Do the Right Thing

Do the Right Thing and How Bigger was Born are related based on Richard Wright's idea of multiple Biggers.  Bigger Thomas' character was developed through a seires of different "Biggers" of which Wright encountered in his life.  These different "Biggers" are found throughout Spike Lee's film.  The different aspects of Bigger are found throughout all of the country, because the inhumane treatment of Black's was occuring throughout the United States.  Wright's, "Bigger One", was a "continous challenge to others.  Atall times he took his way, right or wrong."(435).  I think that Mookie followed this similar pattern.  He was always hard to rely on.  Sal and his son's always kept an eye on him when he left to make deliveries.  Also, Tina never could rely on him to visit her and their son, Hector.  He pushed people away and this caused him to feel distressed.  He established his own right and wrong.  Tina felt that it was wrong that he skipped missing his child by going to a job that paid him nothing.  Also, Mookie thought that his sister, Jayde, should stay away from Sal's because he was hitting on her. Mookie was always right in his own mind, and this is what lead him to unhappiness. 

Do the Right Thing really struck me on a subconscious level.  It is interesting to think about how one may not appear to be racist on the outside, but on the inside that subconcious level of racisim is always present.  After realizing this, I have begun to analyze how I view others.  Am I racist on the outside? Or is it just being racist subconsciously?  Subconscious racism is always present and it will be a difficult task to remove it from humanity. The underlying factors that may set offsomeone who is typically not racist to act differently.  I think that Mookie feels accomplished.  He feels this way because he initially pretends to not care what Sal thinks of him, but as the film progresses, the way he does not respond to other Blacks begins to anger him.  By throwing the garbage can into Sal's Pizzeria, Mookie is able to release his anger and finally prove to Sal that it is not acceptable for him to ignore his customers.  He believes that Sal should be able to hang pictures on the wall of African Americans, even if it is just to please his customers, because they are all not of the white race.   Alltogther, I think that the community will suffer without the presence of Sal's, and Sal will suffer because he lost his only love.  Sal's Pizzeria acted as a community center for all of the neighborhood.  Because this was their place, Sal made a living.  Without the two, everyone will suffer.   I don't think anyone did the "right thing".  If Mookie wouldn't have thrown the garbage bin, and Sal would have placed the pictures on the wall, then there would have been peace.  Even if Sal didn't necessarily place the pictures on the wall because he felt like they were important, he should have done it to please his customers in order to keep business running.  This would have also prevented Mookie from ever throwing the garbage bin.  I think that people need to recognize how small actions will effect others.  Because this simple request from Buggin' Out was not complied with, a neighborhood riot lead to a death.  I think that the loss of Radio Reheem taught the neighborhood the importance of family.  The neighborhood, even though having many different races, was able to live together for a long time.  They didn't typically argue with each toher, and were able to maintain a level of peace.  When one person choses not to act for the welfare of the community, events like Radio Raheem's death and the loss of Sal's occur.

King's Mountaintop Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his hope for a final march on Memphis.  After a violent protest, he felt ashamed as to how it turned out, and planned to remain non violent.  King delievered this speech the evening before his assassination, which is about the hope for Blacks as they near the "promised land".  He interprets America as the promised land.  He said, "He's allowed me to to go up to the mountain, and I've looked over.  And I've seen the promsied land.   As a people will get to the promised land."  King invisioned this land for his people.  He knows it is possible not only because God has told him so, but because he is hopeful that their long fight has finally come to the place were they belong.  Blacks have been climbing their mountain, peak by peak, fighting each battle to look over and see their beautfiul land.  King assures the people that this will come if they remain nonviolent and comply with the First Amendment (freedom of speech, protest, religion etc). 

4.  What did the "promised land" stand for in his speech?  What do you think King meant when he said he had seen "the promised land"?

As I said above, the promised land is a sanctuary of peace.  It is a place were people can be who they wish to be and a place that terminates any exclusion.  This land is the opportunity to the people that have made it thus far, the one's who fought when others didn't.  It is also a symbol of older generations who paved the way for younger generations.  The promised land is not only a home, but a permanent reminder of all of past brutality that had finally come to an end.