Analyse af 'American History X'

Summary – give a short summary of American History X – no copy paste!

One night Danny wakes up caused by a noise outside. Danny gets up to wake his older brother Derek. He finds Derek in the bedroom with a girl, but when Derek hears the matter, he takes his gun with him downstairs. Derek finds 3 Negroes stealing his car, he kills 2 of them, but the third escapes. When the police arrive, Derek is standing above a dead man with a gun in his hand. He has to go to prison.

It is a story about 2 brothers, Derek and Daniel Vinyard; their impact on each other, their evolution and racism.

The main characters: (Characterizations) - Give examples.

Derek: Derek is actually a nice guy; he spends time with his family and he work to take care of them, just until he goes to prison. In the movie I think he acts like an animal. As the father dies, he starts to take control of the house, and thereafter only thoughts he like is being heard in the house, an example is, when he kicks Danny’s and his teacher out of the house. Before he starts being neo nazistic, he finds it very interesting to read about rights of black people and black freedom fighters, But his dad tells him that he shouldn’t listen to that and when he dies, Derek starts to only see the wrong sites of immigration. Although the most important thing to Derek is his family, he loses his senses sometimes, an example is the same as before; when they’re having dinner together, their family and the mother’s boyfriend and they talk about the robberies and destruction of different super markets owned by black people. There he completely loses his senses. And losing his senses is causing him to hurt his family, but that’s only happening while he is neo nazistic, because there he is bound by his hate to everyone. In prison he learns that: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King jr. Because Sweeny, asks him if anything he have done since his father’s dead have made his life better. Derek is during the movie evolving from “bad” to “good”. Another thing I think is interesting is: in their family there is always a person who is against black people and a person who is “pro black people”. And when it’s going great in their family, it’s the “pro black people” person is stronger/ says much more than the opposite. And when it’s going bad, it’s the nazist who is the leader. Example: In the beginning, Derek is a guy who finds negroes story interesting, there he is pro negroes. At that time his dad is the person against negroes, but he don’t say much about it. At that time their lives are fine. Later when their dad dies, Derek takes his place as “the nazist” and Danny takes Dereks old place. Now it’s turned around; Danny doesn’t say anything at all, and Derek spreads his propaganda all the time, now it isn’t going fine. When Derek goes to prison; Seth takes his place as the nazist, and Danny still don’t say anything against it. When Derek returns from prison; he reclaims his place as pro black people guy, and Danny takes place as the nazist, but Danny don’t spread propaganda or anything. Now the “good” site is stronger than the “bad” site again and it’s starting to work well again. In the end, the nazist is completely gone, and they are free.