Civilized
What does it mean to be civilized? By definition, a civilization is simply a culture developed by a particular society or epoch. Therefore, any groups of people that have developed their own way of life and their own culture have also developed their own civilization. By creating their own civilization and living in this civilization are they not civilized? In the movie, "Mr. Johnson," the main questions are, what does it mean to be civilized, who decides what is civilized, and if one is not civilized, what is the correct path to take in order to become so. A path, or more appropriately called a road in the case of the movie, is the ultimate metaphor throughout the whole video. Separated by a barrier of color, the people of Fada, Nigeria work with the whites to create a road, that once built serves as a means of transportation, not only of people and cargo but of ideas, other beliefs, other cultures, and above all, another world. What exactly does the road represent? The road represents many things. In the beginning of the movie, the main character, Mr. Johnson, is introduced. Mr. Johnson is not like other black men from Fada, he is in fact, "civilized" and proud of that definition. He meets his future wife, Bamu as she works; p
Johnson's death is quick and painless, however it is not a civil act, it is brutal and violent. romising her that he can make her civilized and proper like the English men and women. It is naive to think that the Nigerians will not be affected the road and what it brings with its construction. Johnson, many of the people of Fada, all of color, are recruited to work on the road in hopes of gaining the promised reward when the road is finished. This act shows without a doubt, that even Mr. At first glance, the road appears to be simply, a long stretch of dirt and rock that takes many hands to develop. However, he is so convinced that ways of the Englishman is the "right" way that he has already separated himself from his people to an irreversible level. Johnson's tone changes after he has murdered Sergeant Gollup and sits in prison awaiting his death. Perhaps, it could be looked at as a coincidence, however, I prefer to think of his death as foreshadowing of what is to come to the people of Fada now at the completion of the road.
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Acceptance Essays
