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Similarities Between Stereotypes And Tropes In The Fast And The Furious

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In the two films, The Fast and the Furious (2001) and Guardians and the Galaxy (2014), there are many similarities. Overall there is an understanding that both films consist of many stereotypes and tropes. “The Fast and the Furious” film demonstrates a white savior character, Brian O’Conner, to be an undercover cop engaging within the street racing community to help stop the criminal activities caused by this community. Later on, he realizes he has a deeper connection with this community which leads him to be stuck between either helping his police department or the street racing community, who are now his friends. Overall, he is forced to choose between his duty as a cop and his loyalty to his new friends. Ultimately, he decides to help his …show more content…

Each movie features a white male lead protagonist that portrays neutral positive characters. However, being white men, they take the advantage of playing into the white savior trope. The white savior is a term used in film theory to describe a white character coming to the rescue of a nonwhite character who needs aid in getting out of a difficult situation; the white characters are seen as the hero while the nonwhite characters are seen as helpless and in need of guidance. This trope is problematic as it presents a false reality of racial interactions and solidifies stereotypes of people of color. “Although you might think helping people in impoverished countries is a good act and well-intentioned, it is much more harmful. The white-savior complex exists for many reasons: to somehow prove that the White person isn’t racist, to boost their ego, and most alarming, to attempt to ‘save’ people of color and get them out of unfortunate circumstances” (Garber). A positive neural character is on neither the ‘good’ nor ‘bad’ side; they lack a background story and may not be interested in the conflict. Neutral characters can shift their alignment based on the other characters they interact with; however, they require trust and must prove themselves to show others they are on the right

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