Edexcel A Level History: Civil Rights 1850-2009:- changing portrayal of civil rights issues in fiction and film

Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)

- Harriet Beecher Stowe

- was furious about the developments of the fugitive slave law; has a vested interest in the issue

- she disobeyed the fugitive law by hiding runaway slaves

- many characters in novel mirrored real-life people

- initially released in weekly newspaper that attracted a lot of interest, high future sales of novel in later years

- immediate best seller

- in 10 year sold 2 million copies; audience out there wanting to read about BAs struggle

- challenges racial stereotype; Tom becomes morally superior due to his strong religious beliefs

- explores question of slavery in mild setting

- does not use these settings to show slavery's evil as conditional, exposes the vices of slavery in its best case-scenario; beatings, sexual abuse, even murder and emphasises inhumanity of slavery

- significance of the character Eva; young white girl and strong christian against slavery, Stowe praises the innocence and morality of her character

- writing to a religious, Protestant audience Stowe shows that slavery and the moral code of Christianity oppose each other

- critics say Stowe built on existing anti-black sentiment through presentation of stereotypical black characters

- Uncle Tom depicted as a brave, kind, intelligent and religious individual - strong act that challenges prevailing stereotype of BA slaves

- but this image was undermined in the South; Travelling Tom Shows became popular that mocked him

- South banned novel; feared it would impact institution of slavery, scared that it had the potential to criticise it so doesn't even have the chance to reach audience

- links to Lincoln and emancipation proclamation and Civil War

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)

- Mark Twain

- plays on Huck; young and the idea of the innocence of racism

- Huck develops a different view of BAs through the story, it is a gradual process; mirrors society's views changing

- use of dialect and the story line caused controversy since publication; rough dialect and bad grammar was authentic to show the nature of BAs at the time

- NAACP declared the novel contained 'racial slurs' in the ways it depicted black characters

- was removed from reading lists in schools across USA

- contributed to low self esteem in the black community and to white students' disrespect for black people

- despite criticisms, been accepted as a masterpiece of American literature with changing attitudes towards race relations since the success of the civil rights movement

- Twain did not make outright attack on slavery as he needed to sell; uses irony and subtlety to make his points

- Jim is seen as caricature of BAs at the time but given the opportunity to display his humanity and strong character

Gone with the Wind (1939)

- Margaret Mitchell

- slaves appeared to be well-treated and cheerful, being rewarded with gifts if they worked hard

- attempts to create view that the pre-Civil War South was ideal place

- negatively portrays the northern forces that tried to end slavery during the Civil War; marched through Georgia and destroyed plantations

- Ashley Wikes, leading white character, portrayed as a southern gentlemen

- Wikes joins KKK

- glorification of KKK seen as the most controversial aspect of novel

- positive portrayal of Mammy; a black servant who helped raise Scarlett, she is content with her position and 'belongs' to a white family, controversial

- role of Mammy played by Hattie McDaniel, allowed her to become first black actor to win an Oscar

- novel reinforced portrayal of BAs as menial, loyal and uneducated supporters of the white society

- reflected the attitudes towards black people held by many Americans, especially in the Old South

To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)

- Harper Lee

- set during economic depression

- set in height of civil rights movement

- best-seller overnight

- the events concerning race relations hit a chord with readers at the time when black and many white Americans campaigning nationwide for civil rights of BAs- reflects race relations at the time

- received a Pulitzer Prize

- novel has a much more sympathetic view of the lives of BAs

- Tom Robinson, who is accused of rape, portrayed as harmless, innocent and hard-working. His dignity in the face of racial provocation and abuse stands out as one of his main strengths, makes him a sympathetic, pleasant and intelligent character

- Atticus Finch breaches divide between black and white

- 'white trash' Ewells

- shows class divide between poor white people and educated white people

- Tom Robinson still needs a white man to save him; 'white hero'

- claimed that the book helped civil rights movement, Joseph Flora said 'it arrived at the right moment to help the South and the nation grapple with racial tensions'

Beloved (1987)

- Toni Morrison

- deals with brutal world of slavery; contrasts to slave world portrayed in Gone with the Wind, shown as brutal, inhuman and violent

- black slaves treated as merchandise

- white characters portrayed as brutal and savage

- novel full of brutal images of BAs; hanging from trees, floating downstream drowned or raped by white Americans

- few credible white characters

- novel shows how life as a slave had haunted and traumatised the lives of the main black characters

