Double Consciousness In 'Do The Right Thing'
Eng 234 Midterm prompt 4
Shelton Jackson, formally known as Spike Lee, has established himself as a well respected American film director, producer, writer, and actor known for bringing to attention the issues of identity, racism, and socialization towards the black community in his work. In the film “Do The Right Thing” we can tie in the idea of W.E.B. Du Bois’s double consciousness when examining the pivotal role of the character Mookie. Throughout the film Mookie is constantly walking on a thin line between two highly segregated social groups, which as a result leaves Mookie torn to where his place in society should stand. W.E.B. Du Bois’s concept of double consciousness is intended to describe an individual whose identity is divided into several facets, and in this particular situation African Americans. In his book, In The Souls Of Black …show more content…
Folk, Du Bois writes “Then it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like them perhaps in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil. I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through; I held all beyond it in common contempt, and lived above it in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadows.” (pg. 689) Before examining Mookie 's role in the film it is vital to understand Du Bois 's meaning of the veil to further understand his concept of a double consciousness. First, the veil stands for the white community’s lack of acceptance of African Americans due to the darker skin and the discrimination that comes with it, the veil also symbolizes a lack of unity and cohesion of social groups due to the white community’s lack of clarity to accept Negros as “true” Americans. And lastly, the veil harms the Negro 's lack of ability to identify themselves outside of what white Americans prescribes them to be. Throughout the film we can see how the veil plays a significant role in Mookie 's life to discover his social identity. The veil draws upon the discrimination of African Americans due to the color of their skin, for example in the end of the movie when the Police arrive at Sal 's Pizzeria to break up the fight, all of the Police Officers are white and eventually end up killing the African American Radio Raheem. Its ironic when listening to Radio Raheems story about the right hand left hand, its a tale of good and evil “These five fingers go straight to the soul of man, the right hand, the hand of love.” Despite Raheem 's tale we can see how his physical aggression led to his death. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated “NDA (Non-Violent Direct Action) is the use of "soul force" which is capable of triumph over the physical force of one 's oppressor. Far from its being a form of pacifism, NDA effectively disarms one 's opponent, exposes his moral defenses, weakens his morale and works on his conscience."(Corlett) The veil shows the white community 's inability to accept black people as true Americans. When Mookie and Pino are talking Mookie asks Pino who his favorite basketball player, movie star, and rock star are, Pino responds with Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy and Prince. Although Mookie proves that all of Pino 's favorite people are Negroes, Pino state “Magic, Eddie, Prince are not niggers, I mean, are not Black. I mean, they 're Black but not really Black. They 're more than Black. It 's different.” This moment in the film Mookie is shown no matter how hard he tries, and no matter what kind of social stature you could have Mookie could never be accepted as a true American, because just like Magic Johnson he wouldn 't be “really” black it would be different. For even Du Bois states “He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world.” (Du Bois) In conclusion the veil refers to Negro 's lack of ability to identify themselves outside of what white Americans prescribe them to be. It seems in the film that most of Mookies friends are unemployed and lack a family to take care of as he does. Da Mayor couldn 't afford to put food on the table for his wife and children, none of Mookie 's friends are seen working with a job, ML lost his business and sits on the corner passing the time with Sweet Dick Willie and Coconut Sid talking about plans he will “eventually” do. By looking at this correlation this Is a clear representation of the vision of the African American community through the eyes of white Americans; like the police officer stated when passing Sweet Dick Willie, ML, and Coconut Sid “What a waste”. When looking at the idea of double consciousness we can see an evident correlation in the lead character Mookie. Mookie lives, and is a socially active member in the African American community, with countless friends in his home in Brooklyn. Although the neighborhood seems to be populated with a large African American community, Mookie Is the only black person to be working in the essentially “White” owned business; Sal 's Pizzeria. During the film Mookie is constantly making his way in and out of both worlds while delivering pizzas which as a result, leaves him trapped between his friends and employer. The entire film Mookie is constantly trying to preserve an even balance of belonging to both social groups but constantly finds himself being torn in two opposite directions. Du Bois elaborates on the perspective “From the double life every American Negro must live, as a Negro, and as an American …. from this must arise a painful self consciousness, an almost morbid sense of personality, and moral hesitancy is fatal to self-confidence … Such a double life, with double thoughts, with