Discrimination in Gtan Torino - Essay Example

Discrimination in Gtan Torino Discrimination makes people to learn important lessons in life. Discrimination in society exists in various forms, as different people discriminate on varying bases. People who discriminate lack empathy, and therefore, cannot feel the pain and agony the person they discriminate against goes through. However, discriminating against others based on any grounds, including religious, racial, gender, or on grounds of sexual orientation is wrong, and therefore, unacceptable in society. Nonetheless, people who discriminate against others often come to learn at some point in their life that they were doing a mistake. Therefore, something might happen to them, which will remind them of their past discriminatory behaviour, and these come to learn their lessons. In the film Gtan Torino, the element of discrimination is highly depicted from through main character. Therefore, this essay will argue against the wrong of discrimination and judging others, based on their race, as this bears considerable negative effects on the victims. The 2008 film Gtan Torino, which stares Clint Eastwood exhibits a high level of cultural diversity. However, Walt Kowalski, who is the main character and protagonist in the movie, shows high level of resistance to the abundant cultural diversity. He is filled with stereotypes and prejudice on the cultural units he desists. Kowalski lives a rather miserable life, as he is haunted by memories of the people he killed in the war in Korea, when he was in the military. His wife also dies, he is not in good terms with his children and family, and does not get along with the neighbours. Therefore, his is a solitary life, which he lives with his dog. Kowalski is an angry veteran, who hates and despises Koreans. He also hates and despises his neighbours, who are Hmongs. He treats them in an ill manner, abuses them, and considers them barbaric and uncivilized. Stereotyping, which is a form of discriminating is wrong, and most of the time, does not depict the true picture of the person or group being discriminated against. Stereotypes are false perceptions about a group of people, which outsiders hold about them. Nonetheless, unless one interacts with certain people, and learns their way living and doing things, then holding any type of stereotypes about them is wrong. In this film, Kowalski has various stereotypes about most Asian ethnic groups. For instance, he believed that all Chinese people cooked and fed on dogs as a meal. Nonetheless, his neighbours were Hmongs, who are an Asian ethnic group from parts of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Kowalski therefore, despises his neighbours, and thinks they too cook and eat dogs. However, when he finally establishes a close relationship with them, he realizes that they prepare and eat good and decent meals, just like him. This therefore, proves his stereotype against them wrong. Discrimination against a certain group of people based on their race might make one to miss special opportunities of exploring and getting in touch with human diversity. One might fail to see the good side of the people whom they discriminate against. This is because; those who discriminate against others are less likely to associate with them, as they regard them to be less important. Therefore, discrimination is wrong, since it denies one the opportunity to experience and benefit from a different cultural group. In this film, Kowalski is a lonely old man, who does not have company, as even his own children do not like being around him, and even plan to take him to a retirement village. Nonetheless, when Kowalski gets in close association with his neighbours, through the young Sue and Thao, he begins to learn many positive facts about the Hmong people, which he never imagined, as he had belittled the Hmongs and other Asian ethnic groups. Although one might consider their ethnic group as superior, compared to others, there might be many factors, which the other groups that are perceived less powerful, have, that makes them better, and which the “powerful” groups lack. Therefore, discriminating against a certain group based on a few factors is wrong. For instance, in this film, by interacting with his neighbours, who are Hmongs, Kowalski learns that they have strong family ties. He too observes how the culture of Hmongs promotes family unity and care. The old people among the Hmongs are closely cared for and nurtured by the other younger family members. On the contrast, in Kowalski’s family, his children plan on taking him to the retirement village, since they consider him old. When Kowalski compares the Hmong family to his family, he realizes that Hmongs have more favourable aspects of family life compared to his own family. Therefore, by discriminating and despising the Hmongs, Kowalski wasted a lot of time, which he could have been spending with his Hmong neighbours, instead of living alone in his house, with great loneliness, and lack of a sense of belonging. In the film, Kowalski is also seen to discriminate people based on age. For instance, he despises the young priest, mainly because he was a little younger than him. When asked to fulfil his promise to his late wife by going for confession, Kowalski performs this just for the sake of it. In the process, his level of discrimination is exhibited when he mocks the young priest, and reveals that he “never really cared much for church…and I only went because of her” (Eastwood, DVD). Kowalski further addresses the priest in a quite abusive manner, when he claims that he could never confess to a young boy, who just came out of the seminary recently. This form of discrimination, based on age, is wrong, since this leads to a high level of disrespect to the victim. Although the priest, called Janovich was young, in his capacity as a priest and religious leader, he deserved respect, even from the old people. Kowalski also discriminated against the young Father Janovich, based on his religion. Kowalski thinks that because the priest is young in age and is of the Catholic religion, then he does not deserve any credit from him. This is why Kowalski does not take his wife’s farewell seriously, and is reluctant to fulfil his wife’s last wish. Nonetheless, the priest is tolerant of Kowalski, considering his religious position. This kind of discrimination based on religion and age therefore, bars effective communication and understanding between Kowalski and the priest. Nonetheless, discrimination is out of ignorance and unfair assumptions, which people have about other people. However, humans are fallible, and therefore, capable of realizing their wrongdoings, weaknesses, and faults in future. Therefore, with discrimination also, a person who discriminates against others, might reach a point in their life, where they will realize the evils of discrimination, and how ignorant and irrational they acted when discriminating against others. At this point, these might change their course, learn to appreciate other people, and eradicate the factor of favouritism in them. In this film, Kowalski reached this point, as the interaction with the Hmongs, who were a different ethnic group from his, taught him just how much ignorant and irrational he was when he discriminated against Asians. He learnt not to judge people from the outside and discriminate against them based on the false judgement. In this case, this would have changed Kowalski completely, and in a good way. This film therefore, teaches crucial lessons about discrimination, and what opportunities this denies those who practise it. Works Cited Eastwood, C. (Director). Gran Torino, 2008. [DVD]. Read More