A brief prespective of Dorris and Professor Sweeny from the movie "American History X"

Essay by c0lriskCollege, UndergraduateA+, December 2003

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American History X

Doris' perspective

By: Rachel Jones

This is a movie about a mother, Doris, who has four children. The movie is based around her two son's Derrick and Danny. Derrick is the oldest, an "A" student, who thrives for knowledge. Danny, her younger son, worships the ground his older brother walks on. Life is turned upside down at the kitchen table one breakfast morning when her husband questions the fact that Derrick has to read a book by a black author, and more importantly that a black man (his teacher) wants him to read and report on it. Dad tells Derrick that he should," Ace the test, but don't swallow the garbage that is fed to him" he goes on to say how blacks and whites will never be equal because they are not equal. Apparently, this type of preaching went on quite a bit, because all hell breaks loose when dad dies in the line of duty at a crack house used by blacks.

Derrick becomes a skinhead by getting involved with a man, Cameron, who manages to twist their thoughts and used the same techniques with them as Hitler did. Doris, becomes afraid of her son, it seems like everyday, he gets more out of control, she even goes on to tell him, "I'm ashamed that you came out of my belly!"

Derrick kills two black teenagers (who he had a dispute with earlier at a basketball game) for trying to rob his car. Danny witness' this but refused to testify against him, Derrick gets three years for manslaughter and comes out of prison a different man, Derrick's differences of opinion began to change when he is forced to spend time with a black convict who he learns to relate to and who also saves...