In the novel Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin, one of the biggest themes in that blacks and whites act differently towards one another while in each other’s company. This theme is expressed many different times in the novel, especially when Griffin is hitchhiking and experiences talking with other blacks and whites. Griffin experiences many different attitudes and prejudices towards blacks while doing his experiment, which affects Griffin’s experience dramatically.
Blacks were brutally discriminated by whites and even by other blacks during the Civil Rights Movement, making Griffin yield to the different prejudices presented to him by the black and white community. The lady on the bus spat out, “What’re looking at me like that for? ” (20) with her sharpened blue eyes. After Griffin hears this and recognizes the hatred in her tone, he realizes how easy it is for white women to find something to accuse a black man of, no matter how small.
This shows how judgmental and irrational white women can be toward black men, making Griffin be more careful and respectful around white women, even if that means not looking at them. As Griffin is strolling down the street, he encounters a young white man who yells, “I’m going to get you, Mr. No-Hair. I’m after you. There ain’t no place you go I won’t get you. If it takes all night, I’ll get you-so count on it” (34).
The Essay on Black Or White Racial Profiling
Black or White Allison Davi Picture this hypothetical situation: A black man and a white man both driving during the day time. The white man is driving directly in front of the black man at 72 mph, clearly speeding, while the black man is driving at 46 mph, both in a 45 mph speed limit zone. Sirens begin to blare as the red and blue lights emerge from the side of the road. The black man, relieved ...
Griffin is startled by this white boy and he sees that whites are very cruel towards blacks and they will show hostility to them, even if they have done nothing wrong.
This demonstrates the cruel prejudice between races and shows that whites will go completely out of their way to torment and harass black people. Griffin comes into contact with another Negro on the bus who says “This place stinks. Damned punk niggers. Look at all of them-bunch of dirty punks-don’t know how to dress. You don’t deserve anything better. Mein Kampf! Do you speak German? No. You’re ignorant. You make me sick” (53).
Griffin experiences many prejudices while he is a black and soon comes to accept them as if he really is a Negro living in the South.
Griffin also experiences many new situations while he is hitchhiking and comes across many blacks and whites who offer him different views on the equal treatment of blacks. While hitchhiking, Griffin comes across a kind white man who says “I’ve lived here for over five years now-and they’re good neighbors; but if I mention race with and sympathy for the negro, they just tell me I’m an outsider and don’t understand about negroes” (84).
As Griffin talks to this man, he begins to notice that all white men have a cruel conscience; some of them feel sorry for the blacks and want to find ways to help them out.
Sadly, white men can not talk about trying to end prejudice with each other because they will be seen as negro supporters and be hated by the community. Another hitchhiking encounter Griffin has is with a white man who says “Why, you talk intelligently! ” (89).
The way he says this to Griffin actually makes Griffin feel bad because the white man is implying that Griffin is not smart and he didn’t expect Griffin to actually sound smart. After the white man lets Griffin out, he begins to see that white men think all blacks are just stupid Negroes and have no intelligence or means of communication.
On one of his last hitching experiences, Griffin come across a kind man who says “You can’t stay out here all night! If you don’t mind sleeping on the floor, you are welcome to come with me” (108).
The Essay on John Griffin Black White People
Black Like Me: Racism Is A Foolish Misunderstanding of Man All men are created equal... or are they? John Griffin's 'Black Like Me " shows how racism is nothing more then the foolish misunderstanding of man. White's current superiority hangs in the balance as Blacks become tired of being the minority, in the late 1950's. Even though this struggle isn't as dreadful as it was then, it still exists. ...
Griffin is grateful for this man’s offer and he gets to see the poverty blacks have to live in when he gets to his house. Even though they live in great poverty, this man’s family is still as happy as can be and Griffin sees the lengths that blacks will go to offer a simple courtesy to one another.
Griffin comes across many different people of different races while hitchhiking, some of which have a kind, decent heart while other act with hostility and prejudice towards him. While disguised as a black, Griffin goes through some hard times where he really feels the hate directed towards blacks; at some points, he almost completely falls apart and blows his cover. Griffin’s first real experience of this depression was his first look at himself within the black skin, “I was imprisoned in the flesh of an utter stranger, an unsympathetic one with whom I felt no kinship” (10).
Griffin fist sees himself in the mirror and already begins to hold prejudice against his own self. He feels as if he does not know who he is and has been trapped inside the body of a negro stranger, feeling utterly hopeless. Griffin is really hurt when he walks by the white churches and experiences the “hate stare practices everywhere, especially by older white women” (121).
Griffin got all dressed up to walk past the white person churches and wanted to try and get some kind and smiley looks towards him to brighten his day.
To his dismay, all the women coming out gave him the “hate stare”, except for one of the women who did not change her expression upon looking at Griffin. Griffin was really hurt because he was judged solely by the color of his skin: “when all the talk, all the propaganda has been cut away, the criterion is nothing but the color of skin. My experience proved that” (115).
Griffin goes down south to try to get a real prospective of what it is like to be a black at the time. He probably expected different treatment but what he got was really degrading, even though he knew it was coming and he really isn’t black.
Griffin expected some pretty cruel treatment when being a negro, but when he actually experienced the prejudice, it hit him harder than he expected. As you can see, blacks were treated very cruelly by not only whites, but also other blacks. Griffin was prepared for some hatred but what he got was more than he expected. His experience in the south showed him the different views on blacks that people had, which was very diverse. His experience was a life changing, one that he will never forget.
The Essay on Black Like Me White Griffin Man
Greg Trumbold Black Like Me In the Fall of 1959, John Howard Griffin set out on a journey of discovery. A discovery of his own nature, as well as a discovery of human nature. With the help of a friend, Griffin transformed his white male body into that of an African-American male body. Through a series of medical treatments, the transformation was complete. He spent the next several months as an ...
