1. Kaylee Moore
FYS 100
Professor Blanco
June 24, 2015
Reaction Paper: Jane Elliot
In Jane Elliot’s brown eyed, blue exercise she divides the class up based on their eye colors.
During this exercise the brown eyed is superior to the blue eyed and it shows and lets them
experience being a minority. She doesn’t yell at them or do anything in a brutal way but yet just
says some hurtful things. She is trying to get the regular white kids to understand what it is like
to be a minority in today’s world.
My reaction to these exercises at first was that I didn’t understand how this would help them
see the point but as I continued to watch I see how it affected them. Most of them did not like
being asked certain questions or told what to do in such a manner. They would get very upset,
start crying or leave the room. Jane explains and asks them why their crying and so what
because blacks and other minorities go through this and worse everyday. Which I do agree,
growing up myself being biracial was difficult. I feel as if white kids and what society knows as
normal, blue yes blonde hair white people have the upper hand on everything. This exercise got
to show these types of kids what other kids go through on a daily basis. Jane explains to these
kids that minorities can’t just up and leave or escape the problem because it's everywhere and
will be there everyday. I agree because In the exercise the blue eyed kids would just get up and
leave the classroom but it's not that easy for minorities.
2. I think that this exercise is useful and gives others the perspective of what it's like to be
different or on the outside in this world. Many don't understand the hate and violence towards
racism. People will shoot you, hang you, even kill you all because you are a different color as
them. In this exercise Jane shows that no matter what color we are what eye color we all
should be treated the same, but she always shows how messed up our society is when it comes
to race. Racismwill always be around because there will always be someone that doesn't like
someone else just because the color of their skin but it more people watch and do this exercise
then it may give them a new outlook on life.
