What does it take for someone to move from a position of hate and racism to a position of tolerance and respect like the transformation that occurred in Derek?
George Bernard Shaw once said, “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
Its true, people that will not change to make something better of themselves
will or cannot change anything. But Derek did. American History X is a story in
which the view of hate changed for the two brothers. Derek and Danny, the two
brothers were in a group in which they follow the Nazi’s way of living. Hating
people who are different such as different races. But when Derek was send to
prison, his experiences contributed to his change of heart. To be able to
change your state, it needs to be your wish, as well as knowing that change is
the solution. Derek moments in prison led to become friend
with a person of a different race. As any man bonding, basketball and girls
will be the start of any relationship. Lamont, an African American man, as well
as working with Derek in prison, made Derek realize that all men are alike. As
the days passed, Lamont and Derek keep on bonding over basketball and among
other things, made Derek realize that people are not very different just
because they have another skin color. When
Derek got raped in the movie, the one that helped him was Lamont,
which was Derek’s last step to come into realization that people help out each
other no matter what your skin or religion is.
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| Derek and Lamont |
You ask what does it take for someone to
change, well in the movie the answer is basically answered as Danny quotes
Abraham Lincoln, or as I'm quoting Danny’s last words:
“So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right?
Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off
all the time. It's just not worth it. Derek says it's always good to end a
paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you
can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought
you'd like. 'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though
passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The
mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will
be, by the better angels of our nature.” When we grow up society or the
friends and people that influence our every day life made us realize what’s
right and wrong, and because of Cameron and Derek’s Dad, Derek himself became
a person that does not think for himself, he thinks what ever influenced him
to be a Nazi. But as he realizes what’s true, and starts think what is best
for him and gets away from the bad influence then you can see how he
changes.
"Has anything you have done, made your life better?" - Dr. Sweeney
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