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Essay / Critical Analysis of Bell Hooks' Book, Killing Rage: Ending Racism
Gloria Jean Watkins, better known as Bell Hooks, is a prominent figure not only in literature, but also in the feminist and civil rights movements . She seamlessly integrates these two issues into Killing Rage: Ending Racism in order to address the problems she believes are plaguing society. Many critics attack Hooks' informal and violent writing style; however, she simply wants to attract more readers in order to spread her views on intolerance and call her audience to action. Although her writing style may seem overly intense, it illustrates the anger and frustration she feels in the face of discrimination. As a highly educated black woman, she says a society free of prejudice is achievable through literacy and communication. The "murderous rage" that Hooks experiences due to racism and sexism prevents him from ending racism in a beloved community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get an Original EssayThe entire basis of Hooks' work is the "murderous rage" she experiences after "sitting next to a anonymous white man whom she aspires to murder” (8). After an altercation between the "anonymous white man" and her black friend, Hooks felt an irresistible rage that inspired her to write Killing Rage: Ending Racism. The anger she experiences eventually results in an overwhelming sense of helplessness, as she has no control over her own destiny and no acceptable means of expressing her anger. Hooks asserts that she lives in a society that cannot “see black rage as anything other than disease” (12). She believes she lives in a culture that does not take the issues of her race seriously. The black population is subject to the whims of the public, leading to endless frustration with the oppression and mistreatment of its people. Hooks goes on to assert that “most people associate black rage with the lower class” (12). She believes that this association is also responsible for the rejection of black rage. This class struggle, as well as segregation, added to the repression felt by black citizens. They also contribute to the accumulation of emotions responsible for the transition from helplessness to rage. Many issues contribute to this emotional overload, including the repression of rage and the denial of racism. According to hooks, whites colonized black Americans through segregation in order to “perpetuate and maintain white supremacy” and “part of this colonization process taught us to suppress our rage” (14). This dehumanization deprives black people of a constructive and healthy means by which they can change their situation. There is a serious double standard rooted in this problem. Not only do white supremacists oppress black rage, but they also assert their own white rage against black people without consequence. Hooks asserts that “white rage is acceptable, can be both expressed and tolerated, but black rage has no place and everyone knows it” (15). This only adds to the aggravation and anger felt by Hooks and his peers. She goes on to highlight the success of white colonization techniques by saying, “blacks repress and annihilate our rage for assimilation” (16). Ultimately, this repression and assimilation causes black people to sink into a sense of individualism distinct from the fate of the black race. This counterproductive attitude is partly responsible for the persistence of racism in America. Hooks argues that “the black liberation struggle cannot take place if wewe remain incapable of exploiting collective black rage” (20). She believes that only through unification can the black population solve the problems they face daily. If these people could establish a strong sense of camaraderie and organize their efforts to achieve equality, then there would be no stopping their attempts at reform. Everyone is responsible for continued discrimination based on gender, not just men. Hooks emphasizes that “the revolutionary feminist [movement] is not anti-masculine” (63). One of the biggest obstacles to combating sexism is continuing to eradicate racism. While fighting racism, their supporters continually equate "black liberalization with the development of black patriarchy" by looking to "strong leadership of black men" to guide them toward equality (63). By relying on these strong black men to lead, anti-racists attempt to equate white men with black men, placing black women even lower on the spectrum, creating one problem while trying to solve another. . Women must take a stand in the anti-racist movement, as well as the anti-sexism movement, or they will never truly achieve equality. According to Hooks, to achieve a beloved community, the "first step in the anti-racist fight" is "struggling to break down the denial" of racism. Many white people think they are not racist for a multitude of reasons. The root cause of this white denial, according to hooks, lies in the values and attitudes of white supremacists that "permeate every aspect of the culture", ultimately leading to "unconsciously absorbing the ideology of white supremacy" (267 Elle). argues that only once these white people admit their racism and commit to addressing it can the population move toward a beloved community. Most people have the wrong idea of what this entails. this beloved community is seen by many as a society in which race is “transcended, forgotten, where no one would see the color of skin” (263). . No one wants to abandon their heritage and culture to assimilate with another. Many blacks believe that they would be asked to “give up their identities, beliefs, and values” in exchange for the “values and beliefs of privileged-class whites” (266). Hooks goes on to present the correct view of how communities are valued. to establish, which “is not by the eradication of differences but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming our identities and our cultural heritages” (265). This vision eliminates the cultural protectionism created by the previous example. By educating yourself about the culture and individualities of a group, it is possible to accept someone as they are and overcome discrimination. Hooks claims that she has already created a beloved community on a much smaller scale and maintains that it is an achievable dream for everyone to accept other races and exterminate connotations of white supremacy. The people who are part of his beloved community have made “their own commitment to living anti-racist lives” (271). Members of these communities recognize the differences between individuals but possess the tolerance and open-mindedness necessary to live in racial harmony. Hooks believes that it is the duty of these people to share their testimony in order to show the rest of the population that it is possible to live peacefully in an interracial society. In order to change society, the black population "must not allow the actions of white people who support.