This film demonstrates the social issues of the 1960’s, which are still prevalent in today’s society, though there have been significant changes throughout the years. Many issues are portrayed, but three of the most relevant to today are racism, ageism, and sexism. Through the story of an unaccepted interracial marriage, two families are tested on societal views, judgments, and culture. Ever since the start of civilization, there have always been traces of inequality. While discrimination has always been an issue, times have changed for the better. Women are in the workforce, we currently have the first African American president in office, and the elderly population is growing faster and longer. Our societies have made a lot of advancements, however, there will always be more room for improvement for more equality in our day to day lives. Even in this short clip, you can already see the issue of racism that the characters face, as the families have a difficult time accepting the marriage of a white woman and an African American man. One issue of ageism that sticks out like a sore thumb, is when Dr. John Prentice tells his father that their views are not coinciding, and that what was good for his generation, is not good for the new generation that is more accepting to times changing. Finally, the gender inequality that is expressed in the two-and-a-half-minute film, was when Christina stood up to her husband and told him that she would go against the norm, and against what was expected of her, and support her daughter rather than her husband. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” exemplifies many more social issues than the three that were for mentioned, but these were three that have been relevant throughout the entire film, and in our entire history. By watching these films, we have plenty to learn from about our past, and more to gain about what will happen with our history. Sandydog001
There are three sociological issues that are in this film that we can still view in today's society. Racism, ageism, and sexism. In today's society there isn't a lot of racism but when we talk to our grandparents about dating a African- American man, which I have done, it becomes noticeable. My grandparents would say stuff like "that's unclean" and "he isn't beating you is he?" So yes we do have racism in today's society just not as pronounced as it is in this film. In this film the parents seem equally shocked to see each others race. The cultural lag to a play where the parents didn't think there children knew what they were doing. Sexism is one of the sociological issues, and it represents sexism that may occur in society today. When Joey's mother stood up to Joey's father it represented women standing up to their men today. Example of this is when a man is abusive to their wife or woman, she normally doesn't speak up or do anything about it but in this film the exact opposite happened. The last issue is ageism, when Dr.Prentice and his father were talking. Dr. Prentice's father tried to make him believe his ways instead of the new ways that were started to form in society. In today's society and example of ageism is my grandpa saying that I shouldn't marry a certain man because he doesn't have an education to get a job so he can help me raise a family. Rie001
When Dr. John Prentice says his father is thinking of himself as a black man and that he is simply thinking of himself as a man, a true cultural divide is shown. The traditional ideas of the parents and the progressive ideas of their children create conflict. Joanna’s parents are immediately accepting of John as a doctor, but when it is revealed that he is her lover, they could not be accepting because of the color of his skin. At least two-thirds of the movie is about the Drayton family alone debating interracial marriage. Being liberal people, they still end up judging John’s skin color. They were tolerant of other races until a black man ended up with their daughter. However, in the film, disapproval of the interracial relationship does not only come from the Drayton family, but the Prentice family as well. At the Drayton home, John uses the phone to call home and tell his family about his new love interest. He speaks with his parents on the phone on two separate occasions and makes no mention of her race. John is afraid to tell his parents that he is seeing a white girl because of disapproval from his parents. When his parents fly to San Francisco, they are immediately shocked when then see Joey. They stand in silence for minutes, taking in this white woman that is John’s lover. Not only does John’s statement about being a man reflect the cultural divide between parents and children, but also the divide between society before and after the civil rights movement. In 1967, interracial marriage is a revolutionary idea. Just decades before, even if a black man was accused of looking the wrong way at a white woman, he would be killed. Later in 1967, John has enough self-assurance to love a white woman. This begs the question of what had juristically changed the perception interracial interactions in matter of decades. FireFan001
