In the story written by Nadine Gordimer "Good Climate, Friendly Inhabitants" she exposes the idea that even the whites of Africa may have their minds being held captive by racism. The character/narrator is a woman who is a sense is a good, loving, gentle woman who cares about others, but is a racist and sees the other races as monkeys. The idea given by Gordimer is very true because I come from a family with a history of racism, and even though the individuals may have good hearts they are blinded by their prejudice. In another sense they are being held captive by racism. The shame is that the people who are racist, or are the victims of these prejudices are trapped; many may never find their way out. To truly confirm what I am trying to express I will say that all people whether white, black, or anything in between must be careful that their own minds are not held captive to ideas that may not be our own.
Andrew Asimus
You make an excellent point about how we need to be aware of how others may try to make their ideas our own. Your commentary on racism is well grounded in the story, and your description of your experience is interesting. In your next blog, see if you can deepen your analysis to incorporate more concrete examples not only from the story but from your personal experience as well to support the good assertions that you make.
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