Racism and Multiculturalism

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how America, despite having achieved some progress over recent years, is still facing burning issues concerning cultural, social and economic inequality among ethnic groups. The paper compares the characters of Percola Breedlove of "The Bluest Eye" and Willie Spearmint of "The Tenant". The paper portrays how both characters have accepted Western world views pertaining to personal success and achievement and how their African identity is being eroded by white values and perceptions.

Outline:
Introduction
Seeing the World Through Black Eyes
Aspects of Americanization

From the Paper:

"It was during the late nineteen-thirties when Percola Breedlove, a social 'case', went to live at the MacTeers house. America, during this period, was still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression, and Europe had recently gone to war. Percola, at just eleven years old, was a young girl at the beginning of puberty, who was only just beginning to understand society's standards concerning physical attributes and characteristics. However, it was not long before she discovered the truth about herself; she was an ugly, black bitch - the proof of which was clearly evident through the fact that she was both unwanted and unloved by both her family and society."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. Loose Canons: Notes on the Culture Wars. New York: Oxford UP, 1992.
• Edmund Spevack. Racial Conflict and Multiculturalism: Bernard Malamud's "The Tenants". Journal Title: MELUS. Volume: 22. Issue: 3. Publication Year: 1997. Page Number: 31+. COPYRIGHT 1997 The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnics Literature of the United States; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

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