double duties, and double social classes, must give rise to double words and double ideals”(Du Bois) We can observe the double life of Mookie when he tries to refrain from taking sides in a argument between Sal and Buggin ' out. For example when Buggin ' Out becomes upset at Sal and asks Mookie why there aren 't any brothers on the wall Mookie responds with “I don 't know why don 't you ask Sal?” Mookie later tell 's Buggin ' Out “Man what are you trying to do? You 're fucking my shit up!” Although Mookie agrees with what Buggin ' Out is arguing for Mookie is upset with his friend for putting him in a position that could ultimately cost him his job at Sals. During this part of the movie it 's clear to see Mookies double consciousness after not sticking up for his black friend. Buggin ' Out see 's whats going on and tells Mookie before he leaves to “Stay Black.” Here Mookie is trying to preserve both lives that he has in the white American and Negro community. Its interesting to see the two lives that Mookie is forced to juggle around. On page 689 of The Souls of Black Folk W.E.B Du Bois states “It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring one 's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity.” In the film Mookie understands the label that he is forced to wear by having dark skin and begin African American. Mookie Is discriminated by Pino when he tells Mookie “You get paid to do what we say, who 's working for who Pop?” When Pino uses the word we it portrays a larger idea of the oppression that white America has on Negroes. Through the eyes of Pino, Mookie see 's how he is viewed by others not only at Sal 's Pizzeria but in the world outside. Du Bois goes on to say “Alas all this fine contempt began to fade, for the words I longed for, and all their dazzling opportunities, were theirs, not mine.” and its evident that Mookie understands this as well, by looking at himself through the eyes of white Americans, Mookie understands he will always be discriminated against because of the separation the veil creates. Mookie is working In a restaurant of non-colored ownership, in a predominant African American community. Mookie understands that he will always continue to be discriminated by the white community, but even though this Is true he is forced to bounce between social groups because of his job at Sal 's. Mookie “simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in his face.” (Du Bois) When comparing what Du Bois stated above to Mookie, we can see how all Mookie is trying to do is live his life regardless of what social group he chooses to surround himself with. Because he hangs out with his black friends and takes a long time while delivering pizzas Pino talks poorly about Mookie 's work ethic, and when Mookie doesn 't support Buggin ' Out, furthermore the black community, about getting some brotha 's on the wall Mookie is told to “stay black”. As the movie progresses Mookie begins to lose the urgency to preserve his double consciousness because he knows at some point In time he will be forced to chose where his place shall be; American or Negro. As the film progresses and the story of Mookie unfolds there seems to be a shift in Mookie 's double Consciousness and a greater understanding of where his place in society should lie. From the beginning of the film till the end Mookie grows less and less motivated to please Sal and Pino. Mookie understands that no matter how hard he tries to force himself to be a part of the American community he will never fully break through the veil. The defining moment of this realization is after the white police officers took radio Raheem and choked him to death, Mookie is seen standing next to Sal, Pino, and Vito and, as a moment of judgment and almost being forced to choose sides, slowly walks away abandoning his life as an American into the angry black mob as a Negro. In Dr. Kings Acceptance Speech he emphasizes how “Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” Just as Mookie stated to Pino “Don 't start no shit, wont be no shit.” If the death of Radio Raheem would have been substituted by a more peaceful arrest by the white Police Officers, Sal would still have his Pizzeria. But because shit was started Mookie was forced to abandon his double-consciousness and take side with his African American Community. As a conclusion to the film, this here is the defining moment that Mookie understands that he will never be able to break through Du Bois 's veil and should abandon the double life he 's been living and “Do the Right Thing” and stand along side his people, because he now knows that he will never been seen by the white American community as anything more than a Negro so why choose to live with a double consciousness?
“The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife – this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost.” (Du Boise) As much as Mookie tries to equally manage his divided identity, because he is a Negro he realizes he will never be viewed as a “true” American. As Mookie throws the empty trash can through his old Boss 's window, Mookie is showing he no longer wishes to live with a double consciousness and symbolized the destruction of his life and pursuit in becoming an accepted American for he no longer wishes to confront the veil that stands between the two social
groups. Works Cited
Corlett, J. Angelo. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.
Du Bois, W.E.B. "Of Our Spiritual Strivings." The Souls of Black Folk. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Do The Right Thing. Dir. Shelton Jackson. Perf. Spike Lee. Universal Pictures, 1989. Film.
