Lamont's character - MONICA WEIR
Since previewing the syllabus in the beginning of the semester I have been looking forward to viewing the film "American History X." Luckily I had not read the article “The White Supremacist in Anti-Racist Films� written by Laura J. and Peter S. Finley prior to Wednesday night. I was actually rather disappointed in some of the views depicted in the article. One of my favorite characters was Lamont, Derek’s prison laundry room partner. The article, however, describes him as “happy-go-lucky� and says “it is as if he doesn’t really mind the fact that he is in prison for dropping a television on a police officer’s foot.� In the conversation between Derek and Lamont where they are learning about one another, I saw a lot of emotion behind his explanation of what had landed him in prison. He is clearly not happy about being there, but there is nothing he can do to change the situation. I saw him as charismatic, bright, and friendly; three qualities that are beneficial for any individual, regardless of race, gender, or religion. It is obvious through the character development of Lamont that he is well liked and has a lot of persuasive power in the prison since Derek makes it out alive despite being liked by almost no one. A “happy-go-lucky� or carefree prisoner would probably not have that kind of support. Lamont was also the seed of Derek's transformation. He taught Derek to open his eyes and his heart, and I don’t believe that any of it was unintentional as the article implies.