Monday, October 27, 2014

For what prejudice? An analysis of the character Malik in the movie Higher Learning



Malik is a black guy that thinks everyone has it easier than him. He feels that is difficult be a black in white country with white people and he feels inferior and discriminated, as if needed the help of someone always. Over time, Malik really grows up a lot because the people around him are good influences. Soon as he arrived at the university, he took the elevator, and Kristen, a white girl that was in it, hold her hand over her purse. She thought he would steal from her. Without much money, he had to run if he wanted to stay in the university, so he ran. Malik is portrayed throughout the film as running, signifying a progression from a typical gangbanger to an educated athlete.
On the track he met Deja, who later became his girlfriend, a girl that was very important in his life. He loved her. She dedicates her efforts on studying, yet manages to fulfill her role on the track team; whereas, Malik loses his motivation for schooling after being depicted as just a thoroughbred.  Deja throughout the film encourages Malik to make use of his opportunity and not to succumb to his pride.  Likewise, the ending of the film would not have brought forth the same emotions in the audience if any of the other characters had died. On the university there was many different kinds of nationalities. A lot of the white people was racists. How he don’t had any choice, he joined a group of black people where he met Fudge that taught him a lot of things about the system and the difficulties of life. Fudge enlightens Malik to the fact that all the Asian students socialize with each other, all of the white students socialize with each other, and how Malik being a black student, should congregate with the rest of the black student body.  Even though all of the students preside on the same campus, or a secondary group, the general student body breaks down into more individual primary groups. Fudge taught Malik that what he takes from him though is that he should learn for his own benefit. The point of learning is to improve yourself, not to satisfy some professor or earn a number. During the film, many times Malik is shown asking for someone`s opinion on what course of action he should take.  For example, at the end of the film, Dr. Phipps tells Malik on how impressed he is on the improvement of Malik’s paper, especially through all of the tragedies.  Malik asks Dr. Phipps on what does he think the right course of action would be regarding Malik’s future.  Malik is characterized as a person who needs the reassurance of someone else to ensure that he is on course.

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