Textaufgabe

Outline what the author considers to be the “reality of racial discrimination” (ll. 5/6) in the USA and what she proposes to overcome it.

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Analyze the stylistic means the author uses and their effect on the reader.

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You are taking part in an international workshop on “Fiction and Reality”. It is your task to write an article for the project website in which you comment on how dealing with the “reality of racial discrimination” on the basis of fictional texts, literature or film, has affected you. Refer to materials studied in class.

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Gabrielle Bellot, “Why Are Schools Still Banning ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in 2017?” (2017)

Last month, in 2017, 51 years since the book was first banned, a school in Biloxi, Mis-

sissippi, called for “To Kill a Mockingbird” to be removed from a class after parents

complained that it made them “uncomfortable.” The decision has since been over-

turned, but it still mirrors a larger American political failure: the way that some white

Americans, across state and political lines, wish to avoid discussions about the reality

of racial discrimination.

It is reflected in the way that we respond to police violence – how, when an innocent

black American is presumed guilty by a police officer, it is often at the cost of their

life, and how we are told that they somehow deserved it, that it was merely to protect

the cop. It is reflected in the way Black Lives Matter¹, simply by mentioning blackness,

is described as dividing the country. It is reflected in the way that the news reports on

inarguable racism, and how these stories are routinely dismissed by right-leaning

groups as “race-baiting.”²

In all of these, race – blackness most of all – feels threatening when visible, and,

therefore, must be erased. And the simplest way to “erase” it is by not talking about it

at all. As people of color, we are often advised to be silent. We are told to live in a

color-blind Eden, and that we are greedy consumers of the forbidden if we bring up

the fact that all is not perfect in the garden. That by acknowledging inequality, we wish

to cast everyone out of a racial paradise and sow a permanent discord between one

group and another. In other words, merely mentioning race is divisive – because sound

and visibility will shatter the illusion of racial utopia. Discomfort, like the kind felt by

some Mississippi parents over “To Kill A Mockingbird,” should be avoided at all costs.

This, of course, is deeply naïve. American history, like its present, is “uncomforta-

ble.” The discomfort touches all of us in this country, regardless of where we came

from, or how we reached these shores. Admitting that there is a problem is how we

begin to attempt to heal it. If we earnestly yearn to make this country better, we will

have to accept – rather than avoid or deny – our many “uncomfortable” histories. Even

if it’s unlikely that we will ever be able to fully mend the red scar of racism, it is still

possible that we try – to live together, to find the easy-hard love that reassembles, to

find the love that at least begins to heal. […]

If we teach students and their parents that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is too uncom-

fortable to handle, how will they handle James Baldwin or Toni Morrison, Jamaica

Kincaid or Frantz Fanon³? How will they handle reality, if their teachers’ actions sug-

gest they can just turn away when America’s racial reality becomes too uncomfortable?

“To Kill a Mockingbird” remains as relevant today as when it was published in

1960. One of its core themes – the sometimes fatal presumption that black bodies are

guilty before proven innocent, and the old idea of black bodies as sites of danger rather

than desirability – remains all too starkly, cruelly visible in 2017. […] This sense of

uncomfortable horror, partly, is why some Americans – some of whom are non-white

– have also wished to avoid reading it, to brush it under the rug of history, to forget its

existence altogether. But if we have a serious desire to try to understand how past and

present connect, cluster, and crash, it is important that we face everything, especially

those things which make us most uncomfortable.

¹Black Lives Matter: a movement, originating in the African-American community, which campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people

² race-baiting: a manipulative way of inciting racial hatred

³James Baldwin etc.: people of color who wrote about racial discrimination

600 words

From: Gabrielle Bellot: “Why Are Schools Still Banning ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in 2017?”, Shondaland vom 29. 11. 2017, https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a13971188/to-kill-a-mockingbird-banned/

Please note: The solution presented here is just one possible way to approach the task. There are often multiple valid methods and perspectives, and alternative approaches may be equally effective.

Gabrielle Bellot argues that racial discrimination is still a serious problem in the United States and that many people refuse to confront it. According to her, especially some white Americans prefer to avoid discussions about racism because they find the topic uncomfortable.

The author illustrates this reality by referring to police violence against innocent Black Americans, who are often treated as guilty simply because of their skin colour. She also points out that movements such as Black Lives Matter are frequently criticised instead of being recognised as a response to injustice. Furthermore, she argues that reports about racism are often dismissed as attempts to create conflict rather than being taken seriously.

Bellot believes that many Americans try to ignore racism by pretending to live in a "colour-blind" society. In her opinion, this creates the false impression that racial equality has already been achieved, while existing discrimination remains hidden.

To overcome racism, Bellot argues that society must openly acknowledge both past and present injustice instead of avoiding uncomfortable discussions. She believes that recognising inequality is the first step towards healing social divisions. For this reason, she strongly opposes banning books such as To Kill a Mockingbird. According to Bellot, literature dealing with racism helps readers understand the connections between history and contemporary society. Rather than hiding difficult topics, schools should encourage students to discuss them critically so that future generations can contribute to a more equal society.

