Fluent Essays

Peer Review QuestionsDoes the author present the issue in his or her introduction? Is the hook effective? Is the background information (introducing the topic, and their focus on book, movie or movie and the book) sufficient?Is the argument in the thesis clear? Why or why not?Does the writer include a lit review as their first body paragraph to introduce their anchor source (the book, the movie, or both the book and the movie)? Is this lit review effective in introducing the audience to the anchor source(s) and provide sufficient rhetorical analysis about the source?Does the writer give specific examples from the text to support their claims? Are there at least two examples per body paragraph? (I in PIE)Does the writer explain these specific examples, the importance or significance of these examples, and tie back into the Point and the Thesis? (E in PIE)Are all examples from the sources cited properly with in-text citation? Is the paper formatted in MLA style? Is there a works cited page in the end? (I in PIE)Does the writer have a counterargument and refutation that either appears as the first body paragraph or the last body paragraph?Does the author include at least five sources throughout their paper? Are these sources used effectively?Does the writer introduce each new source as it appears in the text? Do they introduce the source sufficiently, so you know what the source is, who created it, and why its important aspect of research?Does the writers organizational strategy make sense?Does the writer have a conclusion that restates the thesis, summarizes key points, and gives a final thought?Are there any obvious/distracting grammatical or structural errors?What is this paper’s greatest strength? What still needs work, and how would you suggest the writer revise to correct that problem?ESSAY IN DOCUMENTS ashley.docx Unformatted Attachment Preview Munyon 1 Ashley Munyon Kelly Allen Engl. 124, Advanced Composition 22 May 2020 The Anti-Racist Narrative In both Ron Stallworth’s memoir, Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime, and the movie adaptation, BlackKklansman, directed by Spike Lee, common themes of racism, prejudice, and hypocrisy are depicted through Stallworth’s firstperson narrative detailing his real-life undercover investigation during the late 1970’s. In the book, Stallworth eloquently details his time as a member of The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, albeit, undercover, and successfully conveys his hardship and inequalities suffered, but also the tremendous uphill battle he ultimately won and the adversity he overcame. In order to further on the underlying themes, for BlackKklansman, Lee carefully interweaved an additional narrative involving the Black Panthers to make Stallworth’s story more relevant to the current social and political events of today. With Lee’s directorial additions, the movie portrayed two racial extremes while depicting both the white and black characters in a more fair and accurate manner, and still maintaining Stallworth’s overall themes. In doing so, Lee successfully appealed to his audience by forcing America to acknowledge it’s ugly past and face the racist and hypocritical rhetoric of today. Throughout Stallworth’s memoir and as depicted in the movie, he details many painful examples of the racial inequalities he has been subjected to throughout his entire life, and in doing so, he successfully appeals to the audiences’ emotions. For Stallworth, who has been Munyon 2 subjected to the false belief that he was not worthy of being classified as a person because he is black, feels revulsion and hatred toward an “organization” of white men who think they truly are a superior being because they have lighter skin. All during the investigation, not only must Stallworth interact with this hate group, but he must pretend to be a racist, bigoted white man who hates people of color. In a twist of ironic hypocrisy, the Klan, who revel as the selfproclaimed experts in “pure Aryan white,” maintain that they are a smarter, highly educated, and far superior race than African Americans; however, as depicted in both the memoir and movie, this could not be further from the truth. And while the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, David Duke says, “Niggers do not have the same intelligence as the white man to properly speak English the way it was meant to be spoken,” Stallworth proves otherwise. (Stallworth 110.) It is clear that the BlackKklansman takes a strong stance against racism while supporting black empowerment, making the movie a peaceful protest against current policy. A 2004 study by Laura L. Finley and Peter S. Finley on “anti-racist” films and their portrayal of the characters gives rise to Spike’s message. Generally speaking, movies described as “anti-racist films” seeking to show “why racial hatred is problematic” often fail due to “underlying themes contradict the message of racial tolerance.” (Finley 217.) Common across these movies, white characters are given “the loudest, longest, and most