This story, “The Gold Cadillac” by Mildred D. Taylor, talks about an African American family who traveled around Mississippi and got discriminated against because of their race. At that time, the Civil Rights Movement was going on in America. The story follows a family's journey from Ohio to Mississippi in their new gold Cadillac, bought by Dad. At first everyone liked the Cadillac except for Mom. Then, Dad decided to take the Cadillac off on a trip across Mississippi to visit their grandparents, which everyone tried to discourage him from doing. Dad still decides to go with his family anyways. As they navigate the treacherous landscape of racial discrimination and violence, they are forced to confront their own identities and the meaning of family in times of crisis. They were so desperate that they decided to leave the impressive car in the woods and drive back to Ohio in a car borrowed from one of their cousins.
Racism defines the prejudice or discrimination by an individual or community against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group. In other words, racism means to degrade a person’s value based on how they look or part of their belief or appearance.The acts of such racism are almost always unfair and should be avoided at all times. In the story, the family is subjected to countless indignities that serve to show the deeply ingrained nature of racism in American society. One instance of racism occurs when the family is stopped by police for no apparent reason. The officers demanded to search the car, and forced them to follow them to the police station. The family is treated with suspicion and hostility, simply because they are African American and driving a nice car. This scene tells us of the racial discrimination that was widespread during this time period, and how it could lead to harassment and discrimination against African American people. Yet, despite these challenges, the family manages to maintain a sense of dignity and self-respect, which is truly inspiring. Therefore, “The Gold Cadillac” serves as a powerful description on the theme of racism, and how it can impact the lives of individuals and families in profound ways.
We may not recognize the importance of the familial bond, but such bonds benefit us throughout our lives. Throughout the story, the family relies on each other for support and encouragement, demonstrating the strength and resilience that can be found in familial relationships. These bonds are of utmost importance, and will last throughout our lives more than any other bond. As the family journeys through Mississippi, they are forced to rely on each other for support and strength. When they encounter racism and discrimination along the way, the family members turn to each other for comfort and reassurance. The family's journey also highlights the sacrifices that family members are willing to make for each other. When the father, Wilbert, realizes that it will be impossible to drive the gold Cadillac in Mississippi without facing constant harassment and discrimination, he decides to leave the car behind and return to Ohio. Although this is a difficult decision, he knows that it is in the best interest of his family's safety and well-being. Through their struggles, the family learns to cherish their relationships with one another and to appreciate the value of love and support in the face of adversity. Ultimately, the power of family and the strength that can be found in familial relationships is extremely important and necessary for us to recognize and learn about.
Knowing who we are in our lives, in other words, the understanding of ourselves as humans, is very necessary in order for us to comprehend what we are doing with our lives. Such knowledge of ourselves is referred to as the term, “identity”. Identity defines us as humans and give us knowledge about how to deal with things in our lives based upon ourselves. Throughout the story, the family members constantly attempt to find answers to questions of identity and self-expression, as they navigate a society that seeks to limit and define them based on their race. The father, Wilbert, is proud of his new car and sees it as a symbol of his success and achievement. However, as they travel further south, he realizes that the car also marks him and his family as outsiders, and puts them at risk of violence and discrimination. As the family confronts racism and discrimination, they are forced to understand what it means to be African American in a society that devalues their worth. The children, in particular, struggle with their identity and self-worth, as they are constantly bombarded with messages that tell them about themselves and who they are. Yet, despite these challenges, they manage to find strength in their own identity and in the support of their family. The story is a powerful reminder of the importance of self-acceptance and the ability to find strength in one's own identity. From this story we can understand that knowing our identity and self-knowledge is very important in our lives.
In this story, an African American family faces discrimination as they travel through Mississippi in their new golden Cadillac. This story is wonderful and deserves to be read and re-read. While giving us the entertainment of reading the story itself, the separate stories also give us important information which we will be able to use throughout our entire lives. The story is trying to help us realize that, in life, our family and our bonds with them will help us walk through even the darkest times and eventually succeed in what we are trying to accomplish. Our family then would also help us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves. Such is knowing our identity and using it to benefit in our lives. This story also teaches us about the ideas and history of racism, which is very unfair to many people and should not be done. These meanings are important for us to understand, for they are the ideas which will award us with the true meanings of wisdom. Therefore, this book was written in deep thought, possessing meanings hidden deep into the book itself, telling us of important things essential for our future, a life we desire.
Comments