An examination of the different ways prejudice can be approached in children's literature, focusing on Terry Pratchett's "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" and Karen Levine's "Hana's Suitcase."
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 2 sources, 2005, $ 26.95
Abstract This paper examines the incident and approach to the matter of prejudice in children's literature. The paper discuss how this has been accomplished in Terry Pratchett's "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" and Karen Levine's "Hana's Suitcase." The paper discusses the different ways in which these two authors approach prejudice and how difficult a topic it is to address in children's literature.
From the Paper "Dealing with Prejudice in Children's Literature This paper examines the incident and approach to the matter of prejudice in children's literature. Because this can be a difficult subject at any age level, dealing with it in children's literature can be especially difficult. Below, I will discuss how this has been accomplished in Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents and Karen Levine's Hana's Suitcase. Sometimes, addressing prejudice is done in a very straightforward fashion. Readers are never question the fact that prejudice is one of the primary themes of the work. This is the case in Hana's Suitcase. However, other writers approach the subject more subtly and less directly, preferring to dance around the matter with allusion and metaphor. This is Pratchett's approach in The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rats."
Abstract This is an insightful essay dealing with the impact of World War Two on two communities, which contain Japanese Canadians and Americans. The two novels, "Obasan" and "Snow Falling on Cedars", show the prejudice and racism of the Second World War, as well as the paranoia of the white community. The essay describes the impacts of the war, and also contrasts how memories and emotions of war can be suppressed by silence or resurfaced in everyday life. This essay shows both effects using the two novels to show the various outcomes.
From the Paper "Many memorable events in people's lives have the power to affect their memories, emotions, and relationships later in life. These events may be positive or negative and are dealt with in various ways, such as silence, anger, denial or confrontation. In "Snow Falling on Cedars", by David Guterson, and "Obasan", by Joy Kogawa, the event of World War II creates lasting impressions on all the characters, which are evident even many years later in both plots. In "Snow Falling on Cedars", a man named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged for the murder of a well-liked fisherman. While he and others are on the stand, memories of World War II surface, revealing a complex plot containing separated lovers, a battle for land, and the island's always present, racism. In Kogawa's novel, a schoolteacher named Naomi Nakane visits her Aunt Obasan because her uncle has passed away. During the visit she remembers her family's separation and relocation during World War II through the reading of diaries, and eventually learns the details of her mother's demise after thirty years. Both novels deal with the prejudice toward the Japanese in North America during the Second World War, as well as show the lasting effects that war leaves on its survivor."
Abstract This paper is a literary critique about the novel "Pride and Prejudice". It comments on the view of marriage as portrayed through the characters in the novel.
From the Paper "19th century England had serious social problems from the heyday of Royalty and Nobility. One of the most significant of these was the tendency to marry for money. A person sought a partner based on the dowry receivable and their allowance. This process went both ways: a beautiful woman might be able to snag a rich husband, or a charring and handsome man could woo a rich young girl. In these marriages, money was the only consideration. Love was left out, with the thought that it would develop as the years went by. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen comments that marriage in her time is a financial contract, where love is strictly a matter of chance. This is clearly evident from the very first line of the novel: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (Austen, 1). "
Abstract This is a fake study written in APA format that concludes that one's level of prejudice affects the extent to which one will have their behavior affected by subliminal racial priming. This conclusion contrasts with Devine's theory of activated stereotypes and falls in line with several real studies that are cited in this paper. This paper has extensive introduction, method, results and discussion sections as well as a full reference section. It also includes some of the "materials" supposedly used during the experiment. The conclusion is hardly controversial and the results are consistent with results that have been found in similar experiments that were actually carried out.
From the Paper "While society continues to become less overtly racist and prejudiced in general (Dovidio & Gaertner, 1998), the relationship between stereotypes and behavior remains an important focus of social psychology. This is especially true given the results of several different lines of research over the last 15 years that suggest that stereotypes wield a covert, but strong power to affect behavior even in people who do not endorse - even in those who strongly deny - the validity of the stereotypes (Fazio, Jackson, Dunton & Williams, 1995; Devine, 1989). The true force of stereotypes is even more alarming based on research that shows how easily stereotypes can be activated in a wide variety of situations (e.g., Bargh, Chen & Burrows, 1996; Colcombe, 2001; Devine, 1989; Fazio et al, 1995; Lepore & Brown, 1997)."
