Tom Buchanan is supposedly reading a book called “The Rise of the Colored Empires,” which is a reference to the real-life book The Rising Tide of Color, by Lothrop Stoddard. Stoddard was a white supremacist and Buchanan’s association with his ideas–in particular, the notion that northern Europeans have contributed everything that makes civilization worthwhile and must guard their dominant position vigilantly–is likely to make Tom unpopular with readers.
The Great Gatsby – 2
The Sun Also Rises – 4
A black character who is described, in passing, as “the nigger drummer” says “Hahre you” for “How are you?” and “Thaats good.” This deliberate effort on Hemingway’s part to depict the character’s mangling of English is an example of the mnemonic minstrel mask described by Houston Baker (Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance). In other words, even though it’s possible to extract meaning from the way the character’s speech is written, black language is sometimes depicted as mnemonic, nonsense that only has meaning as a representation of the people to which it refers; meaninglessness that represents “blackness.”
Of Mice and Men – 8
The black “stable buck,” Crooks, threatens Lennie’s sense of security by asking cruel hypothetical questions. After asking Lennie what he’ll do if George abandons him, Crooks answers the question for himself, saying, “Want me ta tell ya what’ll happen? They’ll take ya to the booby hatch. They’ll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog.” This point reinforces the animal-like way in which Lennie is characterized throughout the novel. But the fact that Crooks himself is referred to as a “stable buck” is somewhat dehumanizing as well, so one interpretation of this scene might be that Crooks abuses Lennie because misery loves company.
Of Mice and Men – 10
When Crooks asks Curley’s wife to leave his room, she checks him by asking, “You know what I could do?” Crooks backs down but she continues, saying “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”
Of Mice and Men – 11
When Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, Candy says, “You don’t know that Curley. Curley gon’ta wanta get ‘im lynched.” This reference to lynching creates an association between dehumanized Lennie, who’s often described as if he’s an animal, and black people who were dehumanized, described as if they are animals and lynched.
This quote about an “obdurate heart” is from a poem by William Cowper called “The Task.” Cowper goes on to say that “The natural bond/of brotherhood is severed” when a person “finds his fellow guilty of a skin/not coloured like his own.” In addition to being known for writing hymns, Cowper is known for writing in support of the abolitionist movement.
TW46
I want to push back on the line that progressives always want progress (especially when it comes to race). I think that is sometimes true, but not always. While many on the left now want progress, abundance, and thriving lives for all, that wasn’t always the case. Expansive government power (with the government’s monopoly of violence enforcing it) was something that Southern Democrats loved in order to enforce Jim Crow and enforce racial hierarchies. That Southern Democratic coalition wanted to use the force of the state to keep minorities “in line.” In modern times, I agree that the racists fled Democrats and prefer conservatives, but I think that just shows that racists don’t actually care about the size of government, they just care about whatever group will give them the political power to enforce racial hierarchies. The fact the Trump is improving Republican votes with Black and Hispanic voters further muddies this whole picture.
TW52
“But two commentators suggest that there are basic biological explanations for this anger as well. Michael Bradley and Frances Cress-Welsing contend that white people are unconsciously motivated to annihilate others because they fear that their genes will be overwhelmed by the dominant traits of people of color, that white supremacy is actually a defensive posture.”
I’m skeptical about this. I’ve read about studies that the brain of a baby more easily recognizes faces of it’s own corresponding race as a possible explanation for racial tribalism, but that was for all races (European, African, East Asian, etc). I’ve never seen a study that comes close to suggesting a biological basis of racial animosity especially unique to Europeans. In the real world I’ve seen racial tribalism coming from all corners of the world, so I think tribalism is hardwired into our brains (and is an urge we must resist!). But specific to white people? I would need more proof.