Media Outtake #4: The Blind Side

In the short story, “Battle Royal” there is a young black African American trying to find his place in the American society. Instead of the author laying out facts for the readers, he describes a situation that interprets exactly what it was like for young African Americans back in the day. People treated them like pets and didn’t care how much pain they were going through. It was interesting how the rich men were using these young kids as entertainment. They put these black teens into a cage blindfolded and forced them to fight each other. It made the boys feel embarrassed and worthless. He only wanted someone to hear his speech and to acknowledge his greatness. At the end of the story, the black boy was finally able to deliver the speech that he had wanted to do all along. As he delivered the speech, the white men made sure that he knew his place in society, even though he was very intelligent.

            The movie, The Blind Side, is about a black boy that is taken in by a white family. The white family takes care of the black boy by sending him to school, giving him a room and clothes. The white family pays for him to have a tutor in order to raise his GPA so he can play on the football team. The black boy never felt comfortable with the family paying for him. He was always hesitant to take what was offered for him.

            Although this story and movie are completely different, they still reminded me of each other. The black boy in the movie was trying to find his place in society. He didn’t feel comfortable taking what was offered to him. I feel like the boy was hesitant because of his skin color; he was intimidated. The boy in the book was also intimidated due to his color. It was hard for both of these boys to feel comfortable with their surroundings.

http://youtu.be/dJ3kwMq18-8