American History X Essay

Racism in American History X
Racism in American History X "Get the fuck out of my house!" exclaims Derek as he pulls down
his wife–beater to reveal a swastika tattoo, "See this? That means not welcome." American History
X, directed by Tony Kaye, is a movie about the transformation of Derek Vinyard: a young neo–Nazi
skinhead. Derek's father, Dennis Vinyard, was a middle–class fireman who disagreed with many of
the ideological changes–such as affirmative "black" action–happening in America at the time. His
father died while trying to put out a fire in a minority community. Derek essentially put the blame
on the minorities for his father's death as he says in the news interview: "Decent hard working
Americans like my dad are getting rubbed out by these social...show more content...
And Murray also adds that the statistic could also be due to a large amount of prejudice in the
justice system towards race. For instance Derek's black friend in jail was accused of assault and
sentenced to six years because he dropped a stolen TV on the policeman's foot. Derek
oversimplifies the issue by presenting two reasons and fails to acknowledge any of the underlying
factors that may be in play to produce the statistic.
Finally, near the end of the conversation Derek uses the red herring fallacy to further support his
radical view. "If Rodney King had been driving along, hopped up on Chivas Regal and PCP and
had killed Danny, you'd be singing a very different tune about the force of those cops." In order to
prove his point that King deserved the beating for what he had done, Derek presents the situation in a
totally different light. Derek immediately shifts the discussion to something emotional (the death of
his brother Danny) and the possibility of King hitting into someone during his high–speed chase is
totally off topic because he didn't in fact hit anybody. In doing so he uses appeal to fear to commit
the fallacy of red herring.
Derek's blatant racism against the "struggling black man" is shown throughout this scene. Derek
refers to King as a "monkey" twice, which displays his obvious lack of respect towards other races.
Derek's strong racial prejudice is obvious towards the end when he
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Movie Analysis: American History X
The movie I decided to analyze for this course was American History X (1998), which stars
Edward Norton. Though this movie isn't widely known, it is one of the more interesting movies I
have seen. It's probably one of the best films that depict the Neo Nazi plague on American culture.
The film takes place from the mid to late 1990's during the Internet boom, and touches on subjects
from affirmative action to Rodney King. One of the highlights of this movie that really relates to
one of the key aspects of this course is the deterrence of capital punishment. Edward Norton's
portrayal as the grief stricken older brother who turns to racist ideologies and violence to cope with
his fathers death, completely disregards the consequences of his...show more content...
Even when Derek's car was stolen, one may imply that he seemed to be more irate that a group of
African Americans were committing the crime rather than just losing his car. Even though most of
them got away with his car, he still took out all of his hateful rage for African Americans on the last
thief that was left behind. His blind hatred for everyone who wasn't a white Christian American
made him oblivious to the carnage he undertook by himself or with his gang throughout the movie.
I've watched numerous documentaries on gangs, such as the Ayran Brotherhood, and see many
similarities between this fictional white supremacist gang represented in the movie. For example, a
similarity I noticed is that these white supremacists not only promotes ridiculous propaganda to
support their cause, but some also are surprisingly unapologetic for heinous crimes they committed
against others. Denial and ignorance have taken hold of them so tightly (both in real life and shown
in the movie) that their reasoning and justification for their mentalities and actions are just beyond
disgraceful, while someone on top running the gang is manipulating their crooked minds further
purely for their own benefits. Even though eventually Derek reformed in prison, he was far from
being remorseful of the crimes he committed as well as his racial

Analysis Of The Movie ' American History X '
There are many definitions of racism. Some focus on culture, or intelligence, and still others on the
meanings and assumptions associated primarily with physical appearances. Often racism is a matter
of learning–whether at the very personal/familial level, or the institutional level. The film,American
History X, tells the story of two brothers who are both involved with a
Neo–Nazi gang in Venice Beach. The movie starts with the older brother Derrick getting out of jail
for the murder of two black gang members. At the same time his brother is getting out of jail, the
younger brother Danny is forced to write a paper about his brother 's influence on him. The movie
then unfolds as part of the paper that Danny is writing. It goes through how Derrick and
Danny both became skinheads, what Derrick did to land himself in jail, what their family went
through as they both delved into the Neo–Nazi world and what they both participated in as part of
this gang. The film American History X will be analyzed using cultural relativism to determine how
it relates to cultural anthropology, specifically focusing on kinship,ethnicity and race, and social
organization.
Kinship is how cultures define relationships with people who they think of as family. All societies
use kinship as a basis for forming social groups and for classifying people. However, there is a
great amount of variability in kinship rules and patterns around the world (O 'neil,2015).
In the movie, we see that

