Leah Hammett

Peter Fields
UWRT 1102-018
26 September 2016
American History X
1. Judging off what we know about Derek from the opening scene, how do you see
Dannys POV being molded or influenced by Derek? Explain
Kids typically look up to their older siblings as role models, so its no wonder why Danny
becomes influenced by Derek. Danny is practically around his older brother all the time; he hears
the racial slurs and derogatory phrases on the daily, which can have an effect on his own
vocabulary as well. Although the movie has just begun, I have a feeling Danny is going to strive
to be like his older brother because thats just how much he respects him. Hell grow up to be
just like him and will share the same mindset because he doesnt know any different; he was
raised in such a way.
2. Derek Vineyard was referred to as THE skinhead by Sweeney & the Police Chief
this seems to be a far cry from the young, emotional Derek we see in an interview
after his fathers death. Does this transformation seem logical or valid? List 2 of
your reasons, and 2 of the societal factors Derek mentions, that were the main cause
of this evolution?
I initially thought Derek was just being an asshole for the hell of it, but after seeing the tape from
when he was 12 years old, it shows that Derek hasnt always been a bad kid. The principal
described him as to being a great student in the past, which I thought was odd from the present
day Derek thats described in the movie. However, the tape shows that Derek has a reason behind
his hatred, although to me it still seems to be illogical. He took it upon himself to hate an entire
race due to the actions of a few individuals. In Dereks eyes, the actions done to his father served
as an example to the entire race, so for him his reasoning behind hating minorities is valid. Derek
described his father as to being a loyal citizen to the United States, while the others who sought
him out dead were merely mooching off the system. He felt it was unfair and unjustified for such
an innocent man to be shot dead, and in a way, he has a point. Still, regardless of the fact that his
father was unjustifiably murdered, I dont thick his actions should have escalated to such an
extreme regard.

3. Taking this into consideration, how influential do you believe your environment and
the people you surround yourself with are when it comes to forming opinions of the
world? Explain
In all honesty, your environment definitely plays a role on how you form opinions about the
world. Children living in a bad environment often grow up into believing the same things
their parents believe in, only because they were taught this way repeatedly as they aged.
Teenagers in high school often get involved in dangerous situations due to the people they
hang out with, either because theyre trying to impress their friends or because theyre falling
victim to peer pressure. Regardless, the people we surround ourselves with definitely play a
role on the opinions we form and the way we act, especially if its at an age where were
oblivious to the dangers of it all.
4. After returning home Derek doesnt seem to be the brash skinhead he was known
for prior to prison. He was a leader, a voice for people in his community who felt
disenfranchised by their current system and surroundings. Ultimately, do you think
his call to take action against the Korean grocery store did more to help or hurt
his cause? Explain
Dereks call to take action against the Korean grocery store definitely did more damage than
good. For one, he destroyed a building that was a part of his own community, even though it
may have been run by the people he despises. The actions they partook in definitely showed
how much hate consumes their cause, even though they state that theyre doing good for the
community.
5. In what ways do you find his grievances similar to todays America? How are they
different?
That scene definitely reminded me of the mindset of a lot of people living here today. As
Trump becomes more commercialized and broadcasted to the nation, the more often we
hear about his views on illegal immigration. He proposed that we should build a wall on
the border to keep illegal immigrants out, but the way he described it seemed as if he was
treating them as nothing more than animals. Ive seen many supporters talk about
Hispanics and immigrants as filth taking up our jobs and our resources, but to me this all
just sounds like hate-talk. These supporters sound exactly like Derek, although many
arent as extreme as him. Still, the fact that people can treat other human beings with that
kind of disrespect bothers me.
6. During the dinner conversation Derek represents the anti-minority side, while his
mother and her boyfriends represented the liberal side what were each sides
main arguments within the discussion?

During dinner, Derek argues that the cops had a right to beat Rodney King. The parents
stated that the cops handled the situation too excessively. Derek counters their argument
by stating that if it was Danny to have run into Rodney, their thoughts on the matter
would be totally different. Derek advocates that the nation is too hung up on the
struggling black man, even though Lincoln had freed the slaves a century beforehand.
His parents were more focused on the fact that someone was hurt excessively, regardless
of the color of their skin. Derek was more influenced on their race and used that to fuel
his anger.
7. Although emotionally fueled actions are often our initial reaction to situations, is
this always the best course of action? Explain
Logically, emotion fueled actions are definitely not the best course of action, because were
not in a stable state of mind to properly think about the consequences of our decisions. Often
when Im mad or upset, I tend to make decisions based off of my feelings. Looking back later
on those decisions reveal I was just too hyped up on anger to properly sort out my thoughts.
In the long run, its better to make decisions after calming down and assessing the situation
entirely.