This movie is incredible in that there are so many different social conflicts that are seen and even resolved as the film progresses. I think that in this clip of the movie, when Jon in a sense stand up to his dad is very interesting. For one it shows the difference in one generation to the next. Jon is convinced his dad was stuck in his old ways, always thinking of himself as a colored man and not his own individual. Perhaps Jon always felt like a little kid with his dad and never gained his own identity as an adult. Maybe his dad never supported or allowed his son to make his own choices, despite his own personal beliefs. I also think that you could look at it from a race point of view. Jons dad probably always believed he was a black man and thus felt like he submitted to the stereotype. So when Jon opposed his dad by saying, “I’m a man!” I felt like he meant that in such a way that he would not see himself as a colored man but a man. Another thought I found interesting was Jon’s father’s attitude toward his son. Today, we would think that the dad should want to encourage his son to stand up for what he believes in despite other beliefs or disapproval. But back then even his father taught him since he was young that he was of color and that that will always be a barrier between man and colored man. In the end I think this movie and in specific this clip shows great significance. I think it shows Jon standing up to his father and proving him that no, in fact his race does not distinguish him from any other human. Also it shows Jon’s courage to be the true man that maybe he was not able to be under his dad’s instructions. MacD001
This is a really great movie to watch. I think it was really respectful of him to basically ask permission to marry the young lady. Even though during that time in America it was looked down upon for white people to be involved with black people he still stood up as a man and did the right thing by asking. I like the part of the movie the most when his dad and him where in the study and his dad was basically telling him that since he brought him into this world that he owes him since his mother and him had to sacrifice everything just so he is where he was in the movie. And I love that he stepped up as a man and told his dad that that was his job and he basically owed him, not the other way around because it was his fault he brought him into this world. GRUNT001
This trailer sets up what the movie is about very well, especially with the last scene between Mr. Prentice and John. This scene really demonstrates how much societies change from one generation to the next. John's father would have never thought that his son could or would marry a white woman, so it's hard for him to grasp. John and his father are different. They were raised in different worlds, practically. Especially in the 60's, John's experience as a black man was drastically different then his father's. John recognizes that he can't live according to his father's rules because those rules don't apply anymore. But John also says that he loves his father and he knows that it is hard for his father to think of the world as it is rather than how it was because how it was is so ingrained in his culture. One of most memorable lines in the movie is when John says, “You think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man.” This, one again, reiterates the social differences between the two generations. There are more opportunities for John than there were for his father. Whether Mr. Prentice likes it or not, John is living according to his rules, not his father's. HAL001
I really enjoyed this video and it brought me back to the past of my high school sociology class where we watched a similar movie and did the same explaining through all of our sociological terms. This movie not only represents bi-racial relationships, it shows personal affairs with family globally. They brought their family to our class to show us what these scenarios look like back in that time and similar to what they are now. It’s not only until they see eye to eye when their son or their daughter’s eyes light up when they talk about someone they have falling in love with. It’s like they created a new hit song and can’t wait to record it with a huge record label. I don’t know how it is to have children, but I’m sure if I had one I’d be more than overjoyed to see them as excited as I would’ve been with their father when I were their age. When John Prentice was having that conversation with his father about manhood, he told his dad “You see yourself as a black man, and I see myself as a man”. That statement says a lot to me personally because I know how it is to be African American and being judged all the time for being ghetto, nasty, thugs, lazy, and many more I’m sure people use every day. I consider myself not to be any of those descriptions. I have also chosen not to be anything that someone decides as my fate. I only think it’s fair in this world for us to be able to be who we want and love what we love. I think its fate when you can see someone and know that that’s the person for you and they feel the same way as you do. Pineapples001
I really liked this response. You transitioned very well from topic to topic and explained the social judgement of black people. What I really liked though was you last three sentences, to not let the social environment act upon us and the way we go about our lives. Yatchy001