"Martin Luther King Jr. - Acceptance Speech". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 29 Apr 2014.
Shelton Jackson, formally known as Spike Lee, has established himself as a well respected American film director, producer, writer, and actor known for bringing to attention the issues of identity, racism, and socialization towards the black community in his work. In the film “Do The Right Thing” we can tie in the idea of W.E.B. Du Bois’s double consciousness when examining the pivotal role of the character Mookie. Throughout the film Mookie is constantly walking on a thin line between two highly segregated social groups, which as a result leaves Mookie torn to where his place in society should stand. W.E.B. Du Bois’s concept of double consciousness is intended to describe an individual whose identity is divided into several facets, and in this particular situation African Americans. In his book, In The Souls Of Black …show more content…
Folk, Du Bois writes “Then it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like them perhaps in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil. I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through; I held all beyond it in common contempt, and lived above it in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadows.” (pg. 689) Before examining Mookie 's role in the film it is vital to understand Du Bois 's meaning of the veil to further understand his concept of a double consciousness. First, the veil stands for the white community’s lack of acceptance of African Americans due to the darker skin and the discrimination that comes with it, the veil also symbolizes a lack of unity and cohesion of social groups due to the white community’s lack of clarity to accept Negros as “true” Americans. And lastly, the veil harms the Negro 's lack of ability to identify themselves outside of what white Americans prescribes them to be. Throughout the film we can see how the veil plays a significant role in Mookie 's life to discover his social identity. The veil draws upon the discrimination of African Americans due to the color of their skin, for example in the end of the movie when the Police arrive at Sal 's Pizzeria to break up the fight, all of the Police Officers are white and eventually end up killing the African American Radio Raheem. Its ironic when listening to Radio Raheems story about the right hand left hand, its a tale of good and evil “These five fingers go straight to the soul of man, the right hand, the hand of love.” Despite Raheem 's tale we can see how his physical aggression led to his death. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated “NDA (Non-Violent Direct Action) is the use of "soul force" which is capable of triumph over the physical force of one 's oppressor. Far from its being a form of pacifism, NDA effectively disarms one 's opponent, exposes his moral defenses, weakens his morale and works on his conscience."(Corlett) The veil shows the white community 's inability to accept black people as true Americans. When Mookie and Pino are talking Mookie asks Pino who his favorite basketball player, movie star, and rock star are, Pino responds with Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy and Prince. Although Mookie proves that all of Pino 's favorite people are Negroes, Pino state “Magic, Eddie, Prince are not niggers, I mean, are not Black. I mean, they 're Black but not really Black. They 're more than Black. It 's different.” This moment in the film Mookie is shown no matter how hard he tries, and no matter what kind of social stature you could have Mookie could never be accepted as a true American, because just like Magic Johnson he wouldn 't be “really” black it would be different. For even Du Bois states “He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world.” (Du Bois) In conclusion the veil refers to Negro 's lack of ability to identify themselves outside of what white Americans prescribe them to be. It seems in the film that most of Mookies friends are unemployed and lack a family to take care of as he does. Da Mayor couldn 't afford to put food on the table for his wife and children, none of Mookie 's friends are seen working with a job, ML lost his business and sits on the corner passing the time with Sweet Dick Willie and Coconut Sid talking about plans he will “eventually” do. By looking at this correlation this Is a clear representation of the vision of the African American community through the eyes of white Americans; like the police officer stated when passing Sweet Dick Willie, ML, and Coconut Sid “What a waste”. When looking at the idea of double consciousness we can see an evident correlation in the lead character Mookie. Mookie lives, and is a socially active member in the African American community, with countless friends in his home in Brooklyn. Although the neighborhood seems to be populated with a large African American community, Mookie Is the only black person to be working in the essentially “White” owned business; Sal 's Pizzeria. During the film Mookie is constantly making his way in and out of both worlds while delivering pizzas which as a result, leaves him trapped between his friends and employer. The entire film Mookie is constantly trying to preserve an even balance of belonging to both social groups but constantly finds himself being torn in two opposite directions. Du Bois elaborates on the perspective “From the double life every American Negro must live, as a Negro, and as an American …. from this must arise a painful self consciousness, an almost morbid sense of personality, and moral hesitancy is fatal to self-confidence … Such a double life, with double thoughts, with double duties, and double social