ipl-logo

Amistad Essay

441 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: African americans and slavery

"Amistad," is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg in 1997. This film is based on the true story of African slaves who rebelled against their captors on a slave ship in 1839. The film delves into the legal battles and trials that took place after the revolt, and the impact they had on slavery in the United States.
The movie opens with the enslavement of the Africans, who were torn from their families and homes and brought to work on the Spanish slave ship Amistad. However, during the voyage, Cinque, played by Djimon Hounsou, leads the slaves in a revolt against the crew and takes control of the ship. Eventually, they are captured by the U.S. navy and brought to trial in the United States, where they are charged with murder and piracy. …show more content…

The trial raises crucial questions about human rights, the definition of freedom, and the role of the government in preserving these ideals. Through this conflict, the film sheds light on the complexities of slavery and the varying perspectives that existed at the time.
One of the key themes in "Amistad" is the power of language. The slaves are stripped of their voice and dehumanized through their inability to communicate, but as the trial progresses and they are given the opportunity to speak, they reclaim their humanity and fight for their freedom. The theme is emphasized by the use of subtitles, which allows the audience to understand the slaves' words and see the world through their eyes.
Education is another theme of this film. The education of the slaves is portrayed as a critical aspect of their journey towards freedom. Through their exposure to American culture and democratic principles, they begin to understand their rights and the significance of fighting for their freedom. This is illustrated through the character of Theodore Joadson, played by Morgan Freeman, who serves as a mentor and educator to the slaves, helping them comprehend the legal system and their place in American

Show More
Related
754 Words | 4 Pages

The Amistad case was backed by many facts. The facts about where the Africans were from, and how they were brought to the United States. The lawyer for the Africans was a lawter named Baldwin. The trial took place in 1839.

Read More
1154 Words | 5 Pages

They but appeared on the coast of New York with the cook and the kidnappers dead. They were using self defense because they were scared on where to they were going. In the Amistad case Baldwin argued that the Slaves

Read More
434 Words | 2 Pages

They also made a point of showing the Texans as heroes and Mexicans as villians when they were only trying to take back what had been taken from them first. The film also largely ignored the concept of slavery only highlighting on it with two of the minor characters in the film when in reality it was a large issue for the

Read More
225 Words | 1 Pages

People’s ideas about candy changed from the 1800s to today. According to the article “ How candy conquered America” is about 200 years ago, most people thought the candied was for medicine in early 1800’s. At that time candies was popular in Europe, but extremely expensive in America. It only had limited kinds of candies, because people make it by hand like small piece of cookie. There are also candies is mostly made by the sugar.

Read More
2974 Words | 12 Pages

The truth—the unpleasant, horrible truth—must be known because it is so significant. This has been one of the most impactful readings in school because it doesn't hold back. Although learning about slavery is neither joyful or simple, it reveals the truth that slavery still has a bearing on Black Americans' lives and experiences. Despite the need of educating about slavery, it appears that classroom discussions regarding the subject are doomed to failure in some classrooms. There are petitions to remove slavery from textbooks all around America.

Read More
730 Words | 3 Pages

When discussing slave and neo slave narratives and films, it’s essential to understand the audience that the film or narrative is targeting. With the importance of the audience comes the larger question of the purpose of the work itself. In “Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” and “Superfly” the purpose of these works exemplifies black representation and the journey of rising in the American class system. With careful consideration from both works, the message that a political and cultural change was vital in order to allow blacks to not only be represented properly but to gain personal freedom. Despite that personal freedom for Youngblood Priest and Frederick Douglass was different, both endured the racial oppression

Read More
1018 Words | 5 Pages

It's important to not only show the plantations of hundreds of slaves forced to work against their will but also the inhumane treatment, and the mental and physical abuse they endured. The film accomplished its overall goal of opening the viewer treatment slaves faced. From when Esther was raped by a white man, to when Nat found that Cherry had been attacked and assaulted by a group of men. The film did an amazing job portraying emotions through the character's facial expressions, as well as the music and color choices in specific scenes. The humiliation and shame Esther felt were heartbreaking to watch and the music and dark colors in the scene made the time even sadder and more impactful.

Read More
696 Words | 3 Pages

The Pueblo Revolt was an essential event in American-indigenous history. After almost a century of colonial rule and torment by the Spaniards, the pueblo people revolted and fought for their lands. It was an incredible event as it was a fight for their independence and culture, and freedom from the torture the Spanish had put on them. The revolt resulted from several factors including religious and economic exploitation, as well as torment from the Spanish colonizers. The causes leading up to the revolt were the series of events that the pueblo people had to endure.

Read More
1642 Words | 7 Pages

From this, derives a bond with the reader that pushes their understanding of the evil nature of slavery that society deemed appropriate therefore enhancing their understanding of history. While only glossed over in most classroom settings of the twenty-first century, students often neglect the sad but true reality that the backbone of slavery, was the dehumanization of an entire race of people. To create a group of individuals known for their extreme oppression derived from slavery, required plantation owner’s of the South to constantly embedded certain values into the lives of their slaves. To talk back means to be whipped.

Read More
1048 Words | 5 Pages

Las Vegas is where I was born and raised. That doesn’t mean that I just gave up on my Mexican culture. Like many others, I have a culture that is both American and Mexican. My culture has shaped my values, perceptions, and behaviors. The culture of my family, community, and society has made who I am as a person in numerous ways.

Read More
750 Words | 3 Pages

I’m the first generation of my family to be Mexican -American, but I have been introduced to the Mexican culture since I was born. I appreciate the difficulties my parents have faced to make me the person that I am today even though I wasn’t born in Mexico my parents have taught me the language and the culture which I’m so proud of being part of. For others being Hispanic is actually being born in any Latin American countries which is not true at all. Being Hispanic is much more than my cultural background it actually describes how much I appreciate my culture and how I get to experience things other people don’t. I fit into the Hispanic community through the experiencing the culture first hand ,participating in traditions and planning to include my culture in my future.

Read More
1641 Words | 7 Pages

A drug lord, government official, hero, and villain. Pablo Escobar was born December 1, 1949 in a town named Rionegro, Colombia. His mother, Hermilda was a schoolteacher, and his father Abel farmed. Escobar had achieved a great quantity of accomplishments, from the beginning to the end of his life. From his rise as a lower class citizen, to then being amongst the prestigious group of people associated with the economic rank of the 1 percent.

Read More
907 Words | 4 Pages

Mexican Culture: Customs and Traditions The Mexican culture is very diverse which has undergone many transformations over several decades and the culture varies widely throughout Mexico and the United States. I will be more focused on the other side of the border and express my findings about the Mexican culture in Mexico. According to woldatlas an online database, the majority of Mexicans live in cities like Mexico City with a population of 12 million Mexicans.

Read More
1284 Words | 6 Pages

While there are many other films based on slavery, what sets Sankofa apart is the journey of the characters and their transformation. I believe that the larger theme in the movie is the discovery and preservation of one 's identity; finding courage, defeating fear and seeking liberation, and most importantly,

Read More
3436 Words | 14 Pages

The movie clearly exposes the many ways that the human dignity of African- American maids was ignored. They had suffered daily embarrassment but were able to claim their own way dignity. The film described about empowerment of individuals as well as about social justice for a group. It is a moving story depicting dehumanization in a racist culture but also the ability to move beyond the unjust structures of society and to declare the value of every human being.

Read More

More about Amistad Essay

Related Topics

Open Document