04.04 Bias and Opinion

   


      I found an example of bias in the book that I have been reading titled Small Island by Andrea Levy. A paragraph written in Chapter 4 shows a conversation of Hortense and Celia. The paragraph started with the marching of soldiers to war, which Hortense commented on why must so many men go. Celia sombrely replied that they fight because if Hitler will win the war, slavery will return, and so they will be working without pay, and in chains. In her mind, Hortense understood why the return of slavery was very important to Celia, and it is because 'her skin was so dark. But mine was not of that hue- it was the colour of warm honey.' For that reason Hortense believed that she will not be enchained.

     The book is meant to have many opinion and bias regarding its theme of racism. However, for assessment purposes, the author could have avoided bias by not planting the idea to Hortense that just because her skin was not as dark as Jamaicans, does not mean that she will not be treated as a slave. Now, Hortense's warm honey complexion is due to illegitimacy. The opinion that she will not be treated as  a slave due to her complexion became a fact, which now led Hortense to have a biased characteristic towards other Jamaicans. This also made herself believe that she is superior to them.

04.03 Tone Analysis

   The story mainly suggests a negative tone due to the authors choice of words despite the few positive tones in the story. Below are examples of a negative and positive tone analysis from the story.

Positive Review

  First, the opening of the passage had the phrase  the fire burned brightly  which is positive in its tone, describing the warmth in contrast of the cold and wet night. Second, the word soothingly is  a positive tone describing the voice of Mrs White while comforting her husband that lost in a chess game.Third, the sentence his eyes got brighter is positive in tone, describing happy emotions in contrast to the beady eyes. Fourth, the sentence squared his bare shoulders is positive in its tone, describing how proud the sergeant-major is to talk about his travels and adventures. Lastly, the dialogue of Mrs White saying 'sounds like Arabian Nights' is positive in its tone, specifically the term Arabian Nights  describes the theme of forgiveness, justice, and humanity.

Negative Review

     The sentence the night was cold and wet is negative in its tone, describing the story's setting of a bad weather. The phrase radical changes and the sentence putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary perils  are negative in its tone, showing how Mr White's drive will let him go to extreme measures to win. Also, the word latter is negative in its tone describing Herbert's position between the father and son game of chess. The adjective order of a tall burly man, beady of eye and rubicund of visage connotes a negative tone, this suggests a bad quality such as greed or dishonesty. A rubicund face on the other hand does not exactly connote Santa Clause. The soldier regarded Herbert how the middle age wont to regarding presumptuous youth a which is negative in tone, describing how the sergeant views him and his dislike of  Herbert.