a means of settling their differences before considering other avenues first. It is common to see the black cast members living in neighborhoods ridden with gun violence and drug abuse and of course, a fair measure of poverty.

Subversion of the Minority Representation

Many filmmakers have worked hard to change the narrative that has been for the minority groups in the film industry.

In the 1970s, for example, films started to represent a more diverse representation of the natives. They could now be portrayed as regular people who are capable of loving, laughing crying and expressing the full range of emotions an example is the film LITTLE BIG MAN that featured the Cheyenne people expressing their feelings (Rollins, 2014). The 20th Century has seen the native being given roles that involve the healthy daily life, other than being represented as savage warriors, magical medicine men, and a dimming past; they are now given functions that include regular jobs which far accurately represents the truth in the society (Diawara, 2012). Another film DANCES WITH THE WOLVES changes our perspective of the natives, the experiences that they have are not unique but are relatable to the conventional community making the natives more human and relatable to the rest of the society.

For the African American population, film producers such as Tyler Perry have shed more light on the black film character, by having an all-black cast, such producers have opened a floor for the truths of the black population to be represented more accurately (Rollins, 2014). While there are negative aspects of black societies, there are a lot of positive plots and storyline to be developed for the black character.

DISNEY has also had a part by the introduction of the first black Disney princess Tiana and the native princess Pocahontas. Recently, there has been the introduction of the first black superhero movie, BLACK PANTHER, directed by a black man showing the efforts that have been put in place to change the ideas that had been previously implanted in the viewers' minds concerning these two minority groups in Hollywood film industry.

Conclusion

The Native Americans and African Americans form a minority group in the Hollywood film industry. Over the years, the roles that such characters portray have been limited to specific themes. These themes have, however, not been accurately depicted to represent the truths in our society today concerning the two groups. There has, however, been a lot of progress in the industry in changing the narrative and the relatability of the individuals in the minority groups represented in moves. More authentic material is now being included in the storyline, and the characters are being given equal chances with other players in the industry.

References

Diawara, M. (2012). Black American Cinema. Routledge. Retrieved from: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780203873304

Rollins, P. (Ed.). (2011). Hollywood's Indian: The portrayal of the Native American in film. University Press of Kentucky. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kvLJQsO3O0oC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=Native+Americans+and+African+Americans+have+been+depicted+in+Hollywood+films+throughout+the+history+of+cinema.&ots=6yqjQzgoJY&sig=X5e3KgsG1Y2ULIR7TKzD0sKtd9A&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Native%20Americans%20and%20African%20Americans%20have%20been%20depicted%20in%20Hollywood%20films%20throughout%20the%20history%20of%20cinema.&f=false

Rollins, P. C. (Ed.). (2014). The Columbia companion to American history on film: How the movies have portrayed the American past. Columbia University Press. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=iAMb9q7cqAgC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Native+Americans+and+African+Americans+have+been+depicted+in+Hollywood+films+throughout+the+history+of+cinema.&ots=HxTGeG-gnz&sig=wy84R47yhh2NUw7YFznrj7_iHCc&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Native%20Americans%20and%20African%20Americans%20have%20been%20depicted%20in%20Hollywood%20films%20throughout%20the%20history%20of%20cinema.&f=false

Stoddard, J. D., & Marcus, A. S. (2006). The burden of historical representation: Race, freedom, and" educational" Hollywood film. Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies, 36(1), 26-35. Retrieved from: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/199547/summary