Hi everyone. My name is Christina. I'm a finance major and a sophomore.

Speech 1 Outline

Gordon Gekko’s Speech from Wall Street

I) Introduction:

a) Attention Getter: “Greed is good” (American Rhetoric). How many of you can say you agree with this statement? Probably not many, but either can the management of Teldar Paper at their Annual Stockholder Meeting in the movie Wall Street starring Michael Douglas. According to the New York Times it is those “iconoclastic words which seem to have underpinned and inspired a generation of corporate bankers.” Wall Street is a movie made in 1987 which exposes the brutal facts of political and economic reality in corporations. When Gordon Gekko, a wealthy investor and corporate raider who became successful through various market abuses and many insider trading scandals, makes the statement “Greed is good” he is undeniably insulting the management of Teldar Paper, a company that had just lost 110 million dollars in the past year. Although the movie Wall Street is portraying a fictional story, it does relate to many of the illegal activities that occur in business.

b) Credibility: As a finance major, I have learned and discussed the wrongdoings of the past in the business world.

1. Sarbanes-Oxley is an act that was established in response to many of these accounting and corporate scandals that were seen in the movie and also in real companies such as Enron, WorldCom, and Adelphia, which I am sure many of you have already heard about. The act which I researched on the Sarbanes-Oxley website established vast modifications to the regulations of corporate governance and financial practices (http://www.soxlaw.com/).

2. According to the Internet and Movie Database the character and speech of Gordon Gekko is loosely based off Ivan Boesky, a man who gave a speech on greed in 1986 and participated in many acts involving arbitrage.

c)Preview of Main Points: In the movie, Teldar Paper is a malfunctioning company.

1. The company is losing money and Gekko is trying to convince the stockholder’s of the company that this problem is due to management.

2. Gekko is making this speech in order to defend his takeover of the company but he is also addressing the most important issue of corporations to date.

d) Thesis: In Gordon Gekko’s speech to the stockholder’s and management of Teldar Paper, he is stating that the major problem of corporations is that management does not have a stake in the company.

e)Transition to Body: In order to completely understand the purpose of Gekko’s speech at the meeting for Teldar Paper, it is important to discuss exactly to whom he was directing his message.

II. Audience:

a) The first person Gekko addresses in his speech as he begins to talk is Mr. Cromwell. Mr. Cromwell is the Chairman and C.E.O. of Teldar Paper.

b)Gekko is also speaking to the rest of the management of Teldar Paper as well. During his speech he is basically disgracing them on the fact that they own little to none of the Teldar Paper stock, and while the company is doing poorly they are still benefiting from their large salaries.

c)The stockholder’s of Teldar Paper are also being addressed by Gekko as he reveals the harsh truths

about the company they are investing in.

1. He makes it clear to them that when the company is not flourishing it is their money that is at stake, not the money of management.

e)Transition: Gekko is trying to inspire the stockholders and inform them of the misdoings of management, while at the same time he is belittling management and the unjust perks they receive which can tie into the exigence of the speech.

III. Exigence:

a)The reason for Gekko’s speech is to initiate a change in the way things are being run at Teldar Paper.

1. There is no accountability to the stockholders of the corporation.

2. Management has no tie to the corporation considering that together they own less than three percent of the stock, and because of this they benefit whether the company is experiencing gains or losses.

b) By comparing management to bureaucrats, Gekko wants to turn the stockholder’s against management and lead them to believe that his methods will save Teldar Paper.

c) To get the stockholder’s more involved with the problem, and as an excuse for his corporate raiding he exclaims, “Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed -- you mark my words -- will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA” (American Rhetoric).

d) Transition: While turning the stockholders against management Gekko is aware that there are some constraints as to what he says.

IV. Constraints:

a)While addressing a mixed audience with many people who were accusatory toward Gekko, he knows that his speech has to defend his stances.

b)Many of the points he puts into his speech suggest that he does not believe that there is a democracy within the governing of this company or the United States in general.

