The Representation and Variable Meanings of Whiteness - Movie Review Example

The Representation and Variable Meanings of Whiteness In APA Style The Representation and Variable Meanings of Whiteness Introduction It is a surprisingly difficult task to define whiteness or to pinpoint what it represents. This is probably because of the paradoxical nature of whiteness - it has a universal quality to it even as it seems to embody nothingness. Whiteness is dynamic, unstable and ever - changing. Richard Dyer in his various works on the subject has attempted to shed light on this puzzling phenomenon and to bring out the essential character of whiteness and the manner in which it is represented in various visual media. The purpose of this essay is to examine his works, and explore the historically variably meanings of whiteness and understand how it has been represented in the past and in contemporary society with reference to the representation of race in the academy award winning movie, Crash by Paul Haggis. The movie, Crash is set in Los Angeles and traces the lives of several characters over a brief period. The characters literally crash into one another and this leads to the occurrence of tumultuous events that expose the seamy underbelly of life in Los Angeles with its simmering racial conflicts. The film attempts to portray the many racial issues that existed in the past and which persist to this very day. Furthermore, it captures the essence of being white. The Origin of Whiteness In order to understand the distinct characteristics and qualities unique to the white race, a look at its origins is imperative. This helps us understand why white is represented the way it is by the visual media. According to Dyer (1997), "White genealogy has focused on the Aryans or Caucasians" (p. 20). The term "Aryan" became infamous as it was used by the Nazis and white supremacists as they carried out unspeakable acts of terror. The Aryans were believed to have occupied what is now northern India. They were fair of complexion and having chased the dark-skinned Dravidians to the south, they propagated the caste system in India, thereby setting the tone for the eventual subjugation of blacks by the whites in the ages to come. They themselves occupied the highest position in the caste hierarchy and were referred to as Brahmins. Meanwhile "Caucasian" is the term used to refer to fair- skinned people occupying parts of Europe, America and Asia. It is believed that the Aryans made their way past the Caucasia Mountains and came to be called as Caucasians. Whiteness - Its Invisibility, Power and Privilege Dyer talks about the invisibility of whiteness and states that it is the key to white power. Whiteness is the norm; everything else is nothing but an aberration called race. Pickering states that, "In contemporary discourse, 'race' refers to people who are non-white, and denotes cultural 'differences'. 'Race' is used as a way of designating certain categories within our culture, and it does this from an invisible, undesignated position. This is the position of whiteness" (as cited in Spencer, 2006, p.20). This invisible quality of whiteness is felt throughout Crash. All the characters feel its presence or absence to such an extent that it becomes a tangible presence in their lives. Their behaviour is shaped by their reaction to its overwhelming presence. The subtle but powerful nature of whiteness most profoundly affects the lives of two characters - Cameron (Terrence Howard) and Officer Hansen (Ryan Phillippe). Cameron is a black director whose life is thrown into disarray when he becomes acutely aware of the injustices that are meted out to people of his colour and his own role in perpetuating the negative beliefs that exist about his race. His white superiors induce him to portray blacks in poor light for the benefit of the viewing audience and he can do nothing but stew in the bitter juices of his impotence and humiliation. Officer Hansen, meanwhile, is a staunch anti - racist but by an ironic twist of fate, a fateful decision he takes makes him the epitome of racism at its ugliest. Therefore, it appears that whiteness has permeated the fabric of society at all levels and is all - pervasive in that it is ubiquitous and therefore the norm. The invisibility, power and privileges of whiteness are inextricably linked. According to Dyer (1997), "Whites must be seen to be white, yet whiteness as race resides in invisible properties and whiteness as power is maintained by being unseen" (p. 45). History has shown that whiteness represents power and privilege. One significant example is given by Rasmussen et al (2001) "Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton have shown how whiteness opens doors - quite literally - to homes in the most affluent neighbourhoods in the country" (p. 12). Nearly all positions of power are held by whites and the fact that no non - white has been voted as the president or prime - minister of any predominantly white nation tells a lot about the power and privilege that represent whiteness. Some aspects of the privileges enjoyed by whites include being exempt from the excessive and condescending tolerance that characterize the equal rights movement; being able to work without wondering if one is having a hard time on account of one's race; never having to feel the weight of the legacy of ancestors who were oppressed and suppressed. This power and privilege enjoyed by the whites, Dyer (2002) explains, stems from the " inevitable associations of white with light and safety, and black with dark and therefore danger, and that this explains racism" (p. 127). The power enjoyed and exercised by whiteness is well demonstrated in Crash. Detective Graham (Don Cheadle) is the investigating officer