Rhetorical Visions in the Film, American History X
"Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time". This is a quote from the film
American History X. This film sends out a powerful message about hate groups such as skinheads
and Neo–Nazis. The vision of this movie is to make others aware of the complex life of a
skinhead. Through different symbolism we see how society views this group. We also are made
aware of the continuous cycle of violence that continues to exist even after a powerful leader
changes his view.
American History X is important to analyze because it shows how one man's rhetorical vision
changes through life experiences. This film depicts the lifestyles of skinheads and how one person
with...show more content...
Bormann's Symbolic Convergence Theory will also be explained and how his theory relates to the
fantasy theme of the paper and the rhetorical visions of the characters.
The second part of my paper will be the analysis of the film. I will focus on how hate groups such as
the one portrayed in the movie develop and grow when someone uses the right rhetoric on the right
people. Setting, actions, and character development will also be discussed in detail in this section.
This film has several scenes that show the fantasy theme unfold and develop. I will analyze each
scene for any visions, fantasy types, or symbolism that occurs.
Literary Review:
One way for information to spread is through a medium, such as the internet. There are many
websites on hate groups that can easily be accessed by anyone with a computer. Any hate group
is included, not just the KKK. Groups such as the Black Panthers and the Nation of Islam have a
big following throughout the world. According to Margaret Duffy's fantasy theme analysis on
hate groups on line, "using the internet is an easy way to spread ones vision by reaching
disenfranchised people" (Duffy 292). Duffy's main focus is how and why the message is sent
through the internet. It's easier to spread a message and make a group grow by allowing easy
access to websites (Duffy 292). She shows this by examining the websites of white supremacists
groups such as the

American History X : The Story Of Two Brothers
American History X
"They (African Americans) are a burden to the advancement of the white race," a comment that is
said by a Danny Vinyard, perfectly demonstrates the racist attitudes, which result in violence, that are
shown throughout American History X. The movie tells the story of two brothers, Derek and Danny
Vinyard, who become victims of their surroundings and a product of the people they emulate.
Derek, Danny's older brother, is at first portrayed as the leader of the Skinheads, a neo–Nazi, Venice
Beach gang filled with hatred towards any non–white groups especially African Americans. This
hatred is intensified by the need to be superior, but in order to accomplish this, another group must
be deemed inferior, and therefore oppressed, in this case African Americans. At the beginning of
the movie, Derek is sent to prison for manslaughter, leaving his little brother to be alone and fall
deeper into a hole of hatred and the beliefs of the gang. On the other hand, Derek experiences a
series of events while in prison that lead him to a drastic transformation. Through Derek's
transformative journey, the movie depicts that even though hatred is a source of violence and
exclusion, the anger brought about from hatred can lead to a positive personal development.
American History X shows how Derek's persona is a product of the people he emulates. We first
see this when Derek's dad is surprised by how he enthusiastically speaks about his African American
English teacher, calling

American History X Detailed Summary
Detailed Summary
The story begins with a black and white flashback of the moment when Derek commits the murder of
the two young Afro–American's. Danny wakes up to see one of the men standing by the front door
but can't see whether he is armed or not. He goes to tell his brother Derek who is in bed with Stacy,
his girlfriend. Derek takes a semi–automatic pistol and sees two blacks and one in the car ready for a
getaway. Derek plunges out of the front door and shoots the first Afro–American several times and
spots the other trying to run away. He takes aim and fires again mortally wounding the second. The
car driver speeds off with Derek firing several shots at the car, emptying the magazine. In slow
motion he goes back to the wounded man to...show more content...
Danny looks over the same basketball park now and sees that the blacks are back on it with Little
Henry the black gang member that confronted Danny earlier on.
Derek didn't allow his family to visit or write to him for the three years while he was in prison.
Now he is released and Danny comes home to meet him after school. They lost their original
home after Derek had lost his job and Doris Vineyard. Their mother is also unwell, coughing and
lying on the couch suffering probably from lung cancer. When Danny gets home, Derek notices
the tattoo on Danny's arm with the letters DOC underneath the logo. Danny tells Derek that it was
Cameron that had persuaded Danny to have it done. Derek is not impressed but doesn't say
anything. Seth arrives with his video camera to welcome back Derek. Derek, meanwhile, is on the
phone to Dr Sweeney who tells him about Danny's assignment and Derek agrees to help Danny in
his own way. Seth videotapes Danny reciting right wing and skinhead ideology about hating that 'it
is cool to be black' and the hip hop influence on the suburbs. Derek finishes his phone call and is
listening to Danny's views while shaking his head.
Derek assembles the family in the room while Seth is left outside waiting to get something to eat.
He tells them that he is planning to move them out of the area so they can make a new start. Derek