This trailer from the movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is very powerful. It shows the difference in the two generations of John Prentice and his father. By only being a couple decades apart they have such drastically different views on life. His father is more traditional and mainstream.He grew up in a time period before integration. Segregation became illegal while he was an adult, and it is hard to change your views that you were raised believing when you are an adult. He did not really stray too much from what was acceptable from society since he grew up during a time when he was supposed to stay in his place and not cause trouble because it would be worse for him. John on the other hand is a total anomaly. As a black man in this time they were just becoming more welcomed in society. John Prentice graduated as a doctor from a good school and had many good, prestigious jobs by the time he was thirty-seven. This is a great achievement in and of itself but especially for a black man during this time period. Now because he tends to deviate from the norm, it is no surprise he fell in love with a beautiful white woman. His modern views, as he tells his father, are that there is no difference in people of different races. He says to his dad, “You think of yourself as a black man. I think of myself as a man!” This basically is just saying that his dad's views are outdated and the fact that he is black has no difference on the outcome of his life. John is not going to let the color of his skin stand in the way of getting what he wants. He has already clearly demonstrated that by being such a successful and prestigious doctor by the age of thirty-seven. Now he wants to marry a wealthy white girl from an elite family. Not only is the age gap an issue in this movie, but the race difference as well. Saur001
The movie, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, was packed full of social issues and aspects of sociology to be examined. The featured clip, being a trailer, showed a scene that really stands out in the film. It’s an intense scene where John is speaking with his father in a private room. The father really gives his son a piece of his mind and as the viewer, you wonder if John and Joanna really will end up marrying. John’s father rants about how wrong it is that he is in love with a white girl, and he even feels betrayed as a father. This was interesting to me because all John did was fall in love with a beautiful and bright woman, but his father feels so deeply hurt. When John fires back at his father it challenges the typical family dynamic you would see. It’s usually not acceptable in any culture for a child to speak to their parents in that way. One example is when John yells at his father to “listen here”, and other demanding words. However, in this case I feel it was very necessary in order to get his point across. Another comment he makes that in my opinion is one of the best quotes of the movie is, “You think of yourself as a colored man, I think of myself as a man”. This is such a real and thought provoking statement. At that time period, it was thought of as nothing to refer to yourself as a “colored man” or a “white man” because that’s just what you were taught. When John says this, it portrays a real change in attitude of people at this time. People are leaning towards a more equal stance where they aren’t defined as their skin color, but all the other internal factors really. Aloha001
The film production “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” demonstrates a various amount of social conflicts that seemed to gradually be resolved as the film goes on. There are an assortment of social conflicts and overall social issues throughout the movie, but the most prevalent of them all are the social aspects and conflicts involving family, Race, and Gender. All family members from both the Prentices and the Draytons display diverse complications and conflicts varying from family to family. In this specific clip, the Prentices seemed to be having an argument about the problem of interracial marriage in which both sides are from completely different ages, therefore their responses are going to differentiate. The father knows and has known from his time interracial marriage is a bad and dangerous road. While Jon looks at it as any other marriage, and tries his best not to see a problem considering he loves this women. The two argue and argue and to end the argument Jon states "you see yourself as a black man I see myself as a man". This is showing how society is changing in the movie, or at least how Jon is trying to jumpstart it and not be bothered by the comments or anything that he may receive because of this. Jon is much different from her father because of the age gap and how one generation learns from another and so on and so forth.Jon does not want to grow up like his father did or have the mindset of segregation and never being able to get over it. Jon sees how his father acts and comes right back at him for what seems to be the first time ever, and honestly brings up a breathtaking point and I think it let his father known his choice and also know that life is changing for the best of society. Yatchy001
