In The Ruins

1465 Words6 Pages
Racism is a social construct that has divided countries for many centuries regardless of the fact we are all humans. Racism, violence, and social neglect are all themes present in “In the Ruins,” by Nicholas Leiman and “And Our Flag Was Still There,” by Barbara Kingsolver. They both deal with the emerging racism that occurs after devastations. Tragedies like 911 and Hurricane Katrina do not cause racism; they bring out the racism overlooked by many. The racism, neglect, and violence all occurred because of the narrow-minded figures found in all sectors of society. The close-minded figures in both essays complicated the situation after the Hurricane Katrina and the September 11 attacks by adding racism to the conflict. The authors of both essays…show more content…
The themes of shock and misunderstanding are present in both essays due to the destruction, violence, and death caused by both events. After September 11, due to fear, many citizens live in constant fear because of the propaganda hate radio delivered to thousands of “ bully patriots claiming to my own flag promoted a brand of nationalism that threatened freedom of speech and religion with death.” ( Kingsolver 550) The threats were targeted mostly towards foreigners as these narrow-minded citizens began mocking and hating them. Similarly, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina faced a similar problem with racism as the city was neglected by all sectors of the government. Nicholas Leeman states “Hurricanes are an eternal themes in the literature of New Orleans,” to make it evident this city has faced this problem since its foundation. This statement serves to highlight that the government’s neglection by not funding hurricane protection protocols caused the extra rebuilding after the hurricane. Additionally, the blame also placed on society due that a “society that doesn’t deliver for its many poor people, most of whom are black, doesn’t generate a lot of trust and cohesion.” (Kingsolver 589) The local government of New Orleans failed to execute their job, causing fear in its citizens who now had to take matters into their own hands. Furthermore, both situations prove that after the country goes through a crisis, the real attitudes and consequences towards racism
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