Abstract This paper examines the role of women in 19th century England as presented in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." The paper defines these roles as mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, housekeepers, matchmakers, imperious controllers, and practical acceptors of their lot. These women fit into the picture Austen paints of middle class social life in England at the beginning of the 19th century. The paper further suggests that Austen is poking fun at and mildly criticizing some of the ideas expressed about what women are and should be.
From the Paper "The role of the economy and its effects on women's roles is introduced from the very first lines of the novel. Austen says, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife...[and]...he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other" (Austen 1) of the daughters of the neighborhood. Economy and financial matters is an appropriate way to begin the novel because it addresses a central problem for the main characters and for women in general in the early 19th century. Ownership at the beginning of the 19th century was denied to women. According to The Historical Context of Pride and Prejudice, "titles and property usually passed along a male line. Women were usually left something in securities, but such inheritances were often pittances that would not comfortably provide for a woman. While women of the highest classes managed to keep more control of their money and thus of their lives, women of the gentry, with few acceptable job options, had to secure their livelihood by marrying a man of means" (Shepherd xii). The five daughters of the Bennett household are of marriageable or near marriageable age and they are highly motivated to marry because of their financial condition. The fact that their father's estate is entailed away on their nearest male relative, Mr. Collins, will make their situation desperate upon the death of their father. Women could not own property, so they fell under the protection of a father and then a husband. Certainly, poverty and homelessness is not a romantic reason for matrimony, but it is a strong practical inducement to wed."
Tags: Jane, Austen, Pride and Prejudice, literature
Abstract This paper describes the emotional and mental growth of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the protagonists in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." The author traces not only the development of their relationship, but how both characters had to change in order to overcome their own vanity and be able to love another. The paper includes a plot summary which explores Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's transformation.
From the Paper " Elizabeth's dislike for Darcy is obviously grounded in his rejection of her soon after they first meet. Her vanity is hurt when she overhears him say that he would not dance with her because she is neither handsome nor interesting enough, and after that, she gradually grows more and more prejudiced against him until she lays as much guilt as possible on his account. Darcy on the other hand, is prejudiced against Elizabeth because of her family and her social inferiority but quite soon forms a very good opinion of her character. Both of their transformations begin after Darcy's first marriage proposal. Elizabeth indignantly refuses Darcy because she persuaded herself that he was the cause of her sister's separation from Bingley, and of all of Wickham's misfortunes. Darcy's honest confession of his own prejudice against her only enrages her more as she sees in them a token of his extreme vanity: "why [...] [did you choose] to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?"(Austen, 125) The confrontation brings to light all the hidden tensions between them, and the frustrations connected with their pride and their partial thinking. However, the letter that Elizabeth receives from Darcy the next day is the actual point where her transformation begins. She realizes how wrong she has been in her judgment of Darcy and how blinded by vanity, instead of being blinded by love: "She grew absolutely ashamed of herself. Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think without feeling she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd."(Austen, 129) The grounds of her preference for Wickham are now clearly revealed, as she herself realizes her prejudice against Darcy began with his rejection of her: "Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance..."(Austen, 130) The extent of the transformation that ensue is given by her realization that she had not known herself up to that moment, because she was completely blinded by her prejudice and her pride: "Till this moment I never knew myself."(Austen, 130) Step by step she tries to reconstruct her feelings for Wickham and the basis of her preference for him, but she discovers that she immediately believed the latter's false confessions only because she was ready to believe anything ill of the man who had humiliated her so on the night of the ball. Indeed, in her conversations with Wickham, Elizabeth was extremely superficial, appreciating him because of his pleasant manners and positive attitude towards her, and omitting any other considerations: "Elizabeth honoured him for such feelings, and thought him handsomer than ever as he expressed them."(Austen, 36) Elizabeth had been definitely wrong in her opinions of both Darcy and Wickham, but had been right about the other man who proposed to her, Mr. Collins. Her match with Collins would have helped the family's situation since he was supposed to inherit their property after Mr. Bennet's death, but Elizabeth dismisses the proposal immediately, being persuaded that neither of them would have been happy and that it would be a mistake: "You could not make _me_ happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so."(Austen, 89) In this episode, Elizabeth is true to her own feelings and unprejudiced. She is witty as usual, but honest and she demonstrates that she believes in marrying for love. This version of Elizabeth can be identified in many other episodes, but in none where Darcy is also involved. Although she is not prejudiced, she is still proud however and refuses to marry Collins also because he emphasizes that he is doing her a favor, just as Darcy will do later. The ultimate stage of her transformation begins when she is at Pemberly, and she sees Darcy again with the knowledge that she has misjudged him terribly. Meanwhile, she had also found out that he had been the secret benefactor of Lydia and Wickham by giving Wickham enough money to persuade him to marry Elizabeth's sister. When the servant at Pemberly talks about Darcy's character and good temper and sets him in an amiable light, Elizabeth realizes even more her former blindness. The servant emphasizes that she does not know a woman good enough to marry Darcy, and Lizzy begins to see Darcy for what he is: "I do not know who is good enough for him."(Austen, 178) The previous tensions between them which were created by their vanity, like in the episode of the ball when Darcy refuses to dance with Lizzy or that at Netherfield, when she refuses to dance with him, are transformed into a deep embarrassment in their meeting at Pemberly. Once they have put aside their vanities and prejudices, they can begin to like each other. Thus, Elizabeth and Darcy undergo important transformations in the novel, and learn how to put aside pride and prepossession when they judge other people. The greatest gain is the fact that they learn to love each other instead of loving only their own selves."
