Mudbound Movie Sparknotes

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Dee Rees's film "Mudbound" explores the complex relationship between race and class, with a moving story set in post-World War II Mississippi. The film skillfully captures the harsh realities and glaring inequalities of the era, emphasizing how these societal structures profoundly affect the characters' lives based on their race and economic status. The white McAllan family, who struggle with their own form of economic hardship despite being landowners, and the black Jackson family, who live in rural Mississippi, provide a vivid illustration of the intersection of race and class; Henry McAllan, the patriarch, purchases a farm in the area, highlighting his desire for social mobility and stability. But the difficulty of farm life and the pressure …show more content…

On the opposite side, Jamie McAllan returns from the battle scarred and guilty. Due to his experiences flying bombers, he is emotionally damaged and battles alcoholism. For a limited period, Jamie is able to look past the racist beliefs of his childhood because of his friendship with men of other races during the war. His friendship with Ronsel, which they developed via mutual respect and a shared trauma, is evidence of this altered viewpoint. But Jamie's attempts to heal the racial rift are violently resisted by his own family and community, which serves to further solidify the hazardous rigidity of the social structure. Ronsel and Jamie's wartime experiences both support and contradict their ideas on race and identity. Ronsel feels empowered to reject Mississippi's treatment of him as a second-class citizen because of the respect he earned in Europe. He directly challenges the status quo with his boldness and refusal to tolerate racial subordination. On the other hand, even in a very racist society, there is room for personal growth as seen by Jamie's compassion for Ronsel and his rejection of his family's racist

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