Images and Manifestations of Racial Prejudice In “A Meeting in the Dark”

“One home.” We all live under the same sky, we all stand on the same ground and we are all created equally by God. On one thought, yes… it is true. We are equal, we should be equal, we are the same, and we have no differences. Yet let’s face it like it or not inequality, injustice, superior over inferior exist. Especially among people of different races. So why does this so called Racial Prejudice exist?

”Racial prejudice is any action practice or belief that reflects the racial world view the ideology that humans are divided into separate groups because of their skin color” as what wiki.answers.com defines it. On Wikipedia, “Racism is the belief that there are inherent differences in people's traits and capacities that are entirely due to their race, however defined, and that, as a consequence, justify the different treatment of those people, both socially and legally. Moreover, racism is the practice of the different treatment of certain a group or groups, which is then justified by recourse to racial stereotyping or pseudo-science.” The term there is “difference”, difference that creates inequality. It’s an “insidious moral and social disease affecting peoples and populations all over the world.” (allaboutpopularissues.org), furthermore, It is diagnosed by the cataloguing of its various symptoms and manifestations which include fear, intolerance, separation, segregation, discrimination, and hatred. While all of these symptoms of racial prejudice may be manifest, the single underlying cause of racial prejudice is ignorance. Historically, a race of people is defined as a population with distinguishable biological features. Although we are of the same kind, our races differ. Maybe it’s the country your from, or your traits, your color, your eyes or your appearance. According to a research conducted by Dartmouth College, ‘Racial prejudice makes you stupider’ and the scientists are now adding a new one: Racism can make you stupid. So it really has a great impact. UN or United Nations on one of their conference said that racial discrimination and ethnicity discrimination no distinction.

The story “A Meeting in the Dark” revolves on a boy named John, a young and well-educated man that will soon go to study college. The whole village likes him, in fact they admire him. His father Stanly, a local preacher whom he is very afraid of has converted to Calvinism. His father is so strict; he didn’t want him to commit any sin, although his father ones committed a big sin, John is the fruit of a sin, which means that Stanley had "sinned" before he and his wife Susana were married. Stanley wants his son to “grow with the Lord”, and that he wants to control his son’s life in nearly every aspect. John’s girlfriend Wamuhu is a native girl from the village whom he admired. John knows that his father would never accept his relationship with the girl because she is circumcised. Because converted people in the village separate their selves among people who practice same belief. One night John and Wamuhu walk together talking about a serious thing; this is where they declared to the reader that they will be having a baby. He is afraid because of his future, especially of his father’s reaction. He was so confused because whatever he will choose will be always wrong. His father will be angry if he chooses to disobey him, and if he chooses his father and his study he will left a fatherless child. John thinks that if only new region and teaching never arrived to their village it will just be ok; it will just be fine to sleep with a girl outside marriage, their will be no differences and most of all he could marry a circumcised girl.   In the end John offers Wamuhu money. The offer went higher and higher and suddenly John losses control of his self, and with despair he kills her…a tragic end to boy with lots of burden.

Connecting with Racial Prejudice, the story “A Meeting in the Dark” by James Ngugi, showed that John’s tribe differ their selves from the whites (Europeans). In the story they criticize man who came home from other places to their village bringing a mate of different color, white or black. They feel that people outside their tribe is different because of opposing belief, different color, and customs. Even in their tribe, converted people like John’s family separate their selves among other who still practicing in their old belief and way like circumcised girl, but its about tribe differences.  

Racial prejudice is a product of fear. “Racial prejudice is a product of our fear based existence designed to perpetuate our fear based existence….” (eaglespiritministry.com). It’s a result of fear therefore it could be cured, it could be overcome. Never allow fear to rule you, we couldn’t avoid fear but we could ignore it. It’s a scenario found all over the world, that’s why most people want to stop it. One of those is the media- specifically movies. I just want to add this, even though it’s a little bit far from the topic, in the movie “THE LION KING 2”, one of their song states that “we are one” that song contains good message. Even they are different animals from each other they are still united. And I think that’s the purpose of the movie- to show unity from different things. So why couldn’t we make it possible. Let’s start now and treat others how we want us to be treated.