- novel produced from the perspective of a black woman, brutalised by slavery and guilt of killing her own child

The Help (2009)

- Kathryn Stockett

- reflect the race relations of a southern city

- black and white Americans only came together when BAs performed menial, subservient jobs for white people

- novel concentrates on the female white and black communities where black women were maids for rich white residents

- refers to Mammy in Gone with the Wind to create her maid characters

- intimacy between the two communities stood in marked contrast to the rest of the lives of the black and white community which remained separate; made the revelations in novel more dramatic and devastating to white middle-class readers of Jackson who employed maids

- reinforces the view that black and white communities lived separate existences in the same city

- black women, as servants and maids, seen as inferior to people who employed them

- servile life of a black woman, also appears in Gone with the Wind had remained in Mississippi in 1960s

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

- first full length silent film produced in Hollywood

- covers the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction

- set mainly in South Carolina

- shows freed black men keen on intermarriage with white women

- KKK portrayed as defenders of all that is noble in the south, 'justice'

- Hollywood marketed the film as sensational

- President Woodrow Wilson had private screening

- BA civil rights groups, like NAACP protested against film

- William Simmons, refounded KKK and claimed the film was a key factor in this development; from 1915-1926 KKK grew rapidly, 1921 had reached 100,000 members, by 1924 had nationwide membership of 4 million

- attacks on BAs increased; Red Summer of 1919 lynchings and riots

- film led to major deterioration in race relations in USA

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

- reflects changing relations between black and white Americans

- black Americans, particularly in North, show greater assertion and refused to be dominated by white people

- black character Tibbs highly intelligent and great detective

- Gillespie, white character, redneck who dislikes outsiders

- key moment in film; Gillespie referring to Tibbs as 'boy' asks what they call him in Philadelphia and he roars back 'Mister Tibbs'

- Gillespie develops grudging respect for Tibbs, overcomes his racial prejudice, wins Oscar

- when production began Poitier refused to shoot in the South; was still traumatised by Klansmen, so film was filmed in Illinois in the North, not Mississippi

- leads to a changing perception of race; triggers white audience reaction

- won Best Picture of the Year

- the success of film seemed to suggest that liberal views of race relations must have been accepted

- but popularity of film does not necessarily prove that it reflects the attitudes of the audiences that went to see it

- although Tibbs and Gillespie got on well in the film, opposition to desegregated schools continued; shows that film didn't proactively change much physically in terms of civil rights movement

Mississippi Burning (1988)

- film is murder mystery, 2 white agents of FBI as main characters

- deputy sheriff is member of the KKK

- uncover KKK plot and bring main perpetrators to justice

- several scenes show KKK brutally beating young black male

- shows the dangers and threat the BAs faced when speaking out for racial injustice in Mississippi during 1960s - reflects what was happening at the time

- film director, Alan Parker, criticised for providing misleading interpretation of cr movement

- most black characters played minor role; white saviours, like in To Kill a Mockingbird

- excluded references to local BA citizens who challenged Mississippi's racist policies

Malcolm X (1992)

- Spike Lee

- based on autobiography of Malcolm X

- some felt the film failed to reflect the Malcolm people thought they knew

- movie 'glosses over the weirder themes'

- the fact that it was made in the first place was significant

- only moderate success at box office

- unlikely to have shaped the attitudes of many whites towards Malcolm and race relations

- mixed feelings

- importance of Islam portrayed in a Hollywood film

- movie's history reflected black confidence and assertiveness but also white ambivalence (mixed feelings)

Roots (1977)

- dramatic series with a predominantly African American ensemble

- depictions of abuse and cruelty were limited

- 41 years after premiere, still regarded by many in entertainment industry as having marked a turning point in the perception and portrayal of black people in Hollywood

The Wire (2002-2008)

- Home Box office; people had to pay to subscribe, groundbreaking, shows people were willing to do so, interested

- offered completely different portrayal of BA life

- whole series is seen through the eyes of the BA community in city that had suffered considerable economic change

- series received considerable critical acclaim; for the first time on a major cable channel, the lives of an urban black underclass were shown in detail

- portrays the issue addressing black poverty; social economic conditions, issues of poverty as opposed to race relations - drugs, crime

- barely touches upon topic of black and white hostility, may suggest a post-racial society

- concerned with class rather than race

- Obama said it was his favourite; thoughtful exploration of much that many considered in need of reformation in American society

- aimed to shape attitudes, it was a plea for a better America, particularly for black ghetto residents