Blue Eyed, Brown Eye By Jane Elliot

Essay - ‘Blue eyed, Brown eyed’

The act in which one treats one another different purely on the basis of their; eye colour, skin colour, nationality or the nationality of their guardian or ancestors is known solely as ‘discrimination’. Jane Elliot, exposed to the harsh waves of discrimination, tries to change the world through her methods.

Discrimination once practiced upon an individual, can scar or change a person for the remainder of his or her life. It can also change ones views on discrimination. Jane Elliot, a white American women shunned by society on the basis of her anti-racial views towards not only African Americans but any form of racism or discrimination. Elliot’s views, that no-one should attack one another, mentally or physically on the accusation of them being different in anyway, how everyone should be treated equally and that racial discrimination should stop.

Elliot’s methods gathers a large group of participants, divides them into two groups, one group called the brown eyed group (thought they have blue eyes) and the blue eyed group (brown eyed). The blue eyed group get given all the privileges and the brown eyed group get to
be picked on. The brown eyed group has to pretend that they are black African Americans, blue eyed are the “white folks” who will be discriminating against the brown eyed group. Further into the documentary the brown eyed group break down one by one, discriminated against and shouted at.

Eventually one of the participants has an emotional break down and gives in, sheds tears after trying to rebel against Elliot, he remains quiet and indifferent as Elliot continues to break him and everyone else down, to show that this happens on a day-to-day basis, that its happening now, this is then witness by the rest of the participants, the use of “boy” as an example was used excessively throughout the documentary by Elliot to demonstrate it is as thought to be the worst form of word once pronounced towards coloured folk, while the effect can degrade a fully grown man to feel inferior to the one pronouncing it.
Elliot’s methods further educate the participants into further realising the happenings around them, the exercise has changed most of the participants in many ways, It was a life changing
experiment.

The documentary ‘Blue eyed, Brown eyed’ depicts the racial entities that society is engulfed in, and the serious issues around prejudice and discrimination that adults face today…Jane Elliot’s realisation of the racial happenings has grasped her into educating others on the harsh realities of the world we live in, by putting people through these experiments, trying to make a difference, through not only the experiences of others but also the experiences of Jane Elliot herself, she has changed countless number of people, their views and lives.