American History X Incarceration Theory
Introduction American History X is a film that describes the story of a white supremacist, Derek
Vineyard, who learns through his prison experience that his beliefs are erroneous. During his time in
prison, Derek was forced to cohabitate amongst non–white individuals, coercing him to reconsider
his prior Neo–Nazi principles. After serving his sentence, Derek realizes that he must save his
younger brother from emulating his example. By analyzing the substantial aspects of prison life
(preliminary adjustment to prison life, prison experience, prison subculture and rehabilitation), as
demonstrated in the film, it can be determined that the film American History X can be used as a
realistic tool for creating awareness of the consequences of being incarcerated and the effects that
prison can have on an individual after they have been released. Furthermore, numerous theories such
as argot roles, the importation theory,...show more content...
However, there are many inmates who are unable to cope well with the pains of imprisonment.
Maladaptive responses such as emotional disorders, self–harm and suicide attempts are the most
common during the initial phases of incarceration (Adams, 1992*pg. 275*). Being barred from the
outside world, prisoners develop coping mechanisms that allow them to deal with the pains of
incarceration. According to Thomas and Foster, two theoretical models have emerged in response to
the coping mechanisms demonstrated by inmates. These two models signify the rudimentary
perceptions pertaining to the patterns found in response to incarceration. The first is the importation
model, which uses individual–level inmate characteristics that were established prior to
imprisonment to explain prison experience (Power, et al., 1997). On the other hand, the deprivation
model suggests that the environment of prison itself explains the experience prisoners have (Cooley,

American History X Thesis
Before I begin, I'd like to say that American History X is without a doubt the one of the best films
ever created to counter prejudice and to promote that any individual has the potential for evil. With
that being said, I would like to first start out with the films history: According to the IMDb website,
American History X was first released in 1998; the film recounts the narrative of two white siblings,
Derek and Danny Vinyard who both shared very diverse times throughout their lifetime. (American
History X 1). In addition, the problem with the brothers racisms towards dark–skinned individuals
throughout the movie first started after the Vinyard's father's homicide by a dark skinned male,
Derek being the older brother, was burning inside

American History X
Brittany Camacho
Cultural Anthropology
American History X "I hate anyone that is not white Protestant," begins Danny Vinyard, the brother
of a former neo Nazi skinhead. American History X offers opinions from two sides through one
character, the ex–neo Nazi Derek, and the post–prison–reformed Derek. The post–prison–formed
Derek serves as a vision of hope for present time. This powerful movie not only depicts the most
disturbing aspects of racism, but also shows how close racism is to the middle–class, white
Americans. American History X is a fictional story that is told through the eyes of Derek's brother
Daniel, who is being recruited in the white power movement. This white power movement, also
called skinheads, demonstrates how...show more content...
This store was chosen because it used to be run by whites, with white associates, who got fired
and replaced by Mexican associates with a Korean management. The skinheads agreed they
should attack the Koreans for hiring "border jumpers" and so they did. Later, Daniel recalls when
their mother invited the boy's Jewish history teacher over for dinner. Things turned out of control
with Derek's sister stood up against her brother, saying that what he was doing was wrong and
she didn't agree. The argument turned violent so fast when Derek grabbed his sister's hair and
began to choke her. After an argument, Derek yelled at the teacher, and showed him his Swastika
tattoo, affirming that it meant "not welcome." Derek's mom says Derek needs to move out by the
morning. After everyone has fallen asleep, Daniel informs Derek that two black guys are breaking
into his car. It is this night that Derek murders the two black guys and gets arrested shortly after
pulling the trigger. Derek killed one by a terrible act known as curbing, even after the death of the
two, his facial expression showed no remorse. In prison, Derek unhesitatingly realizes he is the
minority. He finds comfort when he is taken in by another group of neo–Nazi's. He begins to work
with a black male who repeatedly tries to talk to Derek. After several failed attempts, Derek sees
past his color and sees him for an actual human being. After playing one game of basketball