1. Although he obviously feels this way, Gekko does not directly state his views because it may make him appear to be unpatriotic to the stockholder’s and limit their approval of his ideas.

c)Even though Gekko’s intentions are to take over the company and eventually break it up for profit, he cannot reveal this to the other stockholder’s because they would not be for it whatsoever.

1. He has to make the stockholder’s believe that if he took over the company it would eventually prosper and be beneficial to all the stakeholders.

d) Transition from Body: By taking a look at the reasons and motives for the speech given by Gordon Gekko, one can see that his intentions are for him to benefit in the end, but he is also making some very factual claims to problems in the system.

V)Conclusion:

a)Thesis: In Gordon Gekko’s speech to the stockholder’s and management of Teldar Paper, he is stating that the major problem of corporations is that management does not have a stake in the company.

b)Review of Main Points: In addressing the main stakeholder’s of Teldar Paper, Gekko defends his actions by accusing management as the cause for the problems with the corporation. He says that management has no stake in the company, and because of this they have no initiative to work toward the prosper of the corporation. In order for the company to become prosperous, management needs to have some stake in the company, not just the three percent they currently own.

c)Decisive Closing: In the world of business, modifications are necessary in order for businesses to become more democratic and to thrive in an effective manner. In order for this to occur, it would be very helpful to force management to take a certain amount of stake in the company.

References:

Eidenmuller, Michael E. "American Rhetoric: Movie Speech "Wall Street" (1987)." American Rhetoric. 8 Feb. 2008 <http://americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechwallstreet.html>.

Mounty, Peter. "Gordon Gekko is Making a Comback." New York Times 11 Oct. 2007, sec. 0953-5276. LexisNexis Academic. Pattee Library, State College. 8 Feb. 2008. Keyword: Gordon Gekko.

"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act." The Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. 2006. 9 Feb. 2008 <http://www.soxlaw.com/>.

"Wall Street (1987) - Trivia." Internet Movie Database. 9 Feb. 2008 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094291/trivia>.

Comments:

Caitlin Leahy: You started off well and you really knew what you were talking about. I would work on eye contact for the next speech because you seemed to read a but too much from your notecards. You had great volume and made some really good points throughout the speech. I was a little surprised by the ending because it was somewhat abrupt...so maybe work on your transitions a bit. Other than that great job!

Whitney Trompeter: You started off with a really good credential. You could easily hear and understand what you were saying (good voice). You had really good transitions. It was a good speech and you spoke well, but you sometimes rocked back on forth on your feet and you walked to your seat as you were saying thank you. So just keep a look out for that. Overall, really good!

Michael McKenna: You established good credibility, which is imprtant to capture the support and acceptance of the audience. The eye contact was good, but I think that you knew the information well enough that you could have looked up more often for longer durations. You were slightly swaying back and forth, I don't think it was out of nervousness, but moreso you may have wanted to move around, which would have enhanced your speech so much. On the whole, great job!

Jess Mannion: Your projection was really good and you seemed to be confident, especially with your credibility! Try to use more eye-contact and just use your notecards for reference. You seemed to rush into the ending, but you fit in all your information into the time constraint which was good! In general you had good transitions and a very fluid, consistent speech!

David Oh: You had very nice structure to your speech and you had just the right amount of sources that you stated. It seemed like you knew your information very well. The flow was great and transition had good timing. You were loud and eye contact was great. Good Job!

Laura O'Neal: Christina, I actually misunderstood your attention getter and thought you asked who thought "green is good," not greed- so I raised my hand, haha. Greed is bad, and you convinced me of that during your speech. Overall, your voice was good, you had good tone- and you established good credibility by letting us know what your major is. The only advice I have is to rely a little less on your notecards and look around more. Overall though, good job.

John Galvin: Christina I really liked how you tied your major into the subject. It helped a lot to establish your credibility. Also you had really good transitions. You started off a little nervous and were sort of shaking back and forth at the podium but clearly calmed down later and settled into a nice pace. One more thing you looked at your note cards a lot and the audience less. But regardless it was a really good speech.