During this important scene, John really opens up for the first time emotionally. His father wants to speak to him alone and he gives him a piece of his mind. He tells John that he does not accept of John and Joey’s future marriage because it is wrong to marry outside of their race. Clearly, both of the fathers in this movie are experiencing a cultural lag, because even the Monsignor proposes that they will have a beautiful marriage since he has seen many interracial couples be very successful. The moms are more accepting of the marriage because they are the ones actually thinking about how their children might feel. John then decides to give his father a piece of his own mind, telling him that he is a man and can make his own decisions. He also says that he does not owe his father anything, because the way his father is talking to him, he is acting as if John owes his respect by not marrying Joey. He explains that his father did what he was supposed to do by raising him and taking care of him, but that is a requirement in parenthood. John explains he will do the same thing to his children, and not expect anything back in return. It is very uncommon for John’s culture to yell at his father and tell him how he really feels. Even his father was dumbfounded and couldn’t even speak a word. Overall this was scene was excellent the way John put his father in place. chicagoblackhawks001
Mr. and Mrs. Drayton are extremely liberal people that are not afraid to speak about their views but when it comes to their daughter getting married to a black man their beliefs and values are put to the test. Mrs. Drayton is aware that her and her husband’s hesitations go against what they preach which is clear when she says, “We answered her questions. Listened to her answers. Told her it was wrong to believe that white people were somehow superior to black people or the brown or the red or the yellow ones, for that matter. People that thought that way were wrong to think that way. Sometimes hateful, usually stupid, but always wrong. That’s what we said and when we said it we did not add but don’t even fall in love with a colored man.” Later during this same scene Mr. Drayton does a background check on John which brings up the question if John was white would Mr. Drayton still feel the need to do a background check? It is another example of how even the most liberal people in the 1960’s still weren’t comfortable with all the factors of equality. I do not doubt that the Draytons are liberal but race equality was still such a new concept there were some things such as interracial marriage that even the most liberal people were ready for. This shows the cultural lag at this time period. The Draytons learn from the background check that John has an excellent record. The audience can tell this is unexpected for the time period because of Mr. Drayton’s response, “I can certainly understand why he didn’t have much to say about himself. Who the hell would believe him?” Sleepyhead001
This film demonstrates the social issues of the 1960’s, which are still prevalent in today’s society, though there have been significant changes throughout the years. Many issues are portrayed, but three of the most relevant to today are racism, ageism, and sexism. Through the story of an unaccepted interracial marriage, two families are tested on societal views, judgments, and culture. Ever since the start of civilization, there have always been traces of inequality. While discrimination has always been an issue, times have changed for the better. Women are in the workforce, we currently have the first African American president in office, and the elderly population is growing faster and longer. Our societies have made a lot of advancements, however, there will always be more room for improvement for more equality in our day to day lives. Even in this short clip, you can already see the issue of racism that the characters face, as the families have a difficult time accepting the marriage of a white woman and an African American man. One issue of ageism that sticks out like a sore thumb, is when Dr. John Prentice tells his father that their views are not coinciding, and that what was good for his generation, is not good for the new generation that is more accepting to times changing. Finally, the gender inequality that is expressed in the two-and-a-half-minute film, was when Christina stood up to her husband and told him that she would go against the norm, and against what was expected of her, and support her daughter rather than her husband. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” exemplifies many more social issues than the three that were for mentioned, but these were three that have been relevant throughout the entire film, and in our entire history. By watching these films, we have plenty to learn from about our past, and more to gain about what will happen with our history. Sandydog001
