By Jaiwant Jhajhria
‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of the skin but by the content of their character.’ These powerful lines by Martin Luther King Jr. perfectly reflects towards the prevailing social and racial discrimination which encapsulates the common consensus and the tension which it creates as an effect of the same. The concept of ‘other’ in any social setting is the one thing which has been troubling the development and the continued growth of the community for owing to such discrimination and the complex human relations prevailing in the society. The central tension which arises in the society is the concept of ‘otherness,’ the perception which sets them apart from the rest of the community and the factor owing to which they have been pushed aside to rags in the societal setting. The perception of certain groups as different, inferior, or outside the dominant social order, intertwined with the issue of race, ethnicity, and identity shaping individuals’ experience, is the ‘otherness of the other,’ which puts the other people on stand and pushes them apart from the social structure.
Social and racial tensions have been central themes for various films and literatures for a very long time for they accurately capture the complexities of human relationships and societal structures, and provides an in-depth analysis for how these factors enumerates into societal outing of certain communities and religions for they face heavy discrimination, owing to them being ‘other’ than normal community. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘The Best of the Enemies,’ ‘The Ghosts of Mississippi,’ ‘Marshall,’ and ‘A Time to Kill,’ perfectly explores the themes of otherness of the other, and explores it in depth and actively captures the challenge of prejudice, discrimination, and the quest for justice which these people have to go through on a daily basis and fight their place in the community every day.
The Screen for Otherness
As highlighted above, various works of fiction and literature have been able to capture the true picture of what actually subsumes in the community with different religions, caste, ethnicity, and background and as to how the society has created a fictional hierarchy in the reality to which they purposefully adhere to and push asides a sect of people, thus sidelining them owing to their ‘otherness.’
Harper Lee in his literature, later developed into a movie, perfectly summarized what all challenges people have to go through on the basis of their skin colour and the ethnicity which they belong to. The story revolves around the trial of a black man’s trial on the count of raping of a white woman. In the words and even through camera, the otherness of the other has been clearly highlighted and reflected as to how they are subjected to so much scrutiny and backlash. The movie provides an angle of as to how African Americans are perceived in a social setting in the States and treated by the white community, as their counterparts. They are viewed inferior and inherently different and at some point, the discrimination was so widespread that anyone who even considered defending their rights was seemed to be some sort of illegal thing. This aspect too has been perfectly captured in the drama as the defence attorney, who tries to save the accused, happens to be a white-man who in turn faces backlash for helping people belonging from African-American community, even though the logical thing seemed to be otherwise. Through this novel, the author Harper Lee, seamlessly inculcates the idea of empathy and understanding in confronting the dehumanization of others based on the race.
Similarly, in the cinematography of ‘The Ghosts of Mississippi,’ it being based on real incident, recounts the assassination of civil rights activist and the subsequent trial of his killer. The film sheds light on the deep-seated racial tensions and systematic injustices that plagued during the Civil Rights Movement in South. Central to this theme, is the narrative which follows the fight of the widow and the civil prosecutor to bring the killer before the justice, hold him accountable and prove him wrong for his wrongdoings. This work of art was able to clearly establish the fact that the racial discrimination is far wide-spread than it could be imagined and that owing to legacy of racism and discrimination, some sect of people considers themselves as above the law and justice and that the idea of social cleansing as reflected in the cinematography is something which had been prevalent in the society for a long time which needs to be combated. To sum up this film is to recount on the aspect that by confronting the ghosts of the pasts, the movie challenges the viewers to confront the enduring legacy of racism and the dire need for societal change.
Next, in the ‘Marshal,’ the acts clearly offer a glimpse into the early of the first African American Supreme Court Justice, HH Thurgood Marshall, as a he defends a black chauffer accused of assaulting his white employer in Connecticut. The film explores the racial tension and the discrimination prevailing in the States at the time this film is set, for it can be witnessed as to how HH Thurgood Marshall was treated, as a black attorney, as an outsider in the pre-dominantly white legal system. The concept of otherness was highlighted through this masterpiece. Along with that, this masterpiece also reflects towards the importance of perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity, as well as the power of the empathy to bridge divides, as the protagonists takes on the world to fight for the justice of his client, no matter how hard the society stands united against the right.
‘The Best of Enemies’ also guides us towards the otherness of the other which was widely present and deep-seated across the society for the protagonists in this movie takes on the world and challenges them against their believes of discrimination and social cleansing. The arch of the movies bends towards an unlikely friendship of a black women activist and a white man belonging to a group with strong discrimination mindset, and as to how they explore the concept of racial tensions and prejudices that divide the community. The concept of otherness is reflected as the protagonists challenges the societal norms. Through the evolving relationship between the lead characters, the film challenges viewers to reconsider their perception of ‘the other’ and recognize the humanity and dignity inherent in all humans, regardless of their race of background. This movie serves as a powerful reminder of the potential for changes and reconciliation, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Along with that, the masterpiece- ‘A Time to Kill,’ also perfectly sets in motion the debate of otherness of the other. This film is an adaption of the book with same name, which discovers the trial of a black man, who is charged for avenging the rape of his daughter by killing the white assailants in the racially charged town of Mississippi. The story explores the theme of justice, vengeance, and a racial prejudice, as well as the concept of ‘otherness.’ Through the protagonists, the author as well as the actors in the adaption, reflects upon the complexities of navigating a racially charged system, while striving for justice.
Conclusion:
 Through these masterpiece, one can easily denote an idea of how deep-rooted the issue of racial discrimination and tension is and as to how it has been affecting the growth of the society and community as a whole. These works offer valuable insights into the challenges of prejudice, discrimination, and the quest for justice in the different historical and geographical contexts, however with one aspect remaining the same- predominance of racial and sexual discrimination. Through compelling narratives and memorable and significant protagonists, we are reminded of importance of empathy, understanding, and solidarity in confronting the systemic inequities and building of a more inclusive society.
To conclude, one can only say that as we continue to grapple with the issue of race and identity, these works of fiction serves as powerful reminders of the enduring struggle for equality and human dignity, as Nelson Mandela rightly said- ‘No one is born hating another person because of colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.’
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The author of this article is Jaiwant Jhajhria, a third-year B.BA.LLB. (Hons.) student at Jindal Global Law School of O.P. Jindal Global University.
References:
Robert Mulligan, To Kill a Mockingbird, Universal Pictures (1962).
Rob Reiner, The Ghosts of Mississippi, Columbia Pictures (1996).
Reginald Hudlin, Marshall, Starlight Media (2017).
Robin Bissell, The Best of Enemies, STX Entertainment (2019).
Joel Schumacher, A Time to Kill, Warner Bros. (1996).
This article contains the view of the author and the publisher in no way associates with the views or ideologies of the author. All the moral rights vests with the Author(s).