Similarities Between Fatheralong And Remember The Titans

Racial conflict has always been a continuous cycle of uphill battles and saddening defeats; accordingly, America has an immense race problem. For the past century, racial conflict has been a significant controversy. Stories and articles have flood the news and social media about men and women of all color who have been victimized by prejudice. While it happens to every race, the news predominantly displays stories of the African American society being discriminated against, such as the incident in Ferguson, Missouri and the protests for Black Lives Matter at the University of Missouri. John Edgar Wideman, a professor at Brown University and author of “Fatheralong,” and Boaz Yakin, director of the film “Remember the Titans,” address African

Both the film, “Remember the Titans” and the essay, “Fatheralong” use anecdotes to demonstrate how African Americans were discriminated against. In “Fatheralong,” Mamie Till, Emmett Till’s mother, recounts the time when she had to suffer and endure the pain of the loss of her husband and her only son. Mamie’s testimony provides insight to the oppression and struggles she encountered. As she was investigating the death of her husband, the government “chose to break its own rules and violate the rights of Private Louis Till by sending his confidential service records… to lawyers defending the kidnappers and killers of his son, Emmet” (McQuade, 780). When it comes to the perceptions of the criminal justice system and the role that the police play in society, blacks and whites live in different worlds. African Americans do not receive equal

Wideman uses symbolism and word choice in “Fatheralong” to exemplify the injustice inflicted on the Till family. Emmett Till wore a ring his father purchased in Casablanca and had engraved with his initials and the date May 25, 1943. Emmett occasionally wore this ring, “padded by tape until his finger grew thick enough the last year of his life to keep it in place (McQuade, 781), which may have been the most intimate link between father and son because the ring symbolizes the hope that Emmet holds onto about meeting his father one day. It’s also ironic because the ring was the only object that could identify Emmett after being pulled from the Tallahatchie River. In addition, Wideman carefully selected words that ground the reader in the essay’s mood to enhance the emotional appeal. For example, the government’s negative connections to Louis Till’s execution is described as “stymied by terminal unresponsiveness” (780). This phrase carries a tremendously negative connotation as an outright effort to take the government to task. Effective word choice plays a huge role in setting the tone for the story; the tone throughout “Fatheralong” leaves the audience with a feeling of frustration for Mamie Till. By providing historical facts from the trial and leaks from the government, the story allows the audience to see this injustice imposed on the Till family, but also