Hidden Figures focuses on discrimination, racism, and white supremacy. The movie focuses on three American women with an African ancestry and works for NASA. The women Mary Jackson, Katherine Goble, and Dorothy Vaughan face discrimination within their workplaces (Scott, 2016). The film follows the three women as they work tirelessly to ensure that they launch into space. The careers of the three women are turned into a celebration as their perseverance is repaid after they are rewarded on merit. Johnson is promoted due to her exceptional talent in calculations which gives her an opportunity to interact with a substantial number of whites, particularly with male NASA engineers. However, despite being their coworker, they still discriminate against her as a black woman.
The Elements of Discussion
The movie is set in the 1960s a period when workplace sexism and racial segregation were a common occurrence within the society. The three African-American women who work at the NASA headquarters in Hampton, Virginia are treated like machines. The women are assigned different jobs at the facility but they are discriminated against even by their bosses who deny them promotion or recognition and treat them with condescension. The discrimination of these women by their colleagues is one important area of discussion that will highlight the problems that the minorities experience within the society. However, despite the humiliation they faced, they played important roles in the American space program which reveals the capabilities that people have to overcome injustice. Jackson becomes the first black women to receive a certification as an engineer at NASA. There are also heroes within the film such as the NASA manager, Al Harrison, who is revealed as a white male hero who helped lift the standard of women.
Prior Knowledge
The story is based on a nonfiction book, Hidden Figures, which was authored by Margot Lee Shetterly (Scott, 2016). The movie goes back to the time when racism was rampant in the American society. Here the African-Americans expressed discrimination but they were determined to put to an end these wrong social doings. They stood for their rights and called for their freedom through activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. Like the stories of the brave men and women at the time, the movie offers an interesting story of overcoming racism. It acknowledges the talent and bravery that was evident in the three African-American women.
Compare Society Before To the Society Today
The movie takes the viewer back in time to the 1960s when the American society was a little different than it is today. According to Coleman (2014), the 1960s was marked with a range of social issues such as discrimination and racism particularly towards the African Americans. They were treated poorly by the society and faced discrimination within their workplaces. Unlike the labor force in the present world, the workforce in the society before was racially segregated and gender stratified. There were only a limited number of women who participated in workplaces. However, today women form an important part of the workforce in nearly all sectors of the society. There is a huge difference in technology. At the time it was not advanced as it is today and dedication of employees was a key ingredient to the performance of institutions such as NASA. However, the society today is highly advanced and there are highly powerful machines that are able to perform complicated tasks.
Conclusion
The movie, Hidden Figures, gives a familiar story within the American society. It is a well-told tale that focuses on important historical events and conveys a message of white supremacy with a satisfying emotional payoff at the end. The three African-American women are determined to accomplish their dreams despite living in a society that was stratified.
Paper 2: Jumping the Broom
Jumping the Broom is a comedy that focuses on two African-American families that meet for the first time at a wedding. The film is about the contrast in class differences between the families of Jason Taylor and Sabrina Watson. Jumping the Broom offers a refreshing theme of family conflict.
A Review Comparing and Contrasting the Two Families in the Movie
The bride and the groom have been raised on opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. The Watson’s family is from the upper class while the Taylors are from a humble background. Sabrina’s family has a very big house that is in a secluded waterfront property and is staffed by maids, cooks, and assistants (Gates, 2011). They are very rich which is strengthened by the whole family’s fluency in French. The class differences come across in different scenes in the film. The Taylors are attached to numerous traditions and customary practices that turn out to be a nuisance on the Watsons. There is animosity between the mother of the bride and groom. Sabrina’s mother Claudine and Jason’s mother Pam come from two different classes. The poor family is attached to unique cultures and traditions such as the bride and groom jumping the broom. Pam insists that the tradition must be observed but it is resisted as it was considered old-fashioned.
The Watsons including Claudine treats their guests who are from a lower class with some level of disregard. Claudine is resentful but is well-mannered, unlike Pam who is presented as a crazy and rude guest who pouts and tries to manipulate her son. She snoops around the Watson’s home for secrets that she hopes to use against Sabrina and her family. Jason is seen as a weak son who cannot stand up to protect his bride against his unrelenting mother. Pam is desperate to gain control over the events of the day and her anger nearly destroys the wedding after she reveals an overheard secret that had been long-held by the Watson family.
The Critical Theory That Applies To the Problem in the Film
The problem in the film is bringing two families together and blending them since they come from different ends of the spectrum. Pam is from a humble background and is hugely against the rushed wedding of her child. She openly insults and undermines everyone she meets to show her dissatisfaction. There is a clear problem in the film that is evident on the wedding. Pam focuses on continuing her family tradition of jumping the broom while the Watsons are reluctant on introducing these practices into their rich family. The practices are perceived to be outdated as they were common among the American slave population.
The impression of Prejudice in Marriage and Construction of Family
Marriage is a blessed arrangement that many people dream of having in their life. However, the movie Jumping the Broom reveals prejudices that exist in marriage. The society believes that people who are joined through a marriage must come from the same socioeconomic class which is why Claudine and Pam are against the union of their children through the wedding. Furthermore, Sabrina is forced to accept Taylor's family tradition and incorporate it into her uptown wedding which marks another prejudice in marriage. The bride is forced to identify with the traditions of the groom’s family and not the other way round. She must sacrifice her happiness as a way to satisfy everyone. There is prejudice in the construction of family as the female members play a huge role than their counterparts. In the film, the male characters from both families do not contribute significantly to the formation of the family which is also evident in the society. However, at the end of the film, the two families reconcile their differences and they celebrate with love and joy that was shared with their children.
References
Coleman, J. T. (2014). Examining the Life Script of African-Americans: A Test of the Cultural Life Script. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28(3), 419-426.
Gates, M. (2011, May 11). "Jumping the Broom" set on Martha's Vineyard - The Martha's Vineyard Times. Retrieved on April 11, 2018, from http://www.mvtimes.com/2011/05/11/jumping-broom-set-marthas-vineyard-5557/.
Scott, A. O. (2016, December 22). Review: 'Hidden Figures? Honors 3 Black Women Who Helped NASA Soar. Retrieved on April 11, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/movies/hidden-figures-review.html.