Tags: Jane, Austen, Pride, and, Prejudice, Victorian, literature
Abstract The paper discusses racial prejudice and cultural prejudice and exposes the myth behind "benign" prejudice and racial pride. The paper then reveals that prejudice is often displaced aggression; aggression-prone individuals express their repressed rage in their treatment of other less powerful individuals. The paper looks at the history of prejudice in American society in contrast to American society today that has publicly embraced the concepts of tolerance and diversity. The paper points out, however, that it is difficult to conceive of the complete eradication of all forms of prejudice until the concept of benign prejudice is no longer considered more acceptable than overt prejudice.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Types of Prejudice The Myth of "Benign" Prejudice Aggression in Society
Aggression and Prejudice Conclusion
From the Paper "Prejudice is a predictable human tendency that exists in myriad forms in virtually all social cultures. Typically, prejudice derives from some of the same atavistic and xenophobic natural impulses that played some protective role in evolutionary times, much like aggressive impulses. In modern society, the aggressive impulses are largely kept in check by secular laws, but still find expression in various ways.
"To a large extent, overt prejudice and so-called "benign" prejudice derive from the exact same sentiments although that view may conflict with popular sentiment. In reality, the primary difference between overt and benign (or "passive") prejudice may relate to different levels of aggression more than any fundamental differences between them. In that regard, various behavioral clues having to do with aggression levels in the individual may correspond to a greater propensity toward one or the other even given the same underlying sentiments."
Abstract Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice" is structured around the theme of pride vs. prejudice, with characters showing aspects of each of these traits in their behavior and in their personalities. The paper examines how both major and minor characters reflect issues of pride and instances of prejudice as common characteristics that shape their actions, usually without their being at all aware of it. The paper shows how the terms "pride" and "prejudice" contrast, particularly as essential characteristics of Darcy (the proud) and Elizabeth (the prejudiced) as they learn to overcome their natural inclinations sufficiently to come together. The paper demonstrates how Austen does not simply present these characters as representatives of these character traits as would be found in an allegory. What Austen shows is that the society of the time is so guided by issues of pride and prejudice that real human connections are rare and to be prized.
From the Paper "Elizabeth Bennett is the intelligent heroine of this novel, but she is as guilty of self-absorption as any of the other characters in the novel, including Darcy. She has superior intelligence, and while she believes this places her above the error of prejudice, it does not. She has good reasons for rejecting Darcy at their first meeting. First, she is reacting to the actions of Mr. Wickham. Second, she refuses because Mr. Darcy separated Jane and Bingley. Third, although she is flattered by Darcy's proposal, she refuses because as he proposes, he allows his pride to come to the fore and so tells her that it would be degrading to be connected with her family. Here is where pride and prejudice clash directly, for Elizabeth is influenced here by her prejudice, which prevents her from understanding the nature of Darcy's pride. Her prejudice only begins to crumble when he writes an earnest letter to her and confesses that he did interfere between Jane and Bingley. He also reiterates to her his belief that Wickham is a bad character, and by now she agrees. Her prejudice then begins to disintegrate. Darcy is no longer too proud to see Elizabeth as a good catch, and she is no longer too prejudiced to understand his feelings."