Siama Manzoor: Hey Christina! Good speech, you sounded very intelligent up there. You had a good attention getter and solid credentials. You were talking a little fast and you looked at your cards a lot. I would try to make more eye contact in your next speech. Your structure was subtle, I liked that. Nice work.

Enrique Ortiz: Your speech was very well done, and the topic was absolutely phenomenal! Your delivery was flawless, and included a good use of tone switching, rhythm, delivery rate, as well as volume. My only suggestion for the second speech would be to keep track of the podium, or move around while delivering your speech. You were swinging sideways to some extent, but it did not greatly affect the speech. Actually, you might want to stand up by the table in the classroom, and deliver your speech like Gordon Gecko. Oh and did I say that Wall Street is one of the best movies? GREAT JOB!

Liz Peters: Your speech was great and you have a great speaking voice! You had a lot of good information to back your credibility and it made me believe everything you said. Watch your body movement because you tend to sway back and forth sometimes and try making more eye contact. Other than that great job! I know your next speech will be just as good! :)

Scot Brown: While you do a good job of setting the scene within the film, there could have been more discussion of the film in its context in the real world. That way you could more clearly have drawn the line between the character's endorsement of greed and the film's indictment of it. Also too much looking at note cards.

Ryan Wendt: You clearly knew your topic well (which was enjoyable, by the way), and your speech kept me interested. The only thing I can really suggest is watching your body language. Otherwise you seemed very well prepared and had a good speech.

SPEECH 2: Content and Message Analysis of Gordon Gekko’s Speech in Wall Street

I) Introduction:

A) Attention-getter: Can a power-hungry corporate raider actually convince an audience of stockholders that he is truly a liberator of their company? Well this result is apparently evident after Gordon Gekko addresses the management and stockholders of the malfunctioning corporation known as Teldar Paper.

B) Preview: With an ego the size of the sun and a net worth of more than what many of us will see in a lifetime, Gordon Gekko works his magic through his speech to the stakeholders of Teldar Paper.

1. He applies his persuasive communication skills, high authoritative stance, and not to mention impeccable style and appearance throughout his astounding speech.

2. Gekko’s ideas appear reasonable because there is clear evidence to back up his claims such as the concept that management should have a stake in the company.

3. Gekko’s vocalizations result in what he would consider a positive outcome.

C) Credibility: I have previously discussed the rhetorical situation of the speech given by Gekko but it is also important to take a look at the delivery and content. Through studying effective public speaking methods and also popular persuasive techniques declared by Aristotle I have analyzed the success of Gordon Gekko’s speech.

D) Thesis: The speech given by Gordon Gekko receives a desired reaction from the stockholders of Teldar Paper because of his effective use of persuasive skills which demonstrate his opinion and intended course of action for the corporation.

E) Transition to Body: As an exceptionally wealthy man who is obviously well-aware of his success, Gekko is disliked by many people but he boldly throws that aside when he influences the stockholders that his ideas are the most valid.

II) Persuasive Techniques:

A) Gordon Gekko uses important persuasive skills in order to gain the attention of the audience through ethical and emotional wording.

1. Gekko uses ethos to establish his credibility and declare his authority on his opinions of the company’s failures.

a. Compared to “a lion of the business world” by Jim Zarroli from National Public radio, Gekko takes charge in his speech by starting off with telling the audience that he is the single largest

shareholder in the company.

b. He demonstrates his expertise by using quantitative evidence to reveal his credentials.

2. Gekko gathers an emotional appeal from the audience through pathos within his speech.

a. During his speech he refers to America. He says that when this country was the top industrial power, management had been accountable to the shareholders of companies. (Refer to visual aid from American Rhetoric) While he is making that statement he is standing in front of the American flag which draws a more patriotic appeal to his speech.

b. By claiming that management is receiving unfair perks such as steak lunches, hunting trips, and access to corporate jets Gekko draws emotion from the stockholders in the form of jealousy.

c. Emotion is also drawn from management in the form of anger because of what Gekko is saying even though it is the truth.

d. When Gekko claims that he is a liberator, he is calling upon a sense of hope that the company can survive.

