Enoch Powell Essay

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When analyzing on historical figures it is crucial to remain as objective and critical as possible. This is due to the aptness within historical scholarship to sustain existing representations rather than on challenging them. This is considered true in respect to the historical figures that are shunned because society seeks to uphold a certain status quo. However, it is essential to be reminded that representations of historical figures are often socially constructed and biased, and furthermore not reflective of reality. Enoch Powell, a politician deemed as the instigator of British prejudice, is regarded as one of the most hated politicians in Britain. This is largely due to the Rivers of Blood Speech, which shunned foreign immigrants and …show more content…

Through this effort, he tried to prove that he was not the only one who protested against the incursion of immigrants. There were countless people who concurred with Powell, however, frightened to voice their opinion in a state where the general policy suppressed the discrimination against immigrants. He mentioned the experience of an elderly widowed lady from Wolver Hampton who was supposed to be the last white person living in the street. She has consistently denied applications from immigrants who wanted to purchase her house. Consequently, she was taunted as ‘a racist’, received excreta in her mailbox. She goes on and mentions how “wide grinning piccaninnies” were constantly following her. To the casual observer, the word “pickaninny” meant a derogatory term that was used to refer children of African slaves. Powell had also juxtaposed the ‘negro’ community and the Kenyan Asians and criticized how the “Negros” had to fight for their rights in America, while immigrants coming into Britain were already becoming full citizens. However, Powell’s proponents argued that the word could be easily used to describe a child regardless of their racial origin. The powerful story of a British woman who was intimidated by his ‘colored’ neighbors provides pathos to the public. Powell understood how prior to his speech, the public viewed foreign immigrants as victims of racial prejudice. However, Powell …show more content…

Through his claim, he had made it clear that there is a thin line between seeking opportunities in Britain and stealing them away from the British inhabitants. Nevertheless, the public understood his claims in the most controversial terms, and believed that Powell’s claims began to look like a Nazi Uprising. His efforts to marginalize immigrants were similar to how the Nazis exercised absolute power over the Jew’s personal freedom. In contrast, members of the conservative party believe that Powell’s solution was fairly

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