Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

"That's what I say," she said. "Oh, I get so furious when people are narrow-minded about colored people. It's just all I can do not to say something. Of course, I do admit when you get a bad colored man, they're simply terrible. But as I say to Burton, there are some bad white people, too, in this world. Aren't there?"

In at least two hundred words, discuss the woman's statement in this excerpt from "Arrangement in Black and White." Consider the standards that she creates for blacks and whites, as well as the contradictions implicit in her language. What makes this excerpt ironic?

Answer 1

The woman's comments in "Arrangement in Black and White" reveal an ironic and contradictory view on race. While claiming to oppose narrow-mindedness, she expresses racial biases that suggest a double standard. This situation highlights the complexities of societal racial attitudes and the subtleness of prejudice.

Step-by-step explanation:

The woman's statement in the excerpt from "Arrangement in Black and White" reveals an ironic and contradictory stance on race. On one hand, she claims to be opposed to narrow-mindedness about colored people, yet her language implies that she holds them to different standards than white people. This is evident when she states that while there are bad individuals of both races, a "bad colored man" is somehow "simply terrible." The irony lies in her belief that she is being progressive while actually perpetuating racial biases.

The contradiction in her language suggests an implicit bias. She believes she is tolerant and non-discriminatory, yet her words betray a deep-seated prejudice that affirms a hierarchical view of race. This excerpt is also illustrative of the broader societal attitudes of the time, which often harbored veiled racism under the guise of progressive thoughts. Ultimately, the excerpt underscores the complexities and subtleties of racial prejudice, even among those who profess open-mindedness.

Her conversation is an example of a person who may have good intentions but whose intrinsic biases come through, making the exchange ironic. The woman appears to be unaware of how her words undermine her purported beliefs about equality and anti-racism, which makes the situation contradictory and a reflection of the larger issues of racial attitudes during the historical period in which the story is set.