American History X : Tony Kaye Essay
American History X (Tony Kaye. 1998), is an example of a Hollywood film that boldly embodies
Bernardi's argument; "US cinema has consistently constructed whiteness, the representation and
narrative form of Eurocentrism, as the norm by which all 'Others' fail by comparison" (Bernardi
page5). The plotline centres on the main character; a former neo–Nazi skinhead named Derek
Vinyard, and his attempt to stop his younger brother– Danny Vinyard from getting involved in the
white supremacy gangs of Los Angeles. The film is symbolic of aspects of European and American
history; combining implications of both Nazi Germany and the reign of Adolf Hitler, with past and
present US Neo–Nazism. American History X deals with controversial racial issues such as white
supremacy and white privilege, the discrimination against people of colour, eurocentrism and the
power of whiteness, through different cinematic mediations, film context and character framing.
"What all contributions to this study of race in early cinema have in common is the grounding of
their analysis in history" (Bernardi, page 10). Bernardi's quote relates to how understanding the
sociohistorical context of American History X is crucial to understanding how whiteness and
eurocentrism is constructed in the narrative. The historical background of American History X
dates back to the reign of the Nazi Party in Europe. After German defeat in World War I, Nazism
arose and Neo–Nazi factions were established in countries all over

American History X "American History X" is divided into two color schemes, black and white,
and color, these schemes symbolize the before and after of Derek Vinyard's life. The film is
about the life of an "idol" skinhead and D.O.C. member Derek Vinyard, and how his life of hate
and racism has affected his family and himself. Throughout the movie the importance of color
and lighting is obvious, because it divides the movie into two fused worlds of Derek. Some of the
movie is shot in black and white to show that, at that point in time, Derek was a racist Nazi, and
only saw people in terms of their skin color, black and white. The remainder of the film, shot in
color, symbolizes that Derek sees the whole world, and sees people as people, not...show more
content...
so white kids wouldn't be scared to walk around in their own neighborhoods. The basketball court
leads us to one of Derek's flashbacks, of how he played black versus white for the court itself. On
one of Derek's friend's shirt reads the number В‘88', which is code for "Heil Hitler". The game is
shot from a bird's eye view so the viewer can see both the whole basketball court and the stands
and the white guy's win. Later there is a tight, dark shot of Derek, proving that he is confined to
one way of thinking. During the course of the game there is always a shadow on Derek's face,
and a very faint one on Danny's, to show that Derek is head over heels in racism and D.O.C. and
Danny is beginning to catch onto his brother's lead. The first scene that Derek appears in, in color,
is his return home, but his house becomes noticeably darker when Danny unveils his own D.O.C.
tattoo, Derek realizes that now his own brother is involved in the organization. When Derek
examines Danny's tattoo, Derek's face is lit brightly, and Danny blends in with the dark and dingy
background of their apartment. They go into their shared bedroom, which is adorned, in red
(meaning violence and aggression) Nazi memorabilia. There is a quick shot of Seth, both Derek
and Danny's friend and D.O.C. member, driving a disheveled orange car. Seth is singing, "the white
man marches on" as the camera zooms in on him in his tight and cramped car. Seth barges into the

American History Essays
American History It is important to be proud of who you are and where you have come from.
After watching the film American History X, whites are far from proud. We are ashamed to
admit that people just like us can act in such a horrible and disillusioned way toward those that
are different. As you watch, you see scenes of brutal violence, hear songs of hate and feel the pain
of all involved. These acts show the viewers how easily young minds can be influenced to believe
anything. Teachers, parents, siblings or any person of authority in a child's life can have this deep of
an impact on them. American History X is the story of how powerful an influence people of
importance can have upon youth. Adults can be the enemy of many...show more content...
The hate he has for people who are different grows inside the teens of the gang. The ultimate
manifestation of his brainwashing is the murder of two black men by Derek. Yet Derek's
downfall and racist notions were not all caused by Cameron's propaganda, but the influences of
his father. It isn't until the near end of American History X that the viewer finds the root causes
of Derek's white supremacist attitudes. A black and white scene shows his whole family happily
eating dinner together. His father asks him about his studies in school and at the mention of
black literature, Derek's father begins his rant about "trading good books for black books." He
tells Derek not to believe everything his teacher, Dr. Sweeney, has to say. As the conversation
plays on, it snowballs into supposed "Affirmative Blacktion" and white firemen being beat for a
job just because the others were black. In the end, Derek's father tells him, "It's all nigger
bull*censored*." The viewer sees how Derek soaks in whatever his father says and accepts it as
truth, claiming to "see what he's saying." When the father is shot and killed at the scene of a fire in
a crack house, Derek lashes out at the black community, blaming them for the tragic death. The
thoughts instilled by his father, plus his ironic death fuels Derek's Nazi beliefs. The motives of
Derek's murders stem from this situation. The beginning of the film shows Danny telling his brother
that a