ReplyDeleteThere are three sociological issues that are in this film that we can still view in today's society. Racism, ageism, and sexism. In today's society there isn't a lot of racism but when we talk to our grandparents about dating a African- American man, which I have done, it becomes noticeable. My grandparents would say stuff like "that's unclean" and "he isn't beating you is he?" So yes we do have racism in today's society just not as pronounced as it is in this film. In this film the parents seem equally shocked to see each others race. The cultural lag to a play where the parents didn't think there children knew what they were doing. Sexism is one of the sociological issues, and it represents sexism that may occur in society today. When Joey's mother stood up to Joey's father it represented women standing up to their men today. Example of this is when a man is abusive to their wife or woman, she normally doesn't speak up or do anything about it but in this film the exact opposite happened. The last issue is ageism, when Dr.Prentice and his father were talking. Dr. Prentice's father tried to make him believe his ways instead of the new ways that were started to form in society. In today's society and example of ageism is my grandpa saying that I shouldn't marry a certain man because he doesn't have an education to get a job so he can help me raise a family. Rie001
ReplyDeleteWhen Dr. John Prentice says his father is thinking of himself as a black man and that he is simply thinking of himself as a man, a true cultural divide is shown. The traditional ideas of the parents and the progressive ideas of their children create conflict. Joanna’s parents are immediately accepting of John as a doctor, but when it is revealed that he is her lover, they could not be accepting because of the color of his skin. At least two-thirds of the movie is about the Drayton family alone debating interracial marriage. Being liberal people, they still end up judging John’s skin color. They were tolerant of other races until a black man ended up with their daughter. However, in the film, disapproval of the interracial relationship does not only come from the Drayton family, but the Prentice family as well. At the Drayton home, John uses the phone to call home and tell his family about his new love interest. He speaks with his parents on the phone on two separate occasions and makes no mention of her race. John is afraid to tell his parents that he is seeing a white girl because of disapproval from his parents. When his parents fly to San Francisco, they are immediately shocked when then see Joey. They stand in silence for minutes, taking in this white woman that is John’s lover. Not only does John’s statement about being a man reflect the cultural divide between parents and children, but also the divide between society before and after the civil rights movement. In 1967, interracial marriage is a revolutionary idea. Just decades before, even if a black man was accused of looking the wrong way at a white woman, he would be killed. Later in 1967, John has enough self-assurance to love a white woman. This begs the question of what had juristically changed the perception interracial interactions in matter of decades. FireFan001
ReplyDeleteThis movie is incredible in that there are so many different social conflicts that are seen and even resolved as the film progresses. I think that in this clip of the movie, when Jon in a sense stand up to his dad is very interesting. For one it shows the difference in one generation to the next. Jon is convinced his dad was stuck in his old ways, always thinking of himself as a colored man and not his own individual. Perhaps Jon always felt like a little kid with his dad and never gained his own identity as an adult. Maybe his dad never supported or allowed his son to make his own choices, despite his own personal beliefs. I also think that you could look at it from a race point of view. Jons dad probably always believed he was a black man and thus felt like he submitted to the stereotype. So when Jon opposed his dad by saying, “I’m a man!” I felt like he meant that in such a way that he would not see himself as a colored man but a man. Another thought I found interesting was Jon’s father’s attitude toward his son. Today, we would think that the dad should want to encourage his son to stand up for what he believes in despite other beliefs or disapproval. But back then even his father taught him since he was young that he was of color and that that will always be a barrier between man and colored man. In the end I think this movie and in specific this clip shows great significance. I think it shows Jon standing up to his father and proving him that no, in fact his race does not distinguish him from any other human. Also it shows Jon’s courage to be the true man that maybe he was not able to be under his dad’s instructions. MacD001
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great movie to watch. I think it was really respectful of him to basically ask permission to marry the young lady. Even though during that time in America it was looked down upon for white people to be involved with black people he still stood up as a man and did the right thing by asking. I like the part of the movie the most when his dad and him where in the study and his dad was basically telling him that since he brought him into this world that he owes him since his mother and him had to sacrifice everything just so he is where he was in the movie. And I love that he stepped up as a man and told his dad that that was his job and he basically owed him, not the other way around because it was his fault he brought him into this world.
