History X
David McKenna wrote the book and the story was awesome! I think that every one should read the book rather than see the movie. It makes one think about the way people act toward and treat other people based upon their beliefs. I now understand that there are different paths that a person can take in their life, different choices one can make. Even though mistakes have been made in the past, and although the past can never be changed, it's never to late to try to change the direction of the present, to focus on the good, and strive for a brighter future for all. The story begins with a white teenage boy who has a black history teacher. The teacher is encouraging the boy (Derrick) to read books about multi-racial people. One evening at the dinner table, Derrick begins to tell his family about his teacher and the books he is reading. When his father hears this he becomes very upset. In reaction to this he tells Derrick not to listen to his teacher, if he was going to make him read, he should be reading books about "White" history he says. The father then gave the family a lesson on "White power", and how "White makes right", the K.K.K. the Aryan Brotherhood, Wotanism, and so on. In effect how "Coloreds" are lo
The rest of the story deals with Derricks prison sentence (talk about "hard time") how and why his attitudes changed, the effect all this had on his brother Danny, and how their fathers prejudice effected every member of the family and every aspect of their family life. There is also a surprise ending for Danny! Although this book is of a very explicit and violent nature it held my attention by the throat, I found it hard to put down. One of the most important quotes from the story was " We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic cords of memory will swell when again touched as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature." asketball game is very important because that is when this all really started for Danny. All the colored folks came to this one basketball court to play ball, but the court happened to be in the "white" part of town. Derrick, Danny and a couple of their friends where sitting on some bleachers talking amongst themselves, when all of a sudden one on the white guys gets knocked down by one of the black guys and starts talking sh-t. Anyway Derrick ends up having to take care of business and challenges the black guys to a game of b-ball, the White boys against the Brothers, winners get to keep the court and the losers have to leave and never come back, the catch is, there's only one basketball court in the area so whoever looses
Some common words found in the essay are:
David McKenna, BITE CURB, Anyway Derrick, Brotherhood Wotanism, Derrick Derrick, Adolph Hitler, Danny Derricks, Derrick Danny, Abraham Lincoln, Mine Comp, white supremacy, basketball court, dinner table, black guys, wrote book,
Approximate Word count = 986
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