passionate voice or opportunity to speak,” which can highlight the wrong message. (Finley 231-232.) In this regard, both the book and movie accurately portray the Klan as a radical terrorist organization compelled to preserve their dark “history” and colorless “heritage.” Most can easily distinguish that the Klan’s definition of “history” simply refers to the Klan’s long-standing racism while “heritage” makes reference to their loyalty to white supremacy. David Duke, as the sitting Grand Wizard “would not [publicly] talk about hate but about heritage and history. He spawned a new racism for the right-wing Munyon 3 masses, one that melded the antipathy to blacks and other minorities to general dissatisfaction with government and fear of an ever-changing complex world.” (Stallworth 50.) The book and movie also accurately show that the Klansmen aren’t “the brightest bulbs in the socket.” (Stallworth 31.) Throughout Stallworth’s narrative, it is apparent that he enjoys and easily finds ways to demonstrate the Klan’s lack of intelligence. With an initial goal “to terrorize Southern blacks,” the KKK historically has a reputation for both extreme violence and shocking stupidity. (Popham 332.) In a 1965 TIME Magazine article detailing the “shady lives of the Ku Klux Klan,” it details the “deluded rednecks whose only skill is sharpshooting,” that “made robes and hoods out of bedsheets” so they could catch “Negros” who were then “thrashed with whips; some were hanged, some were castrated, some burned to death, some murdered and quartered like animals.” (TIME 24, 25.) In the movie more so than the book, Klansmen are shown as those stereotypical “redneck” type characters – even down to the way they dress. Lee directed the movie in such a manner so that he could incorporate the graphic and violent acts of terror, which are again displayed through a unique montage depicting the brutal murder and lynching of Jesse Washington against the Klan inductees “swearing-in” ceremony, and their gleeful cheering whilst watching Birth of a Nation. This scene is a powerful visual that elicits an emotional response from the audience. And most telling of all, Lee added scenes from the real protests in Charlottesville from 2017 at the very end of the movie, to again elicit strong emotions of anger hurt, and disgust. In the book, we do not have these scenes; Lee purposefully added the scenes to further support his depiction of the KKK as the domestic terrorists they are as recently 2017. It could be theorized that a white director may have put the Klan in a more flattering light, but unlike so many other “anti-racist” films, Lee portrayed the supremacists as they are. Munyon 4 In the Finley’s 2004 study, they also point out that it is common for black characters to be shown in a stereotypical fashion in movies. Black characters are depicted as aggressive or “savagery,” drug dealers, or just unintelligent. What’s more is that if a black character is shown as intelligent or successful, “the actors who typically play these roles are relatively light skinned.” (Finley 230-231.) In BlackKklansman, the Black Panthers are portrayed as strong, proud social justice extremists seeking equal rights and respect, yet who only refer to police officers as “pigs.” With the addition of the Black Panthers to the story line, initially it seems as though there are similarities between the Klan and Black Panthers and a full spectrum of racial biases are displayed. And while both the Klan and Black Panthers embrace an extremist agenda to accomplish their goals, it’s easily discernible to see that unlike the Klan, the Black Panthers are not a violent group, and are passionately seeking birthrights that should be given to every person regardless of race. The Black Power Movement is about taking rights which were not equally afforded to minorities; a far cry from the Klan’s mission to maintain “heritage.” This becomes far more apparent after Patrice Duams is wrongfully pulled over and groped by white police officers after attending a Black Power rally featuring Kwame Ture. This scene appeals to the emotions of the audience, leaving them with a sense of empathy and understanding as to why the Black Panthers refer to police officers as “pigs” after they were treated so poorly. The addition of the Black Panther characters allows Lee to portray black characters in a positive light and to further evidence the egregious beliefs and behaviors of the KKK. Patrice for example, is a smart and strong woman, campaigning for her rights and the rights of others. Further, Lee again makes the Klan appear (rightfully) stupid and inferior to the Black Panthers, as their plan to bomb Patrice and her friends fails terribly. This is another way in which Lee gives the black characters the opportunity to have a louder, stronger, and more passionate voice to speak about Munyon 5 the issues that matter. The addition of the Black Panthers’ narrative does take away some of the focus from the Klan – which is exactly Lee’s purpose. [Conclusion] ... Purchase answer to see full attachment