B) Transition: Effective speaking skills and presentation style is very important but in order to persuade an audience there needs to be substance behind one’s stance.

III) Reasoning/Argument:

A) Gordon Gekko has a few different motives for his speech to the stakeholders of Teldar Paper but he convinces the stockholders through logic that they should have faith in him to help the company prosper.

1. In his speech Gekko utters the famous words “Greed is good.” This line is contradictory to what many people believe but in the context of Gekko’s speech he is using it to defend his actions and inspire the stockholders that he became successful through that credo.

a. The famous Adam Smith had similar ideas in his prominent text The Wealth of Nations when he wrote that a person who was able to pursue his own interests would be better off than someone following a dictated system of what ought to be done.

b. In an article from ABC News written by John Stossel it has been researched that a money motive can be a very effective incentive which may explain the driving force from Gordon Gekko.

2. On numerous accounts Gekko brings up the theory that in order for a company to prosper management must be accountable to the stockholder.

a. He states the current problems with the company and describes how those problems could be fixed if management had a stake in the company.

3. Gekko convinces the audience of his beliefs but is innately working toward his own benefit so that he can eventually break the company apart and ultimately end up with all the profits.

a. Although the selfishness and lies he is telling the stockholders are unethical and cruel, he still delivers a speech that swayed negative opinions to positive ones.

b. He not only influences the stockholders not to trust the future of the company with the current management, but also leads them to believe that he will be the reason for the company’s revival.

c. In a New York Times article from October 11, 2007 referring to the selfishness of some people on Wall Street the author asks “Does any moral responsibility attach itself to their pursuit of profit?” The author then answers the question by stating, “Their acceleration is arguably a classic example of the way they work, recognizing an investment opportunity and capitalizing on it.” Gordon Gekko can be seen as a driven person who uses every potential opportunity to succeed and make the most out of every situation.

d. It is even said in another New York Times article by Daniel Akst that without a constant demand for more the whole concept of economic growth would collapse.

B) Transition: Not only did Gekko provide substantial evidence for his claims, he also received preferable feedback from the audience.

IV) Outcome:

A) After being insulted by the Chairman and C.E.O of Teldar Paper, Gekko stands up to face an audience that is not very fond of his current stance but turns that disapproval around in a manner that benefits his goals.

1. As numerous, ironically true, insults toward management accumulate throughout Gekko’s speech the audience appears to become more attentive to the message he is portraying.

2. Originally they start out with a trust in management and by the end of Gekko’s speech their trust is severely tampered after the truths about the unfair realities within the company are revealed.

3. The immediate result of the speech is applause with a standing ovation from the stockholders as they are supporting Gekko’s claim.

4. The latter result is both positive and negative. Gekko gains significantly in the future because he eventually breaks the company apart and sells off their most important assets in order to benefit monetarily. The stockholders of the company are at a loss because they mistrusted Gekko when he claimed to be a liberator and instead he ended up screwing them over just as management had done previously.

B) Transition from Body: Through reviewing the persuasive techniques, the reasoning for success, and the outcome of Gekko’s speech it is clear as to why one would justify this speech as successful.

V) Conclusion:

A) Thesis: The speech given by Gordon Gekko receives a desired reaction from the stockholders of Teldar Paper because of his effective use of persuasive skills which demonstrate his opinion and intended course of action for the corporation.

B) Review of Main Points: Gekko strongly appealed to the stockholders of Teldar Paper through his strong persuasive skills. He used ethics, emotion, and logic to trigger a desired reaction from the audience. Even with an audience who was clearly against him at the beginning of his speech, he changed the opinion of the stockholders into one that would benefit his aims and ideals. The outcome of his speech resulted in applause and eventually in the future he monetarily gained to obtain a substantial result.

C) Decisive Closing: Gordon Gekko’s speech on greed and the benefits of management being accountable to the stockholders of Teldar Paper resulted in a new generation of corporate banking on Wall Street. The determination and aggressiveness held by Gekko to capitalize on opportunities bled into the masses of generations to follow and led to many corporate scandals which eventually called for a mode of regulation within the business world.

