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.