American History X Essay examples
American History X
American History X is clearly a film dealing with the social topic of racism. The interesting thing
about this film is the way in which the subject is presented. First of all, it is obvious that, though
racism is always a difficult subject to deal with, American History X presents it without any
reservations or dummying down. Second, the film's figurehead for racism, Derek Vinyard (Edward
Norton), is not an unintelligent redneck racist as films often portray them, but is in fact
well–spoken, charismatic and bright, although he clearly holds ideals that are terribly wrong. Finally,
the film shows that it is not only the white, neo–nazi racists who are fools for being involved in this,
but all those who hold hatred in...show more content...
For example, the young, black men were disgraced by the white male in a local game of
basketball; therefore, the black men go to do damage to the white males car, which in turn, leads to
the white male killing the young black men. It's a vicious circle with no end in sight.
The film also did a very good job in the way they tie racial issues in with the portrayal of Derek's
character as a strong and bold leader. The things that make Derek such a powerful and frightening
character is not the fact that he is racist, it is the fact that instead of choosing a somewhat regular,
backwoods, unintelligent racist as the films central character, Derek is well spoken and bright. It is
these qualities that allow him to recruit the youths of Venice Beach and form, with the help of his
mentor Cameron Alexander, the entire white supremacist culture permeating the area. Instead of just
telling them to hate black, Hispanic, and Asian people because they are of that race, he makes
speeches, telling them charismatically and passionately how these people are stealing their jobs,
causing Americans to suffer a poor standard of living. He tells them "America needs to take care
of Americans before dealing with immigrants." And his speeches clearly incite this hatred in the
young people of that area and flare up their tempers, causing behavior, such as we see in the movie
when they destroy a grocery store because it was bought by a Korean immigrant who employs, "40
fuckin' border jumpers"

Essay on Racism in American History X
American History X is clearly a film dealing with racism. The interesting thing about this film is the
way in which the subject is treated. First of all, it is obvious that, though racism is always a difficult
subject to deal with, American History X presents it without any reservations or dumming down.
Second, the film's figurehead for racism, Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), is not an unintelligent
redneck racist as films often portray them, but is in fact well–spoken, charismatic and intelligent,
although he clearly holds ideals that are terribly wrong. Finally, the film shows that it is not just the
white, neo–nazi racists who are fools to be involved in this, but all racism is foolish. Through these
methods, the film shows the viewer,...show more content...
Derek's time in prison shows the results of this terrible way of life, and from the moment he takes
off his shirt in the outdoor workout area, revealing his huge swastika tattoo to the other neo–nazi
inmates, he becomes involved in another horrible situation, resulting in his being raped in the
showers when things go wrong. Perhaps the most tragic scene of the film is also its most effective
in delivering to the audience, the emotional destruction that racism can cause. When Danny at the
end of the film is shot repeatedly by a black student he had previously pissed off, Derek runs into
the school, finds his brother dead, and his life and the lives of his family are changed forever.
What makes Derek such a powerful and frightening character is not the fact that he is racist, it is the
fact that instead of choosing a somewhat regular, backwoods, unintelligent racist as the films central
character, Derek is well–spoken and bright. It is these qualities that allow him to recruit the youths
of Venice Beach and form, with the help of his mentor Cameron Alexander, the entire white
supremacist culture permeating the area. Instead of just telling them to hate black, hispanic, asian
people because they are of that race, he makes speeches, telling them charismatically and
passionately how these people are stealing their jobs, causing Americans to suffer a poor standard of
living. He tells them "America needs to take care of Americans

