Character Analysis Of Richard In Baldwin's Blues For Mister Charlie

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The character that most misrepresented I think was Richard. The expectation of being a man must have certain physical and emotional traits. Richard in Baldwin 's play "Blues for Mister Charlie", challenge racism and white privilege in America, particularly in the South. Richard played the crucial role when he was murdered by Lyle, a white man. His heroic sacrifice created a united common community against racism. A sacrificial cause to end “black genocide” in the South.
On one hand, throughout the play, Richard was portrayed as the "leader of the pack". Juanita thinks of Richard as a real man. In Act 3, on the stand Juanita says, "Is this how we all get to be mothers—so soon? of helpless men—because all the other men perish?” (95). She …show more content…

He seemed to be exhausted at the end of Act 3 in the flashback. I compare this scenario as someone had just completed a long day at work. Richard says, "No, I ain 't drunk. I 'm just tired. Tired of all this fighting. What are you trying to prove? What am I trying to prove?" (118). I think both Richard and Lyle are exhausted from their power struggle as though they are a couple in a fight. At the trial, it was revealed that during the dispute with Lyle, Richard was unarmed when he was shot dead. The circumstance surrounding Richard 's death paints a picture of him as a "family man." Juanita described him as he treated everyone in his community with kindness and courtesy. During the trial, Juanita was asked, “the question of marriage did not come up until just before he died?” She answers, “yes” (95). The idea that the question of marriage suggests Richard’s pivotal moment in life. He had become a family …show more content…

In general, social revolution does not happen overnight. The notion that someone can have slaveries, treat them like material objects, beat, torture, humiliate them, and withhold their education, are despicable and are against human rights. These harsh situations will ruin their family. It creates a hellish environment for their children to grow up. How can we expect them to overcome this hideous behavior against human beings? What is racism? Why do we have racism? Growing up, I thought it was slurred, discrimination, hating someone based on their skin color. About 50 years ago, the Civil Rights Movement 1954 - 1968 made racism illegal and less socially acceptable. That is a good thing, right? But it indirectly creates some side effects of the Civic Right Movement. First, an increased belief in "post-racial" society. Second, it enabled the white folks to blame on the persisting struggle of the black community as a flawed character. For example, after Ferguson, I remember some colleagues of mine commented black people have a lot of problems. They have a bad culture, bad values, are violent, lazy, and come from a broken family. Unfortunately, these are the

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