Works Cited

Akst, Daniel. "On the Contrary; Was Gordon Gekko Right About Greed?" New York Times 4 Aug. 2002. 26 Feb. 2008 <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E5D6143BF937A3575BC0A9649C8B63>.

Eidenmuller, Michael E. "American Rhetoric: Movie Speech "Wall Street" (1987)." American Rhetoric. 8 Feb. 2008

<http://americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechwallstreet.html>.

Mounty, Peter. "Gordon Gekko is Making a Comback." New York Times 11 Oct. 2007, sec. 0953-5276. LexisNexis Academic. Pattee Library, State College. 8 Feb. 2008. Keyword: Gordon Gekko.

Smith, Adam. "The Wealth of Nations." FutureCasts. 2003. 25 Feb. 2008 <http://www.futurecasts.com/Smith,%20Wealth%20of%20Nations%20(I).htm>.

Stossel, John, and Marc Dorian. "When is Greed Good?" ABC News. 11 Nov. 2005. 26 Feb. 2008 <http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Business/story?id=1304577>.

Zarroli, Jim. "Gordon Gekko, Preaching the Gospel of Greed." NPR. 17 Feb. 2008. 26 Feb. 2008 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19105520>.

Comments:

Quan,Zou: Your speech is pretty good, you have nice facial expression and your content of the speech is vivid and knowledgeable. I love your speech although you seemed a little nervous at the beginning by pausing a little bit longer during each sentence. But later you did pretty well to overcome it. Also you have impressive visual aids which enhance your whole speech. Nice speech and good job.

David Oh: Christina, you had great content in your speech and it seemed that you knew your information really well. Your eye contact was good but it was lacking a little bit. You seemed to look very briefly at the audience. However, as time went by, I think you caught it and your eye contact developed well. Your step by step descriptions of your speech and visual aid was understood very well. Great job!

Michael Chiang: I really liked the points that you made in class, they were very clear and I could tell when you switched from one point to antoher through your transitions. Your eye contact was lacking a little bit where you kept looking down on your cards. Your visual aid was also a little small and behind you. I really enjoyed your speech!

Scot Brown: You didn't really to name drop Aristotle in the beginning. Besides that, work on fillers. And the visual aid could have been more integral to the speech (although I shouldn't talk, case my visual aid was terrible in that area). And in your closing you talk how about Gekko's speech "resulted in a new generation of corporate banking on Wall Street," and all the evils that caused. Is this in real life? Or the context of the film? And is the film an indictment of Gekko and greed specifically, or is a broader reproach of capitalism in general? If so, where do we find parallel between the film world and our own?

PAPER 2

Race in American History X

“Every problem in this country is race-related. Every problem, not just crime. These problems are rooted in the black community, the Hispanic community, the Asian... every non- Protestant group in our society. Look at the shit. Immigration... welfare... AIDS... they're all the problems of the non-white. Look at the statistics (Generation Terrorists, Mckenna).” This quote, cried out by Derek Vinyard after learning about the tragic death of his father due to a drive-by shooting by a black man, makes it clear that there will be a huge negative stereotype toward the minorities in the film American History X. Poverty has always been a major influence on crime, but Derek along with his gang of white-supremacist skinheads feel that the minority community is present in the United States to exploit instead of embrace what America has to offer. The film is very realistic and portrays common events that occur in real life and deal with acts of crime. The minorities in the film, especially the blacks, are depicted as violent, low-life people who depend on welfare and are responsible for the wrongful acts that are destroying the American communities. The skinheads are depicted as very racist and strongly opposed to minorities. They support white power and criticize the wrongful offenses by minorities, while at the same time they cause many problems in their community. In many ways these skinheads represent themselves as even more violent and brutal then the minorities they criticize. American History X portrays an ironic viewpoint of racist tendencies when depicting the stereotypes of radical white skinheads and the minorities they condemn.

