In the novel, Whale Talk, the message of racism and prejudice is expressed in key points of the plot. This theme contributes to the plot by bringing out people’s personalities and carrying the story along. Rich Marshall is an example of a very racist person in the book. Heidi is a person that is affected by racial aspect of the plot. The environment is surrounding with racism on the TV and even on the radio. I, personally, think the racism and prejudice
T.J. Jones, the main character, is half white half african american. In the town he is a resident to, there are very few half race citizens. To be exact, 3, T.J., Georgia Brown, and Heidi Marshall. Certain people discriminate them due to this trait. T.J. is a very bold person who speaks his
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He feels entitled over everyone else, especially his step daughter, Heidi. She is half black half white, just like T.J. Rich, the racist person he is, minulizes Heidi into thinking they way she is, is wrong. Sh listens to him and agrees with him because he is her ‘father’. For example, Heidi was playing with dolls at Georgia’s therapy session when she all of a sudden tells T.J. to scream mean words at her for letting the black dolls in the dollhouse. She wanted him to say, “Get these ni**** babies out the house! They stinky!” Her mindset is fixed to the way Rich has taught her. This is the way she thinks. Also, one of the ideas Rich has put in Heidi's head is the color of her skin is not sub post to be that way. As a result, Heidi got a bar of soap and tried to scrub it off. T.J. does not agreed with her fixed mindset and handled the situation well by telling her, “Dang, I don’t think it comes off. I think we are stuck with it.” T.J. implies that attempting to rub the color off is not going to work. He is teaching her the way she is is perfectly right. Later on in the story, Heidi sees Rich againand the manipulation continues to progress. The result of the conversation was Heidi physically cutting her skin on her arm to make the colored skin disappear. The effect Rich’s perspective has on Heidi results in a negative way. His prejudice opinion on colored people has her feeling disappointed in her appearance because her dad