ReplyDeleteGRUNT001
This trailer sets up what the movie is about very well, especially with the last scene between Mr. Prentice and John. This scene really demonstrates how much societies change from one generation to the next. John's father would have never thought that his son could or would marry a white woman, so it's hard for him to grasp. John and his father are different. They were raised in different worlds, practically. Especially in the 60's, John's experience as a black man was drastically different then his father's. John recognizes that he can't live according to his father's rules because those rules don't apply anymore. But John also says that he loves his father and he knows that it is hard for his father to think of the world as it is rather than how it was because how it was is so ingrained in his culture. One of most memorable lines in the movie is when John says, “You think of yourself as a colored man. I think of myself as a man.” This, one again, reiterates the social differences between the two generations. There are more opportunities for John than there were for his father. Whether Mr. Prentice likes it or not, John is living according to his rules, not his father's. HAL001
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this video and it brought me back to the past of my high school sociology class where we watched a similar movie and did the same explaining through all of our sociological terms. This movie not only represents bi-racial relationships, it shows personal affairs with family globally. They brought their family to our class to show us what these scenarios look like back in that time and similar to what they are now. It’s not only until they see eye to eye when their son or their daughter’s eyes light up when they talk about someone they have falling in love with. It’s like they created a new hit song and can’t wait to record it with a huge record label. I don’t know how it is to have children, but I’m sure if I had one I’d be more than overjoyed to see them as excited as I would’ve been with their father when I were their age. When John Prentice was having that conversation with his father about manhood, he told his dad “You see yourself as a black man, and I see myself as a man”. That statement says a lot to me personally because I know how it is to be African American and being judged all the time for being ghetto, nasty, thugs, lazy, and many more I’m sure people use every day. I consider myself not to be any of those descriptions. I have also chosen not to be anything that someone decides as my fate. I only think it’s fair in this world for us to be able to be who we want and love what we love. I think its fate when you can see someone and know that that’s the person for you and they feel the same way as you do. Pineapples001
ReplyDeleteI really liked this response. You transitioned very well from topic to topic and explained the social judgement of black people. What I really liked though was you last three sentences, to not let the social environment act upon us and the way we go about our lives. Yatchy001
DeleteThis trailer from the movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is very powerful. It shows the difference in the two generations of John Prentice and his father. By only being a couple decades apart they have such drastically different views on life. His father is more traditional and mainstream.He grew up in a time period before integration. Segregation became illegal while he was an adult, and it is hard to change your views that you were raised believing when you are an adult. He did not really stray too much from what was acceptable from society since he grew up during a time when he was supposed to stay in his place and not cause trouble because it would be worse for him. John on the other hand is a total anomaly. As a black man in this time they were just becoming more welcomed in society. John Prentice graduated as a doctor from a good school and had many good, prestigious jobs by the time he was thirty-seven. This is a great achievement in and of itself but especially for a black man during this time period. Now because he tends to deviate from the norm, it is no surprise he fell in love with a beautiful white woman. His modern views, as he tells his father, are that there is no difference in people of different races. He says to his dad, “You think of yourself as a black man. I think of myself as a man!” This basically is just saying that his dad's views are outdated and the fact that he is black has no difference on the outcome of his life. John is not going to let the color of his skin stand in the way of getting what he wants. He has already clearly demonstrated that by being such a successful and prestigious doctor by the age of thirty-seven. Now he wants to marry a wealthy white girl from an elite family. Not only is the age gap an issue in this movie, but the race difference as well. Saur001
