GDR#5

Do I believe Troy Maxson is racist? That question alone is an extremely tricky question on an even more slippery slope. Racism is all relative to the person who is considered racist and the person or people viewing them as racist. I have no doubt that some of my fellow classmates would absolutely view Troy Maxson as a racist. However I do not see him that way. I imagine him to be just an average man who has been yanked around many many times and because of that has a very unhealthy view of what he considers the “white mans world.” While many would see his world views as radically racist in todays time we have to remember that this is not set in todays time. It is set in a time when distrust of another race could save you from many heart aches and troubles even to the point that your safety could rely on your distrust of others. What some take for racism is actually lessons learned through many years of hardships and pain. Negros of that day were denied things they worked hard and fought harder for only to be told no because of their skin color. Troy Maxson is not the only example of this as there are numerous other negros who were denied the fruits of their labors because of skin tone. Many of these were in the civil rights era that most of us know of through history classes and the like. But what is sometimes overlooked is what happened when a black man wouldn’t accept no as an answer and would try to take what he felt he deserved. They were met with brutal treatments by many whites including the kkk but what was more frightening was when the police, the people sworn to protect the public would punish and mistreat them instead of protecting them the way they should. These are the reasons I feel Troy Maxson isn’t a racist but as I would consider a more practical man who is more concerned with the protection of himself, his family, and more importantly his sons.