in an important case concerning a white officer who shot a black cop. The former has two prior charges of racist attacks from which he narrowly escaped conviction while the latter may have been corrupt. Graham is coerced into suppressing important case details by a white superior and he succumbs to white power. In a similar display of white power, Sergeant Ryan (Matt Dillon) molests Christine (Thandie Newton). Ryan is not a bad person but one beset by personal problems; therefore he sees fit to take out his black despair on an innocent. The fierce beauty is defiant at first but slowly and brutally Ryan shatters her innate confidence and pride - in its place he leaves only humiliation, fear and scars that can never be healed. Ryan reveals his power yet again when in a bizarre turn of events he saves Christine's life. This power exercised over the lives of black characters by white characters is a recurring motif throughout the film and bears testimony to the inexorable power of whiteness. All Things White and Beautiful White has become synonymous with beauty in almost all parts of the world. Folktales depict the princess as beautiful and fair of complexion, the fairy Godmother is usually bedecked in white and invariably the ugly witch wears black robes and is dark - skinned to match the blackness of her heart. Dyer (1997) states "The history of representations of Cleopatra provides one of the cleverest instances of the conviction that whiteness is the pinnacle of human beauty" (72). Present - day scholars have revealed that she was dark - skinned and was possessed of striking looks, she was a different kind of beauty but a beauty nevertheless. However she had to be represented as white because it was inconceivable that black could be beautiful. White is representative of virtue, chastity, purity, innocence and spirituality. According to Brooks (2004), "Language imagery associates white with purity, innocence and virtue" (p. 189). The Virgin Mary is most closely associated with whiteness and its qualities. She is light - haired, fair of skin and is clothed in white robes. She was deemed worthy to carry the son of God in her womb and she took chastity to soaring new heights by conceiving without actually having sex. Therefore she is seen as the ideal and most virtuous woman. White is purity. Birds like the Dove and the Swan and flowers like lilies symbolize purity in all their whiteness. This aspect of whiteness serves to illuminate white preoccupation with pureza de sangre or purity of blood. Inter-racial procreation threatens the stronghold whiteness has in the upper echelons of civilization, particularly in terms of strength of numbers. Therefore to counter this challenge to whiteness, terms like mulatto, octoroon, mestizo etc. have been conceived to delineate such people from pure - blood whites. These terms are taboo but the truth is they exist and serve their purpose very well because in the words of Stacey, whiteness still represents, "purity, cleanliness, and civilized culture" (as cited in Dyer, 1997, p. 78). The association of white with beauty and moral fibre is exemplified by the viewpoints of a character named Jean (Sandra Bullock). She views them through the lens of age - old prejudice and stereotypical notions and therefore sees only hideousness and moral decay in blacks. Her views are further strengthened when two black men steal her car after holding her at gunpoint. She views the black locksmith who comes to change her locks with intense dislike and mistrust, and tells her husband that it is impossible for her to rely on the services of a man with "Shaved head, pants around his ass and prison tattoos". Her husband's attempts to assuage her fears are in vain and she insists that the locks be changed again before "gang bangers" invade their home. Ultimately she comes to realize that her stereotypical notions are false and through her the film reveals that even when stereotypes are exposed for what they are, inexplicably and often tragically they continue to exist. Whiteness as the Harbinger of Death, Violence and Terror While it is true that white stands for all things bright and beautiful, there exists a darker side to white. It is associated with death, loss and melancholy. For instance funeral shrouds are white, and in certain traditions widows wear white which symbolizes their bereavement and bears testament to their grief and pain. This association with death may have arisen from the pallor of corpses - a deathly bleached white. The relationship between whiteness and death has myriad forms. Whiteness is strangely fascinated by and seductively drawn to death. It sees beauty and aesthetic features in death. "Within Western art the dead white body has often been a sight of veneration, an object of beauty" (Dyer, 1997, 208). It must be noted that not only does white represent death, history has shown that it may also be the harbinger of death. In her essay, Representing Whiteness in the Black Imagination, hooks says "whiteness in the black imagination is often a representation of terror" (as cited in Frankenberg, 1997, p. 172). This is not hard to understand in light of the treatment blacks have received throughout history. They were enslaved, exploited and raped for long years before slavery was abolished. Even that did not signal the end of their troubles as they had to wage a long and arduous battle to win civil rights and free themselves from blatant discrimination. The battle continues to rage intermittently. Violence and terror at the hands of the whites has been their constant companion. White - supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the skinheads have terrorized blacks and other ethnic minority groups. The KKK originated during the American Civil War and are