ReplyDeleteThe movie, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, was packed full of social issues and aspects of sociology to be examined. The featured clip, being a trailer, showed a scene that really stands out in the film. It’s an intense scene where John is speaking with his father in a private room. The father really gives his son a piece of his mind and as the viewer, you wonder if John and Joanna really will end up marrying. John’s father rants about how wrong it is that he is in love with a white girl, and he even feels betrayed as a father. This was interesting to me because all John did was fall in love with a beautiful and bright woman, but his father feels so deeply hurt. When John fires back at his father it challenges the typical family dynamic you would see. It’s usually not acceptable in any culture for a child to speak to their parents in that way. One example is when John yells at his father to “listen here”, and other demanding words. However, in this case I feel it was very necessary in order to get his point across. Another comment he makes that in my opinion is one of the best quotes of the movie is, “You think of yourself as a colored man, I think of myself as a man”. This is such a real and thought provoking statement. At that time period, it was thought of as nothing to refer to yourself as a “colored man” or a “white man” because that’s just what you were taught. When John says this, it portrays a real change in attitude of people at this time. People are leaning towards a more equal stance where they aren’t defined as their skin color, but all the other internal factors really. Aloha001
ReplyDeleteThe film production “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” demonstrates a various amount of social conflicts that seemed to gradually be resolved as the film goes on. There are an assortment of social conflicts and overall social issues throughout the movie, but the most prevalent of them all are the social aspects and conflicts involving family, Race, and Gender. All family members from both the Prentices and the Draytons display diverse complications and conflicts varying from family to family. In this specific clip, the Prentices seemed to be having an argument about the problem of interracial marriage in which both sides are from completely different ages, therefore their responses are going to differentiate. The father knows and has known from his time interracial marriage is a bad and dangerous road. While Jon looks at it as any other marriage, and tries his best not to see a problem considering he loves this women. The two argue and argue and to end the argument Jon states "you see yourself as a black man I see myself as a man". This is showing how society is changing in the movie, or at least how Jon is trying to jumpstart it and not be bothered by the comments or anything that he may receive because of this. Jon is much different from her father because of the age gap and how one generation learns from another and so on and so forth.Jon does not want to grow up like his father did or have the mindset of segregation and never being able to get over it. Jon sees how his father acts and comes right back at him for what seems to be the first time ever, and honestly brings up a breathtaking point and I think it let his father known his choice and also know that life is changing for the best of society. Yatchy001
ReplyDeleteDuring this important scene, John really opens up for the first time emotionally. His father wants to speak to him alone and he gives him a piece of his mind. He tells John that he does not accept of John and Joey’s future marriage because it is wrong to marry outside of their race. Clearly, both of the fathers in this movie are experiencing a cultural lag, because even the Monsignor proposes that they will have a beautiful marriage since he has seen many interracial couples be very successful. The moms are more accepting of the marriage because they are the ones actually thinking about how their children might feel. John then decides to give his father a piece of his own mind, telling him that he is a man and can make his own decisions. He also says that he does not owe his father anything, because the way his father is talking to him, he is acting as if John owes his respect by not marrying Joey. He explains that his father did what he was supposed to do by raising him and taking care of him, but that is a requirement in parenthood. John explains he will do the same thing to his children, and not expect anything back in return. It is very uncommon for John’s culture to yell at his father and tell him how he really feels. Even his father was dumbfounded and couldn’t even speak a word. Overall this was scene was excellent the way John put his father in place. chicagoblackhawks001
ReplyDeleteMr. and Mrs. Drayton are extremely liberal people that are not afraid to speak about their views but when it comes to their daughter getting married to a black man their beliefs and values are put to the test. Mrs. Drayton is aware that her and her husband’s hesitations go against what they preach which is clear when she says, “We answered her questions. Listened to her answers. Told her it was wrong to believe that white people were somehow superior to black people or the brown or the red or the yellow ones, for that matter. People that thought that way were wrong to think that way. Sometimes hateful, usually stupid, but always wrong. That’s what we said and when we said it we did not add but don’t even fall in love with a colored man.” Later during this same scene Mr. Drayton does a background check on John which brings up the question if John was white would Mr. Drayton still feel the need to do a background check? It is another example of how even the most liberal people in the 1960’s still weren’t comfortable with all the factors of equality. I do not doubt that the Draytons are liberal but race equality was still such a new concept there were some things such as interracial marriage that even the most liberal people were ready for. This shows the cultural lag at this time period. The Draytons learn from the background check that John has an excellent record. The audience can tell this is unexpected for the time period because of Mr. Drayton’s response, “I can certainly understand why he didn’t have much to say about himself. Who the hell would believe him?” Sleepyhead001
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