Essay On Stereotypes In Birth Of A Nation

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Gabrielle Elsey Professor Fisher AFST 201 11 March 2014 Stereotypes in Birth of a Nation Historical drama films are often exaggerated, with multiple aspects of the movie accurately demonstrating the sentiments of the general population during the period in which the film was released. These exaggerations are made whether they are remotely historically accurate or not. The Birth of a Nation, a 1915 film directed by D.W. Griffith, is an example of a film that uses stereotypes to depict a significant period in American history. A significant portion of the film focuses on the Civil War, with the remainder of the film portraying the supposed results of the Reconstruction era. The film begins with the introduction of two families: the Stonemans and the Camerons. Congressman Stoneman is an abolitionist Northerner, while the Camerons own a plantation. The Civil War begins, and the sons of each family join their respective armies. After the war begins, a black militia with a white leader invades the Cameron home. Confederate soldiers rescue the Cameron women. President Lincoln is assassinated at Ford’s…show more content…
Blacks are portrayed as power hungry bestial beings that wreak havoc once they are no longer under the guidance of white people, while whites are depicted as virtually defenseless until the formation of the Ku Klux Klan. Birth of a Nation manages to perpetuate as well as reflect the stereotypes present in the minds of American society by quelling any possible doubts that the black race was undeserving of its status as second-class citizens. Due to the film’s popularity, it set the stage for the role of black characters in future films, thus perpetuating the stereotypes for many years to come. The perpetuation of stereotypes in The Birth of a Nation enforced the mistreatment of black people in America by promoting the idea that calamity will ensue if blacks are placed in positions of
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