Abstract This paper examines the literature on prejudice and self-image in order to determine how comprehensive the protection given by a strong self-image can be in respect to prejudice. The paper discusses how self-esteem and self-image are separate constructs and examines racism and gender in relation to self-image. The paper also discusses how it is highly probable that a target of prejudice with a strong self-image will be less likely to suffer psychological or emotional harm from prejudice, but he may still feel the effects of prejudice. The paper concludes that it is necessary to engage in further study in which a narrow focus is used to identify the impact of prejudice on a specific population, such as either gender or race.
Outline:
Introduction
Self-Esteem and Self-Image
Racism and Self-Image
Gender and Self-Image
Conclusion
From the Paper "The study of prejudice and its impact on the individual has been well-documented in the literature. It is recognized that prejudice is both expressed and responded to in multiple forms, suggesting that it is feasibly impossible to prepare for all social interactions in which prejudice is exhibited (Owens, Stryker, & Goodman, 2001; Kernis, 2006). This in turn indicates that the person who is targeted by a display of prejudice is likely to be affected by it, and that the impact that prejudice has upon the person depends upon the type of prejudice displayed and the character of the person who has been targeted by it."
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of prejudice in the workplace. Specifically, the paper discusses what the differences are between prejudice, discrimination, and scapegoating, and how prevalent anti-Semitic views are in the workplace and in America today. The paper also looks at how prejudice in the workplace is a common problem in America and how preventing it should be the goal of every person in the country. Prejudice simply indicates misunderstanding, ignorance, and bias, and it has no place in the workplace, or in the country, for that matter.
From the Paper "People hold negative views against Jewish people for a wide variety of reasons. First, for some reason, Jews have historically been victims of prejudice and anti-Semitism throughout their history. These ideas are long ingrained in many people's minds, and they are handed down from generation to generation in society. For example, many people believe all Jews are wealthy, often they are bankers, or other financial executives, and they "own" certain industries, such as the film industry, especially in Hollywood. Another writer states, "The differences Jews had with their non-Jewish neighbors led to separate social and religious lives. Intolerance and suspicion of these differences led to fear and hatred" (Grobman, 1990). Many of these views are simply stereotypes, as there are Jews in all occupations, just as there are many different races and nationalities represented in all of the business and industry in America today."
Abstract This essay is a look at the novel "PUSH" by Sapphire and the movie "8mile" and how they both relate to prejudice in the United States. The writer argues that while both works show that prejudice and racism are still a problem for minorities and the underprivileged, they also suggest that these very people, by the strict definition of prejudice, harbor many prejudices of their own and the writer examines the reasons behind that.
From the Paper "Prejudice is an oft-discussed topic these days is one which regardless of how overplayed and overanalyzed it may seem to be is still a major factor in many of the problems which we deal with as a society. In both Sapphire's emotionally charged novel PUSH and the popular movie 8 Mile, loosely based on the life of Eminem, the problem of prejudice based on race is examined thoroughly. PUSH especially shows race to be one of the most important factors in the many problems that surround its main character, Claireece Precious Jones. Yet there are many other forms of prejudice besides racism. Defining prejudice is no easy task, but Merriam-Webster's Dictionary gives an interesting--if not completely comprehensive--definition of prejudice: ?(1) : preconceived judgment or opinion (2) : an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge b : an instance of such judgment or opinion c : an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics.? (Mirriam-Webster) Therefore one can literally be prejudiced against anyone or anything if one holds an "irrational attitude" toward them. There are many examples of this, interestingly, in the form of Claireece in PUSH. Although Precious is a victim throughout the novel of prejudice, racial discrimination, taunting and ridicule, she still harbors many prejudices towards other groups of people bringing to the fore the quagmire of why an "oppressed" person would not feel compassion for other people in a similar situation--an interesting idea that is also examined in 8 Mile--and why sometimes racism is even more common in people who suffer the brunt of its effects; through her many trials and tribulations Claireece does eventually get past many of her prejudices as she seeks to become more learned and is exposed to other groups of people, though. Yet at the end of PUSH Claireece still seems to harbor many prejudices leaving the reader to ponder the significance of what appears to be her enduring lack of understanding of what it means to be prejudiced."
Tags: anger, eminem, guilt, push, race, racism, reverse, sapphire, white
Abstract This paper explains that racism has long term effects, which can impact directly the life satisfaction of African-Americans; life satisfaction is an assessment of overall conditions of existence as derived from a comparison of an individual's aspirations to his or her actual achievements. The author identifies six main types of discrimination: 1) Historical/persistent prejudice, 2) social paranoia, 3) persistent prejudice pain, 4) discrimination denials, 5) historical fear, and 6) historical bias. This paper explains that, throughout history, the color of a person's skin and other physical characteristics provided a means for easy classification.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Prevalence
What is Prejudice?
