Katherine Rivard
I strongly agree that American History X is what Madison deems an “anti-racist-white-hero� film (406). First, it maintains a “white hero� narrative primarily through Derek. The film justifies his racial attitudes early in the film by highlighting that what spurred his hate was largely because an African American man shot his father. In addition, the film is narrated around Derek’s story and his personal struggle with racial issues. We follow Derek’s story while he is incarcerated, befriends a “black� man, goes through a major transformation to become an advocate of peace and equality, and we watch his efforts to protect his family and improve life. Rarely ever is the viewer taken in depth into the perspective of any African American character. Also, just as the film started with Derek’s anguish through the story of his father, it ends in a similar fashion, with his brother’s murder by an African American boy. The film begins and ends with Derek’s suffering, struggles, and hardships with African Americans, and it touches only briefly on the possible causes as to why minorities behave differently from white norms. I feel this film is best described by Madison as “highlighting ‘white’ heroism, mark[ing] whiteness in crisis, resolv[ing] the crisis through a paternalistic white supremacist co-optation of anti-racist struggle, and provid[ing] a re-legitimating historical fiction supportive of the white back-lash against equality� (400).