American History X By Tony Kaye
American History X American History X, directed by Tony Kaye, is one of the most controversial,
critically–acclaimed movies of the twentieth century. The film is about a man named Derek who
serves three–years in prison for murdering two African–American gang members who broke into his
truck. Derek's younger brother, Danny, tells the story of how Derek became this hateful, racist
person through various flashback throughout the story. Danny and Derek's father was killed by an
African–American while fighting a fire. Their father used to tell Derek terrible things about
African–Americans and that they do not deserve to be in this country because they are taking away
the jobs of hardworking white men. This triggered something in Derek's mind, which prompted him
to become the leader of the "neo–Nazi skinheads", an all white gang trying to get justice for all the
white men who lost their jobs to immigrants. This group was created by a manipulating man
named Cameron who convinces vulnerable men to believe in his crazy theories However, after
Derek serves time in prison, his perspective changes when he befriends a black man named
Lamont and is betrayed and brutally raped by his 'own kind'. Lamont is a nice, kindhearted person
who was serving six years for a crime he half committed. With the help from Lamont and Derek's
old teacher Sweeney, Derek realizes he does not want to live his old lifestyle anymore and only
cares about protecting his family. Derek tries to prevent Danny from

American History X By Tony Kaye
Let me introduce you to a world where colour matters, where if you are African American you can
say goodbye to being a living soul, and you can definitely guarantee a brutal end to your life. Now
"put your motherf****** mouth on the curb" and say goodnight. It's a white man 's world and you
my friend have no rights at all. American History X, directed by Tony Kaye is about a former
neo–Nazi who has been released from jail and is now trying to right his wrongs. His goal to make
sure his brother does not go down the same path that he did, a life of destruction and excruciating
violence. The movie touches the subject of racism in 1998 revealing the extremities of violence in
which the neo–Nazis inflicted on the African Americans. In the first scene of the film theaudience
witnesses Derek kill two black males that lead to his conviction of voluntary manslaughter. We
also see Danny 's horrified reaction, as he watched his older brother take the life of two men. This
moment was the trigger point in Danny 's life that would lead him down the same destructive path
of his older brother. In the second scene, we see both brothers reflecting on their past choices of
racism and violence. We also get our first and only colour flash back that leads us to believe that
this was a pure and happy time in both of their lives. This was the point in the film where we
understand that both brothers have acknowledged they have made the decision to change. The scene
touches on the seriousness of the

Theory Assignment on American History X Essay
Theory Assignment on American History X This movie tells the story of a young man, from
Southern California, that is the product of several unfortunate incidents, and his misguided
search trying to answer the question why his life is the way it is. I. Daniel appeared to be dealing
with the adolescent stage. Daniel seems to have developed his sense of self worth by mimicking
his older brother. Daniels significant relationships, since his brothers incarceration has been
derricks old friends (the skin head group). The scene in the principle's office shows that Daniel is
trying to live up to what he believes are his older brother's ideals, which he believes are following
in the foot steps of Nazis. Hate anyone that is not white and...show more content...
The most telling environmental factor was the influence Derrick's father had on his way of
thinking. During the scene when Derricks is talking about the book Native Son, Derrick's father
tells him that he should be wary of any new books that this black Dr that Derrick is so excited
about, assigns for reading. These factors help determine the course of Derrick's actions, and are
therefore the parts that make up and they help define the system of the film. 3. The first identified
population is the black youth in the neighborhood. One of the reasons for their high risk factor is
the role models shown in the film. At the basketball court, during the scene when the young black
male shows his "mentor," where Daniel is pointed out as "the one" who is slated to be shot, the
victimization of the impressionable youth is apparent. If my "hero" is talking about "he ain't
nothing," then for sure that is where my mind is going to be. By not having role models that
portrayed societal norms, these youths are placed at risk If no one I know behaves in a manner that
conforms with society, how can I be expected to understand what society expects. In the bathroom
scene, when Daniel stands up to the three black youths, and tells the beaten white youth he has to
stand up for himself, he is a marked man. Another population

