“The border patrol State”, the main idea in both the readings revolve around the racial discrimination and the racism based on the ethnicity on the U. S Borders. Both the readings have the clues and evidences where the authors are challenging the conventional notions of the borders in the U. S.
Silko, on one hand, sees the border patrol as a governmental assembly addicted to interrogation, torture, and the murder of those they see fit for whereas in John Sayles “Lone Star” determines the stereotypes prevailing at the borders and the whole film then revolves around the idea of discrimination and the connection between these types of people on borders. Both the article and the film describe the border as the American Iron Curtain in some sense.
Borders, according to both the literatures are the geographical boundaries created by humans based on race, ethnicity and skin color consisting political/social interests as basic elements. First of all, the meaning of border according to both the literatures are, the geographical limits created by humans based on race. John Sayles in his film describes the various stereotypes living in the same community near to the border and their inefficient interaction full of hatred. He takes the various people from different races in his movie and try’s to explain their stereotype nature.
The Essay on Film as a Subject of Study
The tremendous expense involved in producing motion pictures reminds us that film is both an Industry, and an Art. Each film is the child of a turbulent marriage between businessmen and artists. Yet despite an ongoing battle between aesthetic and commercial considerations, film is now recognized as a unique and powerful art form on a par with Painting, Sculpture, Music, Literature, and Drama. As a ...
It involves a murder mystery of a person, love and romance, and the various other characters in his film. His movie revolves around the murder mystery of a police officer Deeds and throughout the film he try’s to explain the various conflicts between the communities. To illustrate, the central theme of the John Sayle’s film is the uneasy interaction of racial groups along the Texas-Mexico border. As Sheriff Sam Deeds says in one of the film’s opening scenes, “This country’s seen a good number of disagreements over the years. ”(24).
He explains how various communities have developed a sense of hatred in between themselves. On the other hand, in Silko’s article the same amount of racial discrimination is explained and identified on individual basis in which she includes herself as a victim of the racial discrimination on the borders. She involves various stories and life happenings in her article explaining the depth of racism on borders. For example, Silko talks about an experience she had with a friend while driving through southern Texas, when the border patrol officers stopped them and questioned them without cause.
While being questioned, the patrol officer waved another vehicle through, which Silko thought had to do with that the passengers of the vehicle were Caucasians. However, Silko in her article involves her true life experience of borders where she was pulled by an officer and was interrogated without any mistake. She wants the readers to actually feel the racial discrimination which they felt when they were stopped by the officers with no relevant reason. Secondly, both the literatures explain the borders as the geographical limit created by man based on skin color and ethnicity.
For example, there is an important scene where the army colonel, says, “I want to know what you think,” and the private says, “Really? “(35).
She has to say that because privates do not get to say what they think to colonels and you have to have a special dispensation. However, it means that once someone crosses border he/she is no more entertained as the citizen or a human of the country. Moreover, there is no respect for anybody crossing the border. To elaborate, When Sam Deeds crosses the border, the Mexican guy says: You’re just some gringo with a lot of questions; I don’t have to answer you.
The Essay on Non-commissioned Officer Respect
There are many reasons why lower enlisted soldiers should respect non-commissioned officers in the military. It is important to respect an non-commissioned officer in order to keep the balance in the work place. Even if respect is not deserved or given back to you, the military still expects you to give them respect because they are appointed above you. Not showing them respect will result in ...
That badge doesn’t mean anything down here this is my land and, if you come on it, I can shoot you. “(50).
This means nobody has the right to express and do whatever they want to do. However, in Silko’s article the meaning of the border is same as John because she provides the scenario where the Chicano guys were interrogated and treated very badly by the officers without any reason as if he was a mass smuggler and is only an alien not a citizen of that country. She even describes her border experience where she was checked by the officers with the help of the dog.
Even she was threatened by the officers as if she was a criminal. Her main point was that borders are created by humans based on skin color and ethnicities through which people are harassed and forced to do what the officers want them to do. Another, understanding of borders according to the articles are that borders are the geographical limits created by man for political and social purposes. To illustrate, one major theme running through Lone Star’s narrative is the significance of social and political boundaries.
The white bartender is upset that the racial “lines of demarcation are getting fuzzy,” (script) Pilar, does not find out until the film’s final scene that she has a biracial background. By continuing their sexual relationship they find out that they are actually crossing their social boundaries. Also, a minor character, Chuchu Montoya, who draws a line in the dirt and tells Sheriff Deeds: Step across this line. You’re not the sheriff of nothing anymore. Just some Tejano with a lot of questions I don’t have to answer. The bird flying south, you think he sees this line?
You think halfway across that line they start thinking different? Why should a man? (50) He basically try’s to differentiate the two different people of different races based on the social and political boundaries create by man. On the other hand, same thing is explained by Silko in her article where two of her Chicano friends were interrogated by the officers even though, they had their driving licenses. She states in her article: Manifest Destiny may lack its old grandeur of theft and blood–“lock the door” is what it means now, with racism a trump card to be played again and again, shamelessly, by both major political parties. Immigration,” like “street crime” and “welfare fraud,” is a political euphemism that refers to people of color. Politicians and media people talk about “illegal aliens” to dehumanize and demonize undocumented immigrants, who are for the most part people of color (3).
The Essay on Political, Economic, And Social Development
During the settling of the New World, the European colonists underwent many situations that caused the desire for independence to arise. From that point forward the colonists cultivated ideas regarding their dreams and how they were going to achieve their dream. After the Revolutionary War, the colonists were ready for the better life that they hoped for, but they were sadly mistaken. Instead the ...
Which means that these borders are no more on individual level by are also politically divided by the government itself by naming the people as “illegal aliens”. Nevertheless, border according to both has been divided on political and social basis.
However, both the literature represents the same meaning of borders but with different ways. Both of them have described the border as the geographical boundaries created by man on basis of racial discrimination and ethnicity. Both have social and political aspects of creating borders among the various communities. Nevertheless, borders according to them are creating differences and hatred in various communities. Borders are the line or frontier area separating political divisions or geographic regions; and a boundary. It has been there a long time ago and again it is prevalent till now.
History has created it and is repeating itself again and again creating differences between humans known as “Borders”. In other words, both the literatures challenge the conventional notions of the border as an unambiguous line of demarcation.