Slavery
Racial Inequalities
Is It Genetic or a Learned Behavior?
Long-Term Effects of Prejudice The O.J. Simpson Trial
The Burning of Black Churches
Six Types of Discrimination
Life Satisfaction
Adult Life Satisfaction - Terms and Concepts
African Americans and Life Satisfaction
Relationship between Black Identity Development and Life Satisfaction
Research Question
From the Paper "The American justice system prides itself for being color blind, yet more than half of the prison population is made up of black men or women, accounting for one million individuals in prison. African Americans make up only fourteen percent of all drug users in America, yet constitute thirty-five percent of all drug arrests, fifty-five percent of all drug convictions, and seventy-five percent of all drug admissions for drug offences. Statistically, more than eight out of every ten African Americans males will be arrested at some point in their lives. The pattern of racial bias in these statistics has been confirmed by the research of the US Commission on Civil Rights. Marable (2000) believes that racial stereotypes among African Americans as violent, aggressive, hostile, and short-tempered influence white judgments about crime. It is commonly believed that judges are inclined to give black and Latino defendants more severe judgments of guilt and lengthier prison sentences than whites who commit identical crimes."
Abstract This paper reviews the Indian film "Bride and Prejudice" based on Jane Austen's novel, "Pride and Prejudice". The paper discusses how the themes of the original "Pride and Prejudice" set in 1813 Britain, are very closely related to that of the Punjabi Indian Community, especially in terms of arranged marriage.
From the Paper "A 2004 film adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel, set in India, offers a rendition of a story that is very British, at the same time as it is rather Indian. The director, Gurinder Chadha, saw that themes presented in Pride and Prejudice, are rather dear to South Asian cultures that happen to share much that was once important to the respectable early 19th century culture portrayed by Jane Austen. Convention matters, education and demonstrated virtue have remained important, as has the all-encompassing realm of upbringing, social standing, and marriage."
Abstract This paper examines the premise of pride and prejudice in relation to the characters of Elizabeth and Darcy in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". The author points out that the public behaviors of Darcy's pride makes him appear to be an arrogant and self-serving young man. The paper relates that his behaviors are not driven by mere vanity but by a true desire to associate with only the most moral and noble of persons. The author underscores that Elizabeth holds a prejudice against Darcy's public image and must invariably undergo an evolutionary change to realize Darcy's private moral and upstanding convictions. The paper concludes that, when Elizabeth realizes that Darcy is prideful, gruff and impersonal to people who are immoral and vice-prone, she understands that this is a form of pride upon which to form a marriage.
From the Paper "When Elizabeth hears of this private side of Darcy's personality, she is astonished to realize that he does not behave proudly out of mere arrogance, but out of his own conviction for just actions and moral fortitude. This also forces Elizabeth to reconsider her rejection of Darcy first marriage proposal, but the issue of pride in Darcy's attitudes is not founded on vanity; which also provides more evidence for Elizabeth to consider accepting Darcy if he should propose marriage to her again."
Tags: arrogant, public behaviors, moral, marriage proposal, rejection
Abstract "The Nature of Prejudice" by Gordon W. Allport, first published in 1954, makes important points about what prejudice is and how it reveals itself in our society in the form of overgeneralized judgment, under-representation of minority groups in management positions and prejudicial language. This paper summarizes Allport's book and shows how it is still relevant to racism and prejudice in today's society, over fifty years later.
From the Paper "While the overt picture of racism has certainly changed in the past fifty years, it seems unlikely that the underlying psychological principles of how a personality prone to prejudice forms, and how such a person thinks, are unlikely to have changed. Change is a perverse kind of constant in life today, especially in the business setting but also in our schools as well. As a country, we have seen the tremendous value of reducing both overt prejudice and its effects. We live in relative peace with our neighbors. Educational and employment opportunities closed off at one time to some people have resulted in a more diverse, better educated, and better prepared workforce.
Allport's book provides a valuable roadmap for anyone concerned with the dynamics of prejudice, especially its origins and the needs it meets in the prejudiced individual. This is invaluable information for business managers and educators who deal with diverse populations. For other people who are simply citizens of the world, it puts a compassionate face on prejudice by making it more understandable if still unacceptable. For anyone who has to do any kind of problem-solving between people of different races or cultures, Allport's book will be invaluable."