Gabrielle Bellot uses a range of stylistic devices to convince the reader that discussing racism openly is necessary and that avoiding uncomfortable topics only reinforces discrimination.

First of all, Bellot repeatedly uses repetition. Three consecutive sentences begin with the words "It is reflected in the way..." (ll. 7, 10 and 11). This anaphora emphasises that racism is not an isolated problem but appears in many different areas of American society. The repetition creates a powerful rhythm and reinforces the author's argument.

The author also makes extensive use of metaphors. She describes the idea of a society without racism as a "color-blind Eden" (ll. 16–18), referring to the biblical Garden of Eden. This metaphor suggests that the belief in a racially harmonious society is an unrealistic illusion. Likewise, she writes about "the illusion of racial utopia" (ll. 20–21), highlighting the contrast between people's beliefs and reality. Later, racism is described as a "red scar" (l. 28), suggesting that it has left deep and lasting wounds on American society.

Furthermore, Bellot includes inclusive language by repeatedly using the pronouns "we" and "us" (e.g. ll. 23–30). This involves the reader directly and underlines that racism is not only the problem of one group but a challenge for society as a whole.

Another important stylistic device is the use of rhetorical questions. Bellot asks, "If we teach students and their parents that To Kill a Mockingbird is too uncomfortable to handle, how will they handle James Baldwin or Toni Morrison...?" (ll. 31–33), followed by another rhetorical question: "How will they handle reality...?" (ll. 33–34). These questions encourage readers to reflect on the consequences of avoiding discussions about racism and make Bellot's criticism more persuasive.

The author also uses enumeration when listing writers such as "James Baldwin or Toni Morrison, Jamaica Kincaid or Frantz Fanon" (ll. 31–33). This list demonstrates that To Kill a Mockingbird is only one of many important works dealing with racial discrimination and emphasises the importance of confronting a variety of perspectives.

In addition, Bellot employs contrast throughout the text. She contrasts "accept" with "avoid or deny" (ll. 26–27), showing that society has a clear choice: either face racism honestly or continue ignoring it. This opposition strengthens her central message that progress is only possible through confrontation rather than silence.

Finally, the author appeals to the reader's emotions by repeatedly using words such as "uncomfortable" (e.g. ll. 3, 21–23, 31–34, 39–43). The frequent repetition of this key word reminds readers that discomfort is unavoidable when dealing with difficult historical and social issues. At the same time, Bellot argues that this discomfort is necessary if society wants to overcome racism.

Overall, Bellot combines repetition, vivid metaphors, rhetorical questions, inclusive language and emotional appeals to create a convincing argument. Her stylistic choices encourage readers to question their own attitudes and recognise that openly discussing racism is essential for creating a more just society.

Fiction Opens Our Eyes to Reality

Can a novel or a film really change the way we see the world? Before discussing racism in English lessons, I would probably have answered "not really". Today, I believe that fiction can be one of the most powerful ways to understand social problems because it allows us to experience them through the eyes of others.

One text that had a particularly strong impact on me was To Kill a Mockingbird. Although the novel was published more than sixty years ago, many of its themes are still relevant today. It shows how prejudice can influence people's decisions and how innocent Black people are often treated unfairly simply because of their skin colour. Reading the novel helped me understand that racism is not only about individual acts of discrimination but also about structures and attitudes that can exist for generations.

The same message is conveyed in the film Crash. At first, many of the characters seem to fit common stereotypes, but as the story develops, the audience realises that people are far more complex than first impressions suggest. The film made me question how quickly we judge others and how easily stereotypes influence our behaviour without us even noticing it.

Another eye-opening text was Such A Fun Age. Emira's experience in the grocery store demonstrates that racial discrimination is not always loud or obvious. Instead, it can appear in everyday situations through suspicion, prejudice and unequal treatment. I found this particularly disturbing because the people involved believe that they are acting responsibly, while in reality they are treating Emira unfairly simply because she is a young Black woman.

The short story The Child also shows how dangerous it can be to judge people based on appearances instead of facts. Likewise, Two Kinds made me realise that stereotypes and expectations can also come from one's own family or cultural background. Although the focus is different, both texts illustrate how difficult it can be to develop one's own identity when others have already decided who you are supposed to be.

What all these works have in common is that they create empathy. Facts and statistics can explain discrimination, but stories make readers and viewers feel its emotional consequences. They encourage us to question our own assumptions and to recognise situations that we might otherwise overlook.

In my opinion, fiction does not replace reality—it helps us understand it. Literature and films cannot solve the problem of racism, but they can start important conversations and encourage people to think differently. That is why I believe schools should continue to include texts and films dealing with discrimination, even if they make us uncomfortable. Sometimes it is exactly this discomfort that helps us grow.

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