Comparing Stereotypes and Stereotyping in Measuring My Blood and The Ar

Conformity and Stereotypes in Measuring My Blood and The Artificial ringtail Adults frequently make conscious attempts to pass on their values and judgments concerning a number of matters to younger generations by sharing their own views. Generally, the advice they pass on is accommodative for one to become a successful, productive member of the general population however, this process of indoctrination can be harmful if the views sh ard by the elder are racist. Gerald Vizenors Measuring My Blood and Flannery OConnors The Artificial Nigger explore the circumstances in which racist separates try to induce others into following stereotypical ideas and how their influence can result to a negative outcome. One reason older people project their negative, racist attitudes is so that they may boost their own self-image. For example, in OConnors The Artificial Nigger, Mr. qualifying acts as if he were the worlds foremost authority on African-American issues since he has i nteracted with them during several brief occasions in the past. In Nelsons uncultured opinion, his grandfathers seemingly unendless experience about dense people is impressive, and for the first time in his life, he understood that his grandfather was indispens fitted to him (257). The elderly grandfather enjoys the rare occurrence of having Nelson find up to him and respect his authority. Generally, Nelson merely looks at his caretaker as just another poor, unsophisticated country redneck incapable of furthering his own well-being however, when the issue of black people is brought to attention, he is finally taken seriously. Otherwise, Mr. Head is just an unsophisticated man who gains his sense of self-worth by abusing minorities. ... ...is the transfer of racist ideas through the use of indoctrination. plot of ground the main difference between the two stories lies in the way a seemingly trustworthy source shares its stereotypical ideas with either a single indivi dual or a large group, indoctrination, as evidenced in both stories, can be hurtful and damaging. Some individuals, such as Gerald Vizenor are able to see the racism often associated with the sharing of ideas, but other, less intelligent or caring people simply accept other peoples opinions as their own. whole works Cited OConnor, Flannery. The Artificial Nigger. The Complete Stories of Flannery OConnor. New York Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1971. 249-70. Vizenor, Gerald. Measuring My Blood. Native American Literature A Brief Introduction and Anthology. Ed. Gerald Vizenor. New York Harper Collins, 1996. 69-74.