The Autobiography of Malcolm X, 12 Years A Slave and The Help - Movie Review Example

Racism in the United s for African Americans Racism in the Unites s for the African-Americans The books "The Autobiography of Malcolm X, 12 Years A Slave and The Help" together with their movies provides a vivid insight into what slavery in its totally was in the United States in the early years. They depict a scenario in which, to a black man, slavery was the only a way of life, and there was no escape from it. It was made to happen in a way that it seems to be a normal thing to its perpetrators. They seem to have rights on their slaves and treat them as they wished with due regard to their rights as human beings. In several states in which slavery was practiced, the African Americans were the major subjects. They could be driven to the market and sold like an animal through an open public auction, and their prices were being calculated depending on their talents, abilities and the general physique for men. While for women their beauty and intelligence were an important factor. Slave owners considered them as properties that they could sell whenever they became bankrupt and rejuvenate their bank accounts. Most Africa Americans who were born during that time were born in slavery, and in most cases in the white mans homes in the squatters of slaves. As such they became automatically naturalized as slaves and properties of their parents masters. Majority of slaves died in the hands of their masters as a result of torture and sufferings that they underwent coupled with little or no medical attention whenever they fell sick. This is evident in the death of Malcolm Xs father in the hands of his master1. For one a slave to earn a certain degree of respect and better treatment from the master, he or she must command certain abilities of excellence such as good communication skills, creativity, as well as leadership abilities. This is evident in the 12 Years A Slave where the master treats with some care and good feelings the two slaves, the lady and the gentleman because of their stature, intelligence, talent, and creativity. Due to slavery and being born one, being an African American was considered unfortunate by the slaves themselves and the majority .of them gave up in hoping for better things in life and just accepted everything as they were. Majority of the slaves found solace in religion especially for those who were granted the opportunity to attend church. For one to set himself or herself free from slavery, he/she had to work hard for years and solicit money in order buy freedom. As slaves, they worked with their identification certificates hanged on their necks showing who they were, where they came from and their owners. Those that offended their masters in one way or tried to escape from their masters were subjected to beatings and torture and sometimes to death by hanging. This is evident in the book 12 Years A Slave, where this activity was meant to discourage the rise of any form of rebellion or escape. In the society of slavery, the obstacle of color played a major negative impact even to those African Americans had managed to free themselves from slavery2. As a result, the consequences of their lowly state and the dream for a good time ahead seemed a mirage too many African Americans even to those who were free from slavery. To some extent, those who had earned their freedom were given the right to live as freemen in totality with their wives and children. They could interact freely conduct business and enter into contracts with the general public white or black. However, for those who were still destined as slaves, some slaves were fortunate enough to be companying their masters to the United States Hotel. Such slaves seemed to be doing well since they were well dressed, well provided for, and seemingly leading an easy life not letting the despair that awaits them in the private scenes get hold of evidence upon their faces. The cherish for the secret desire for liberty, the ardent desire and anxiety to escape as they would consult on how to do that from their fellow free African Americans seemed evident in their minds and thoughts. These desires and hopes were all but thwarted by the fear of punishment that would ascertain them on their recapture and return. Living in the North provided one with the good air of freedom to breathe which was far from being obtained in the south. Majority of the slaves who were not properly educated could not question the masters religion and the justice of his laws that upheld the principles of Slavery. To some extent, the slaves at their beginning of indulgence into slavery thought that they had been hit by some unfortunate mistakes that should have been corrected. The idea of one becoming a slave at least at adulthood seemed farfetched and the author of 12 Years A Slave could not fathom as it seemed dim and confusing. Slave trade and slavery was not only a preserve of those who were born in the states of the slave trade. Any person African American was born already betrayed by the color and was majorly perceived as a slave to some extent. One was not safe in totally to consider himself indeed free since it was already dangerous for one to walk without freedom documents. It was a difficult moment for one to be a slave in which everything was predetermined for one. No opinions were sought from a slave, and everything was done as befits the master. Most of slave work was concentrated on the fields of cotton and within the homestead attending to domestic course for slave women while the general maintenance of the farms was mail carried out by the male slaves. Some slaves who were stolen from their masters and sold could still be reclaimed by their masters and be redeemed from the hustles of being traded in the open markets like animals. As a result of the experiences and the torturous moments experienced in the 12 years by the author of 12 years A Slave, he formed an organization that was involved in freeing the slaves in the south. His organization participated in both legal freeing of the slaves and also paying for the freedom of some in the states where slave trade abolition proved a tall order. His organization also engaged in the fight for free social engagements among the people in the entire society beyond race. The book and the movie of 12 Years A Slave replicates each other in more or less specific manner. The movie, however, does not clearly show the different movements of the author in and out of different cities in the quest for contracts and businesses that earned him his living. The lives of his family in his 12 years a slave are not well portrayed in the movie. Malcolm Xs autobiography has portrayed him as one of the rabid racists of his time due to the sufferings he underwent while growing up. His father died when he was young in the hands of the slave master, and the mother raised him up working as a modern-day slave. As such his upbringing and education all took place with a lot of difficulties and discrimination that propelled him to become what he was. As an adult who had curved his niche as an independent thinker and religious indulgence, he managed to run counter to the movement in which he dominated. His aspirations and notion that everyone was equal, and no one was more equal than others. His organization was meant to fight slavery and discrimination of the African Americans and the radicalization of the black people to rise and claim their rightful place in the society instead of just sitting back and suffering from the status quo. His message to the African Americans was to know their cradle and respect their roots, culture, and themselves as a people without getting absorbed into the white mans culture. He claimed that the Whiteman had brainwashed them to the extent that they did not even know their original names or where their great grandfathers were born or lived. His organization was meant to radically change the mindsets of his fellow African Americans in order to enable them gain their independence of mind in channeling their way of life. Malcolm Xs organization pushed for equality in the rights of the entire society and respect for all irrespective of their color or religion creed. Because of his activities many people in the society became awakened and started to adopt his teachings. As the activities of his organizations gained momentum, eyebrows were aroused in the society and among those who were profiting from these activities resulting to his assassination. His book does not show in totally his indulgence in drug in his early years as vivid as it is shown in the movie. The movie does not as well depict in fullness his indulgence with the white women whom he dated for some time and also learned valuable lessons of equality and the abilities of every one. However, his book is more detailed and engaging bringing out vivid pictures of the dire situation of the time in the readers mind. The Help as a book puts forth the major roles played of the women slaves in their duties as slaves. Their work is mainly caring for the babies of the white flamboyant white women who could not even carry or tease their babies around and make them happy. The author seems to be enjoying her work as baby keeper despite the fact she does not have anything to decide upon except to listen and implement directions and order3. The author reveals her experience in working with young families and witnessing the kind of life these families have lived. The life that seems a mirage to the author as she has not seen or worked to the people of color in order to witness such lifestyle, she reveals how hard it was to work in some families with big houses where she could take almost a whole day to clean the toilets alone. The book and the movie are more or less similar, they both show how a house help was able to rise above slavery and become a beckon of hope among her peers and din the society at large. The movement inspired many slaves in similar situations to claim for pay in their duties and fair treatments from their bosses instead of their masters. Others were able to start learning and achieve education while others were able to educate their children. Bibliography 2013. The Help. Directed by Stockett Kathryn. Performed by Stockett Kathryn. 1960. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Directed by X Malcolm and Haley Alex. Performed by X Malcolm. 2012. 12 Years A Slave. Directed by Northup Solomon. Performed by Northup Solomon. Read More