going strong to this day. They have used a combination of violence and intimidation to deprive blacks of their civic rights. Klansmen dressed in their white robes and pointed hats have come to symbolize death and hatred. Their activities range from burning crosses to flogging, mutilating or even murdering their unfortunate victims. Black persecution does not occur only at the hands of white extremist groups. Police brutality is another example of the terror whiteness represents to the blacks. Visual media has served to bring this brand of racism to the attention of the public. The widely publicized videotape of the Rodney King beating by the police sent shockwaves rippling through the world. Even more shocking was the verdict in this and similar cases were the police officials involved were acquitted of all charges. Moreover these are not just isolated instances of white terror. The pattern occurs with increasing and disturbing frequency. Michael Stewart and Eleanor Bumpers were also victims of police brutality. Ordinary citizens also have a hand in the terror as was indicated in the Howard Beach incident where three black men were attacked in a pizza place and one of them Michael Griffith was murdered. These incidents have inspired filmmakers like Spike Lee who depicted simmering racial conflict in his movie Do the Right Thing. Crash also refers to the Rodney King videotapes and examines the ramifications that particular event has to this day. Another example that brings out the relationship between whiteness and death is the holocaust. The term holocaust means burnt offering and refers to the extermination of millions of Jews by the Nazis. The fires of the holocaust consumed people besides the Jews - the Gypsies, homosexuals, the crippled and mentally unstable as it was believed that the latter will taint the superiority of the Aryan race. The striking feature of the holocaust was the methodical, systematic and cold - blooded efficiency with which the killings were carried out. The victims were shot and dumped in mass graves or they were sent to gas chambers where carbon monoxide and later cyanide gas was used to kill the victims. This brand of efficiency and ruthlessness is characteristic in whiteness. In the words of Hansberry, whom hooks quotes, "who else [but whites] could put all those people into ovens scientifically" (as cited in Dyer, 2000b, p. 138). The white terror has claimed so many lives throughout history because of the perceived superiority of the whites by the whites and the inferiority of the rest of humanity. In fact the other races are considered as sub - human as this viewpoint enables the whites to justify the killing and to expiate the subsequent guilt. This line of thinking has resulted in a deep gulf between the whites and the others and one wonders if it will ever be bridged. These aspects of white terror are showcased very well in Crash. It helps the viewer realize that terrifying, unjust acts from the past do not remain buried in the pages of history. They have long shadows that cast a dark pall over the present, while looming over the future. The blacks and other ethnic minorities cower in fright and trapped hostility while the whites try desperately to stave off the centuries - old guilt and hold on to their position of power with an iron fist. This strained state of affairs of course is like a cauldron bubbling over with resentment and is likely to blow at any given moment. Officer Hansen's inability to deal with racial tension results in the death of a black man. He shoots the black man thinking he is armed, when he reaches for his pocket. As it turns out the unfortunate man was merely trying to show him a statuette of saint Christopher. Thus through Hansen whiteness is represented as death. This scene brings to mind the Amadou Diallo, who was shot by the cops when he reached for his wallet. Taking examples from reel as well as real life, it appears that some things and meanings never change. Conclusion Throughout history and in contemporary times, whiteness has had variable meanings and has been represented by the visual media as many things, from universality to virtue, purity, cleanliness, death, destruction and terror. It has run the entire gamut of human nature and has encompassed the best and worst of humanity. Crash represents the many facets of whiteness and reveals that it is mercurial, hard to grasp and like Dyer (2000a) says, "the paradoxes and instabilities of whiteness also constitute its flexibility and productivity, in short its representational power" (p. 545). References Brooks, R.L. (2004).Atonement and forgiveness: A new model for black reparations. London: University of California Press. Cheadle, D., Haggis, P., Harris, M. R., Moresco, B., Schulman, C., & Yari, B. (Producer), & Haggis, P. (Director). (2004). Crash [Motion picture]. United States: Lions Gates Films. Dyer, R. (1997). White. London: Routledge. Dyer, R. (2000a). The matter of whiteness. In L.Back & J. Solomos Eds., Theories of race and racism: A reader (539 - 548). London: Routledge. Dyer, R. (2000b). Whites are nothing: Whiteness representation and death. In I.Santaolalla Ed., New exoticisms: Changing patterns in the construction of otherness (135 - 156). Atlanta: Rodopi. Dyer, R. (2002). The matter of images: Essays on representation. London: Routledge. Hooks, B. (1997). Representing whiteness in the black imagination. In R. Frankenberg Ed. , Displacing whiteness: Essays in social and cultural criticism (165 - 179). London: Duke University Press. Rasmussen, B.B., Klinenberg, E., Nexica, I.J., & Wray, M. Introduction. In Rasmussen Ed., The making and unmaking of whiteness (1 - 24). London: Duke University Press. Spencer, S. (2006). Race and ethnicity. London: Routledge. Read More