American History X Essay
American History X
Will racism ever come to an end or will its path go on infinitely? For the most part, the majority of
people respect those who are different either in color, race, and/or heritage; however, there are those
few that hold bigoted views towards people who are different than they are. The movie American
History X by Tony Kaye displays an example of people who hold bigoted views. Derek, a Neo–Nazi
leader, must contend with his actions relating to his past racist views and actions. This powerful
movie explores its characters thoroughly and gives reasons why people become so callous and turn
towards a racist group. It also exposes insight to problems that plague America when it comes to
racism in...show more content...
Derek realized that hatred towards people did not help him, his family, or the situation at hand.
Instead of being negative and destructive, why not be positive. Hurting people and destroying
property does not solve problems, but only makes them worse by causing more resentment and
tension between people (Theriou). Nothing good has ever come out of a situation where one person
has been the victim of a crime or abuse. Good things come out of situations where people show
hospitality, good will, and compassion; not hatred.
It is made very clear that Derek and Danny have no affiliations with the Ku Klux Klan. Derek calls
the KKK a bunch of disorganized rednecks that very inanely run around with sheets on their heads.
Instead they are part of a Neo–Nazi group in Southern California. In America today there are
"estimated to be about 200,000 members
602 3 associated with white power groups (included in these estimates are supporters and hard core
members plus their families)" (Suall). That is a lot of people who are affiliated with known racist
groups. When looking on the Internet a person can realize how much hate is present in our world.
John Hron website has estimates of Neo–Nazis in countries and a little bit about how that country
views Nazism. America has about 85,000 Neo–Nazi members compared with 47,000 German
Neo–Nazis. Germany though has a lot

American History Essay
United States, 2006: a nation with a history of a mere 230 years, yet it stands as one of the most
powerful nations in the world. Yet many of us know little about the history and cultural changes that
led to the birth of this nation. We only know the bits and pieces that are taught as we sit
daydreaming in our fifth grade classroom. The Puritans, the Pilgrims, Christopher Columbus, the
Mayflower, we know about these people and things, yet what aspects of their lives created the
change in America? The answer to this question can be found by observing the changes in religion,
women's role, and colonial law as it brought about the change in the Puritan's cultural values. In
1630, the first group of Puritans under the name of the...show more content...
Puritanism for the Massachusetts Bay Colony consisted of seeing the Bible as a guide, justifying their
actions through faith, and finally believing in predestination.
However, this model that stood as the foundation for the Massachusetts Bay Colony shattered
decades later after the movement which came to be known as the Great Awakening. The Great
Awakening as defined by Edwin Gaustad and Mark Noll in A Documentary History of Religion in
America, "In that wave of religious excitement known as the Great Awakening, many found the
depths of religious feeling more meaningful than the superficiality of denomination or language or
even race." This movement revived religious enthusiasm in the mass, increasing religion's role in
daily lives. After generation of declination in the belief of a biblical commonwealth that the colonies'
founding father had set forth, the Great Awakening revived these feelings. However, the movement
did not have revert the new generation of Puritans to thinking of what their forefathers believed in.
The movement encouraged people to learn the bible and interpret it on their own without the aids of
the minister. Furthermore, it also brought about an increase in religious belief, played a role in
decreasing prejudice and identification differences as it allowed blacks to also become Christians.
All these changes in religion also brought

Analysis Of The Movie ' American History X '
In the movie, "American History X", the plot surrounds the life of two brothers who are involved
with the D.O.C. a well–known white supremacist group in Venice Beach. Danny Vinyard is a high
school student who admires his older brother, Derek, a former skinhead. Through the incarceration of
his brother Derek, Danny becomes more affiliated with the skinheads and is mentioned at times as
being the resemblance of his elder brother. The movie begins with flashbacks of Derek's
incarceration, and everything that leads him into being a prominent member of the skinheads.
Throughout the movie, the audience witnesses the murder of two African–American men by the
hands of Derek; while Danny watches in fear and in disbelief. After the murders, Derek is
immediately arrested and is sentenced to three years for voluntary manslaughter. Throughout the
three years of Derek's imprisonment, Danny has become more involved in the white supremacist
groups and begins following in the same dogma; which is that whites should hate all that are not part
of the superior race. Due to his growing belief, Danny is sent to the principle's office for writing a
paper on Adolph Hitler's book, "Mein Kampf"; which ultimately leads to principal Sweeney
becoming his new history teacher and assigning him his first assignment. Danny is instructed to
write a paper surrounding events that would ultimately lead to Derek's imprisonment and how his
imprisonment affected Danny's perception of all the people around him.

American History X Essay

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American History X Essay