Racism in Stephen King Books
Caine
>Some people have mentioned that he gives blacks strong characters (Mike in IT,
>Halloran in Shining), but if you notice, these characters are still minor
>characters, and they are never educated, family-minded, literate people. They
>are stereotyped, and stereotyping is a form of pre-judging, and a precursor to
>prejudice itself.
>
>: He has actually thought about it. I read an interview with him in which
>: he mentioned Halloran and Mother Abagail as very stereotypical black
>: characters, and said he felt sorry that he couldn't seem to write more
>: realistic ones. I think it was the Playboy interview that has been
>
>Doesn't seem like he's trying very hard, IMNSHO. I remember a few racism slurs
>against 'Detta in DT. I can't speak for any of his works later than that, which
>I haven't read. Perhaps he should try doing some research on his black
>characters. I'm sure not *everyone* in Maine is a hick :)
Well, thank you for giving us the benefit of the doubt! And I beg to differ
with you about blacks being minor, un-educated, un-family-minded, and
illiterate people! Mike Hanlon from it was a MAJOR character in the book, and
he was very literate (He was a librarian, which involves a small amount of
literacy) and educated. At some point in the book it talked about him in
college! Steve might not include a lot of blacks in his books but I don't
think that shows his prejudice, it is just a simple fact that in rural Maine,
blacks are just not as common as some other minorities (if any minorities at
all). In the high school I attended (approximately 600-700 students grades
9-12, from 4 towns) we only had one black person. I never heard of any
discrimination towards him. He just another guy, doing everything we did,
which is exactly as it should be. There is prejudice out there and it's not
caused by locale, it is caused by ignorance.
Caine
Bldngts
While you're still on your high horse remember this, all sterotypes have
some basis in reality, otherwise there wouldn't be sterotypes. As painful
as that may be for you to admit, it is the truth, and if you want to find
racism everywhere you look then go right ahead, but I have niothing but
pity for you.
Allyson Lisa Raymond
** Caine you are one in a million keep up the good message
Jon Skeet
>
> In article <3jse2f$3...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, bld...@aol.com (Bldngts) wrote:
>
> > SAying King is racist, is like saying he's homophobic because of his poor
> > depiction of gay characters. Racism exists in the mind of those who
> > believe in it and those who look for it. Give it a break, if you want
> > strong gay characters read Terry McMillan, if you want a good horror story
> > read King, but don't bitch because he doesn't have an affirmative action
> > plan for his characters.
> >
> > Scott
>
> This is an _interactive_ newsgroup. We discuss openly what we read. Don't
> use words that you don't know the definition of.
I'm afraid I don't see what you mean here. I can't see how the three
sentences really relate to each other.
I've just read all 3 replies to this question that you've posted
recently (if there are more, my NNTP server hasn't got them yet)
and I'm afraid to say I basically still disagree with them. You didn't
reply to my earlier posting (no reason why you should, it's just you
have replied to most of the others - not a problem). Does this mean
you agreed with most of my points?
I still believe that when King used the 'N' word he was justified in
doing so as that is what the character could well have said. I must
say, if I were gay, I'd have found some of the phrases used in IT
far more offensive than the racist remarks (but then again, I'm not
in a great position to judge, being white and straight).
I feel in a very real sense King has little control over what his
characters say - he seems to be so involved in the stories he writes
(you can feel that in the energy he gives them) that forcing a
character to say something they wouldn't want to would be too much
like imprisoning them. I say again, King's characters' opinions are
not his own.
Jon Skeet
Bldngts
racism where none exists?
Lorrill Buyens
<cworkman-090...@n1-5-190-ece-commonwealth.ece.drexel.edu> on
Thu, 09 Mar 1995 19:58:09 -0500 cwor...@cbis.ece.drexel.edu, while
summoning a demon, chanted...
>
>Carla - Who hasn't heard the term 'colored' , since she read
> about it
> in literature or scene it in films circa 1930, possibly
> 1950's.
My grandmother, who's in her late 60's, talks about "colored people" from
time to time. (I always tell her, "It's BLACK people, Grandma," but she
keeps forgetting. <g>)
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Barbara E. Walton
In a previous article, bld...@aol.com (Bldngts) says:
>Are you forgetting Judge Farris? Or are you another of those who sees
>racism where none exists?
>
The Judge's race wasn't specified in the book, so this argument
isn't really relative. I don't think King's books are racist;
the only time I cringed a bit was in the Detta Walker sections
of "Drawing of the Three."
--
Barbara
[D]eeper than all those opposites was making and unmaking. So
deep that hardly anyone noticed it was the most important
opposite of all. -- Orson Scott Card, Seventh Son
Barb Erickson
Jeez, I just thought of something, most, if not all of the bad guys in
Stephen King books, short stories, etc, are WHITE!!!!!
I just can't believe he has such sterotypes!!
Barb