By taking a look at the constructions of race within the film, one can visual the stances on stereotypes that American History X is trying to represent. Within the film there is a clear line between white and black and many of the scenes and interactions between the characters depict this line. The African-American population in the film is shown in a stereotypical manner that makes the audience think of them as hostile, violent, and less intelligent. The perceptions and stereotypes of black people are often related back to their social status. In the film, the black population dresses similar in baggy clothing and they also speak in a nonstandard variety of the English language which is sometimes referred to as ebonics. This form of speaking is usually grammatically incorrect and is often associated with uneducated people, the working class, and also people of urban neighborhoods. There is error, though, in making these assumptions that all African-Americans speak in this dialect because the English that is spoken by this particular group of people is often highly varied and does not always have any influence from their background. Often many other races and groups of people speak in a nonstandard variety of the English language so it is wrong to associate this stereotype with black people only. Dialect and dress are just a few forms of stereotypes that exist among the black community in American History X, but there are additional types of discriminations and views toward this group of people that are apparent within the film.

Other instances of stereotypes against the African-American population are seen with violence and crime. A major scene of the movie is when two black men try to steal Derek’s car. They pull up at night in a stereotypically old and trashy-looking car which is low to the ground. This image is often shown in the movie when there is a group of black men in a car and it is associated with the typical drive-by shootings and gang-related infringements that are linked with the African-American population. While Derek is in jail at one point in the film, it is evident that most of the men there are black which makes it seem as if they are the only group of people who commit crimes. The only time an African-American is not represented in this stereotypical manner is with Mr. Sweeney, the principal of the local high school which Derek used to attend and his younger brother now attends. Mr. Sweeney is a successful, educated man who speaks properly and is not associated with criminal acts or violence in any means. He is representative of the non-stereotypical black person and shows the audience that the racism against the black population by the neo-Nazi group of skinheads is inaccurate and wrong. The black community is viewed stereotypically throughout the film, but concerning the depictions of race there is also a stereotypical view of the skinheads as a certain form of white identity.

The moment that Derek Vinyard removes his white t-shirt it is obvious to the audience who the group of people is to which he associates. Marked by tattoos of hatred such as the Nazi swastika, an iron cross with the words “white power,” the initials D.O.C. representing the words “Disciples of Christ,” and snarling dogs on each of his shoulder blades, Derek radiates an aura of menace and hatred (Bella Online, 2008). Derek and many of the people he associates with have shaved heads. The style that these people have chosen for themselves represents the stereotypical image of present-day white supremacist skinheads. These people are on a mission to fight against the wrongful acts that they feel are done by the minority population and are hurting the nation. Derek is represented as tough, violent, and threatening which are many of the characteristics of the stereotypical black people he hates. When two black men try to steal Derek’s car, a criminal act which is depicted as typical for a black person in this movie, Derek proves to be incredibly more violent and vicious. He comes out with a gun to shoot both of the men and then curb-stomps the man who did not die from the gunshot. This horrible act of violence demonstrates that the white man can be more violent than the black man, going against the usual stereotypical views of race, but there are other forms of violence against minorities as well.

In addition to racism and cruelty toward African-American people, the group of neo-Nazis in the film also harasses people of other ethnicities as well. They destroy a store owned by a Korean man who they think is getting such good business because he hires border-jumpers and pays them extremely low wages. This particular scene shows severe violence and cruelty initiated by the skinheads. It is very stereotypical, though, because there are many businesses and even corporations run by white people that hire illegal immigrants who work for less. Also the stereotype that all recent immigrants will voluntarily work for lower wages and longer hours exists within this scene. The relationships portrayed between the whites in the film, mainly skinheads, and the minorities is one of hostility and severe dislike, but throughout the film this hatred and aggressiveness changes form.

