Reflections of Violence and Nostalgia in Jazz - Essay Example

The same could be detected while elaborating Dorcas’ murder at the hands of Joe, and Violet’s assault on her dead body with a knife. The affair between the middle-aged Joe Trace and his young beloved Dorcas begins with the former’s approaching at the house of the latter’s aunt for the sale of cosmetic items. However, they develop a passionate love for each other even having significant age-difference between the two lovers. Since no one is aware of the love affair, Joe and Dorcas get many opportunities of meeting in loneliness in an empty apartment.

Somehow, the young Dorcas starts getting fed up with the company of a middle-aged; consequently, she enters into new affairs with young boys of her age, inviting the fury of the reactionary Joe subsequently. Joe attempts to bring Dorcas to terms; somehow, her refusal to develop relations with him again turns him extremely haughty and revengeful. As a result, he shoots her to death in a club out of sheer feelings of rage (43). Consequently, he allows his wife to brutally damage the face of the dead youth with the help of knife out of revenge for seducing Violet’s husband.

He exercised brutality upon the girl with who he had been in deep love once. Hence, the author submits to state that the existence of intense hatred, injustices, and inequalities against a minority group could turn its members violent and aggressive to such a hazardous extent that it becomes challenging for the law enforcing agencies even to control and regulate the same. Joe and Violet also represent the nouns foe and violent, as both the spouses remain in conflict with one another. Thus, the author has skillfully drawn out the grave consequences of apartheid and racial discrimination that could make the social fabric very frail and weak in its wake.

Illustrious American writer Kozol in his award-winner book Savage Inequalities (1991) also elucidates the pathetic condition of innocent school children at the school system of East St. Louis, America, who appear to be the victim of social discrimination on the basis of financial resources and ethnic discrimination. It is therefore X & Haley (1999) also explore the deep roots of the prejudice and hatred of the white people towards the minority