After You My Dear Alphonse Essay Example

societal stereotypes that often lead to negative behavior. They were majorly focused on building their friendship and enjoying themselves. This underlines that no one is inherently racist, rather it's a thought process instigated by parental figures and societal pressures. When both Johnny and Boyd came into the house with Boyd having to carry the wood, Mrs. Wilson expressed displeasure at Johnny for making him do so.

Ignorant of Johnny's lack of understanding about the conventional roles African-American’s typically hold in manual labor, she deduced that Johnny was engaging in discriminatory behavior. Even though she herself harbors racist beliefs, she attempts to see herself as compassionate towards the struggles inflicted on African-Americans. When Johnny told Mrs Wilson that the wood actually belongs to Boyd, Mrs Wilson showed surprise. She finds it difficult to grasp that Boyd, an African American, could enjoy equivalent, if not superior opportunities than Johnny, a white American.

This implies that the conventional beliefs about African-Americans in the 1940s still portray them as impoverished, starving, and entirely reliant on the benevolence of white people. It further emphasizes how Mrs. Wilson's attitude towards Boyd is a clear reflection of society's prevailing and tolerated perception, which considers African-Americans as people with large families living in poverty, with no proof to validate their equality with whites.