SATRICAL ELEMENTS IN “AMERICAN GUESTS COME TO OUR HOUSE” A Critical Analysis

There are many literary forms used by different authors all over the world. Satire is one of those genres. Answer.com defines Satire as “A literary form in which human vice or folly is attack through irony, derision or wit.” From yourdictionary.com, it defines satire as “the use of ridicule, sarcasm, irony, etc. to expose, attack, or deride vices, follies, etc”. And on wikipedia.com “Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In Satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement. Although Satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit as a weapon.” All of these define Satire as one thing- a literary form that uses wit as a weapon; a weapon to attack something that the author or the writer of a particular story strongly disagrees and hope to produce change and improvement. In addition “the heart of any good satire is a voice calling for change” (Michael Raymond 2008), as what its purpose really is. For the Satirist (one who uses satire), it is their way to state or to show human vices, it knocks to the hearts of the readers and strive to bring understanding and deep realization for that particular thing. There are different elements of satire, but I became confused because I have seen two different elements enumerated from two different sources (google.com & prezi.com). The first source states that the elements of satire are wit, ridicule, and derision. But I admired more the elements given by the next source. In prezi.com, there are four elements of satire namely Hyperbole-extreme exaggeration to make a point, Human nature- in which the author taps to have a point, Humor- the use of humor to reach the readers or audiences, and finally, Irony- expressing the opposite of what the author really mean. To make it easier, a story is considered satire if it pictures out human vices, and even though it seems to show laughter and joy it aims for the change… a change for the better.

The story American Guest Come to Our House generally talks about Muzaffer who invited some Americans to visit their house for sometime. As the story goes on he keeps on bragging that they will be having foreign guests, and even in simple conversations he tries to alter the topic into the arrival of the guests in their house. And yes, he successfully done it and because of that another versions of that story

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came out talking on what is really the purpose of spreading the news. When the guests are about to arrive, they realized that their house is not presentable to the visitors, and even he and his wife who does not fight for twenty-two years almost end up in a divorce. Friday, the date when the guests should arrive and the family members strive to improve their house. Yet a message came telling them that the guests aren’t coming, instead they will arrive next Saturday. Then, another “decorating” week passed and again, the same thing happened. A message came telling that the guests have some problems, so they will arrive on the next Saturday. Because of that incident Muzaffer suspected that his enemy tells something to their guest that they do not arrive. Even so, he still continued on developing their home for the guests’ convenience. Finally the arrival of the Americans came, luckily by this time he had borrowed some furniture and appliances from their neighbors yet with some exemption. They entertained their guest as planned until things became horrible; the refrigerator he borrowed came late, the guest now know that all of the furniture and appliances where only borrowed from their neighbor, their house became crowded (because of his family plus the guests), the girls in his family wore dresses as if it’s a wedding, his daughter and mother-in-law performed their tradition ( where he became ashamed of & the guests do not know about it at all), he broke some appliance while trying to start them, and his boy peed on the carpet that he borrowed and cried in front of the visitors---what a disaster. In the end he managed to survive the visit; and now he is paying the debts caused by that event, poor Muzaffer.

The above mentioned story by Aziz Nesin talks about some nature of man. Particularly talks on the Human Nature element of the satire. First of all, we “over” entertain guests as if we go beyond our usual thing; in the story Muzaffer borrowed his neighbors things for the sake of his guests. Second is we are very proud of something we have accomplished or things we will be accomplishing; we boast it over to another person, like Muzaffer who are very proud to tell everyone about his guest. Third, is the human nature to pull down people who had accomplished something; or the nature of man to be jealous (in a negative way), in the story some people created stories about the purpose of Muzaffer spreading of the news. Fourth, the nature of man to enter or join in the problems of other people-like the neighbors of Muzaffer who argued with their family on what they should do. Fifth, helping others with an exemption or

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with a “but”-like also some of Muzaffer’s neighbors. Sixth, taking others help as a bad thing or insult (when Hasan the tile-maker send a message of help to Muzaffer). Seventh, blaming others for the things happening to us(when Muzaffer said that there enemy is probably the cause of their guests’ visit postponement). Eighth, telling a lie to escape an accusation (as when Muzaffer ironically said that the guest where the one who said that they wanted to visit his house but the true story is that he was the one to suggested that the American should visit him in sometime).

In the end, although satirical works are usually funny and humorous, its purpose does not merely mean to give laughter. Thus, its true intention, aim, objective and purpose is to use wit as a weapon to attack whatever the author or a writer see as a thing that needs to be changed and to be improved. Although laughter is a response, it could not change anything. But if the readers understand its purpose- they will come to a good realization.