classes, must give rise to double words and double ideals”(Du Bois) We can observe the double life of Mookie when he tries to refrain from taking sides in a argument between Sal and Buggin ' out. For example when Buggin ' Out becomes upset at Sal and asks Mookie why there aren 't any brothers on the wall Mookie responds with “I don 't know why don 't you ask Sal?” Mookie later tell 's Buggin ' Out “Man what are you trying to do? You 're fucking my shit up!” Although Mookie agrees with what Buggin ' Out is arguing for Mookie is upset with his friend for putting him in a position that could ultimately cost him his job at Sals. During this part of the movie it 's clear to see Mookies double consciousness after not sticking up for his black friend. Buggin ' Out see 's whats going on and tells Mookie before he leaves to “Stay Black.” Here Mookie is trying to preserve both lives that he has in the white American and Negro community. Its interesting to see the two lives that Mookie is forced to juggle around. On page 689 of The Souls of Black Folk W.E.B Du Bois states “It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring one 's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity.” In the film Mookie understands the label that he is forced to wear by having dark skin and begin African American. Mookie Is discriminated by Pino when he tells Mookie “You get paid to do what we say, who 's working for who Pop?” When Pino uses the word we it portrays a larger idea of the oppression that white America has on Negroes. Through the eyes of Pino, Mookie see 's how he is viewed by others not only at Sal 's Pizzeria but in the world outside. Du Bois goes on to say “Alas all this fine contempt began to fade, for the words I longed for, and all their dazzling opportunities, were theirs, not mine.” and its evident that Mookie understands this as well, by looking at himself through the eyes of white Americans, Mookie understands he will always be discriminated against because of the separation the veil creates. Mookie is working In a restaurant of non-colored ownership, in a predominant African American community. Mookie understands that he will always continue to be discriminated by the white community, but even though this Is true he is forced to bounce between social groups because of his job at Sal 's. Mookie “simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in his face.” (Du Bois) When comparing what Du Bois stated above to Mookie, we can see how all Mookie is trying to do is live his life regardless of what social group he chooses to surround himself with. Because he hangs out with his black friends and takes a long time while delivering pizzas Pino talks poorly about Mookie 's work ethic, and when Mookie doesn 't support Buggin ' Out, furthermore the black community, about getting some brotha 's on the wall Mookie is told to “stay black”. As the movie progresses Mookie begins to lose the urgency to preserve his double consciousness because he knows at some point In time he will be forced to chose where his place shall be; American or Negro. As the film progresses and the story of Mookie unfolds there seems to be a shift in Mookie 's double Consciousness and a greater understanding of where his place in society should lie. From the beginning of the film till the end Mookie grows less and less motivated to please Sal and Pino. Mookie understands that no matter how hard he tries to force himself to be a part of the American community he will never fully break through the veil. The defining moment of this realization is after the white police officers took radio Raheem and choked him to death, Mookie is seen standing next to Sal, Pino, and Vito and, as a moment of judgment and almost being forced to choose sides, slowly walks away abandoning his life as an American into the angry black mob as a Negro. In Dr. Kings Acceptance Speech he emphasizes how “Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” Just as Mookie stated to Pino “Don 't start no shit, wont be no shit.” If the death of Radio Raheem would have been substituted by a more peaceful arrest by the white Police Officers, Sal would still have his Pizzeria. But because shit was started Mookie was forced to abandon his double-consciousness and take side with his African American Community. As a conclusion to the film, this here is the defining moment that Mookie understands that he will never be able to break through Du Bois 's veil and should abandon the double life he 's been living and “Do the Right Thing” and stand along side his people, because he now knows that he will never been seen by the white American community as anything more than a Negro so why choose to live with a double consciousness?
“The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife – this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost.” (Du Boise) As much as Mookie tries to equally manage his divided identity, because he is a Negro he realizes he will never be viewed as a “true” American. As Mookie throws the empty trash can through his old Boss 's window, Mookie is showing he no longer wishes to live with a double consciousness and symbolized the destruction of his life and pursuit in becoming an accepted American for he no longer wishes to confront the veil that stands between the two social
groups. Works Cited
Corlett, J. Angelo. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.
Du Bois, W.E.B. "Of Our Spiritual Strivings." The Souls of Black Folk. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Do The Right Thing. Dir. Shelton Jackson. Perf. Spike Lee. Universal Pictures, 1989. Film.
"Martin Luther King Jr. - Acceptance Speech". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 29 Apr 2014.