Difference between revisions of "329--Week 6 Questions/Comments"
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I agree with Jason that this movie is probably one of the best for use as a primary source that we've seen so far in class. This is most evident in the scenes involving the slaves. Though as previously mentioned the characters are no longer blackface clad white actors, they are still playing the same character types as before. The men are all dim-witted and lazy. Particularly striking were the scenes of the one male slave chasing the rooster around in the mud as he mumbles to himself and the "quitting time" scene near the beginning of the film. I assume these were meant to be humorous scenes, of course at the expense of the slaves. Then there is Prissy and Mammy. Though both are female, neither character is portrayed in any way which may allude to an attractiveness, nor any other discernible feminine qualities. This was especially evident when the black actresses shared screen time with any of the white actresses. Prissy was relentlessly childlike and helpless, accented by her squeaky voice and cowardly demeanor. Mammy was the sassy, though obedient, servant with no concerns of her own. Essentially this movie is a time capsule to prevailing racist views in 1939.-Bryan Mull | I agree with Jason that this movie is probably one of the best for use as a primary source that we've seen so far in class. This is most evident in the scenes involving the slaves. Though as previously mentioned the characters are no longer blackface clad white actors, they are still playing the same character types as before. The men are all dim-witted and lazy. Particularly striking were the scenes of the one male slave chasing the rooster around in the mud as he mumbles to himself and the "quitting time" scene near the beginning of the film. I assume these were meant to be humorous scenes, of course at the expense of the slaves. Then there is Prissy and Mammy. Though both are female, neither character is portrayed in any way which may allude to an attractiveness, nor any other discernible feminine qualities. This was especially evident when the black actresses shared screen time with any of the white actresses. Prissy was relentlessly childlike and helpless, accented by her squeaky voice and cowardly demeanor. Mammy was the sassy, though obedient, servant with no concerns of her own. Essentially this movie is a time capsule to prevailing racist views in 1939.-Bryan Mull | ||
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| + | The portrayals of the black slaves [later servants] was incredibly painful to watch at times. The idea of a content "sambo" character typical of those working around Tara is clearly accurate to what we have discussed white slave owners having convinced themselves to be typical, but equally distant from reality. We know that slave owners were thus genuinely surprised when freed slaves up and left their plantations, since they couldn't believe their slaves had not been content working for them. The primary source implication of this is that readers and viewers of Gone With The Wind could use this material to RE-convince themselves of that absurd idea. The film may therefore contribute to whites of the late 30s and 40s having a misunderstanding of the discontentment leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. - JT Newcomb | ||
== 4 Public reaction/impact == | == 4 Public reaction/impact == | ||