The reformation of identities changes the ideology that will advance throughout the film. The severe acts of crime that Derek commits leads him to end up in jail where his viewpoints are reformed. He is betrayed by a group of other white supremacists and finds friendship with an African-American man. Derek becomes determined to change his lifestyle and ways of thinking. At this point in the film the ideology that is advancing is the concept that racism is wrong and that white people are no better than any other race. At first race had a huge impact on identity in that the bulk of the white characters in the film were white supremacists and identified with hatred against all minorities. The black people were identified with the stereotypical characteristics of crime and lack of education. The film helps to show that the way in which society is organized leaves unfair advantages for some groups of people and disadvantages for others. The black man that Derek met in prison was stealing a television when he was arrested and accidentally dropped it on a police officer’s foot but was accused of throwing it at the officer. This story line supports the status quo that he might have needed to steal that television because he probably did not get the advantages such as an education and a stable living environment that other people receive. Also the fact that he is forced to stay in prison for longer than Derek because he was accused of throwing the television at the officer instead of dropping it, which is what actually occurred, reveals that he probably could not afford a good lawyer like Derek may have had. Although it took awhile for Derek to reform to the new ideologies that reject violence and racism, the audience quickly knows which side to take when it came to supporting or rejecting the narrator’s point of view.

Because the film is narrated through the brother of Derek who holds a white supremacist viewpoint, the audience views the film through the heinous radical ideas that are transcribed. When learning of what occurred to Derek’s father the audience has sympathy towards his stance, but once the extreme forms of violence and hatred towards minorities occurs the audience stands against these views and supports the changes in Derek during his time in prison. By watching the transgression of beliefs and events that happen throughout the film the audience is asked to be a supporter of reformation and a rejecter of racism. The audience is asked to be this way because they are following the events through the eyes and opinions of a white supremacist who in time learns that racism is wrong and that white people are no better than any other race. Other than the stance the audience takes there is also rhetoric involved which imposes certain views and stereotypes.

The rhetoric within American History X worked to enforce the stereotypes that exist within the film. The racism within the film is completely blatant and evident from every aspect. Because the film combines scenes from the present and scenes from the past the audience learns from not only the narrator’s point of view in the present time, but also the flashbacks that are shown. One flashback depicts Derek making very racist comments in response to the murder of his father from a drive-by shooting involving black men. This scene encourages the audience to have sympathy for Derek and somewhat support his views against what is occurring in the world. Throughout the rest of the film there are stereotypes of both the whites and the minorities, but as the brutal acts of violence continue from the skinheads to the minorities an element of fear is created toward the skinheads. When Derek commits the major act of violence by killing the two black men, the audience sees the highly radical and outrageous feelings that are clogging the minds of these white supremacists. The vandalizing and harassing that ensues at the Korean store is also a huge point in the film where the audience becomes fearful of what these neo-Nazis are doing. During Derek’s time spent in prison there is a reinforcing of negative views toward the skinheads. They go against Derek and even gang rape him in the shower. The bonding that arises between Derek and the black man in jail indicates a sense of union, and reveals that people of different races can get along. Unfortunately that sense of harmony does not leave with the audience when the film ends because Derek’s younger brother is murdered by a black teenage boy during school. The audience is left to take sides yet again but the key concept that the audience takes away is that the ignorance of racism is wrong.

In conclusion, American History X is a film that worked to display an ironic viewpoint of the stereotypes that exist in the world today, especially regarding minorities and radical white supremacists. There is a stereotypical view of the black race as a violent, uneducated population of people who depend on welfare and are a burden to American society. The white supremacist groups of people within the film are depicted as extremely cruel, tough, and bitter toward the minorities whom which they hate. The audience is informed of the stereotypically brutal aspects of each of the races involved within the film. A reformation of viewpoints and identities changes the way in which some of the characters think and eventually a sense of harmony is established. Although the film ends in a negative note a lesson is to be learned from the messages the film leaves. A quote from the last line of the movie reveals this lesson on racism to the audience saying, “We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature (Dramatica, Monahan Huntley).”

Works Cited

McKenna, David. "American History X." Generation Terrorists. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://www.generationterrorists.com/quotes/american_history_x.shtml>.

Monahan Huntley, Katharine E. ""Brothers & Sisters: American History X and Hilary and Jackie." Dramatica. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://www.dramatica.com/story/film_reviews/reviews/BroAndSis.html>.

"The Tattoos of American History X." Bella Online. 2008. 27 Apr. 2008 <http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art36172.asp>.