The intention of this paper is to assess the extent to which the bi-racial relationships of the main characters of the two movies "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "Jungle Fever" are influenced by their families and communities and how the films differ in their perspective of interracial coupling.
To provide an adequate analysis, it is necessary to make some brief remarks about the historical background of the to movies, as well as providing some basic information about the concept of gender and race as they remarkably influence concept of interracial romances and thus the perception of the two movies. The main part will consist of an analysis of the movies and a comparison of them.
In 1661, Maryland introduced the first miscegenation law in the US. It stipulated that "divers free-born English women, forgetful of their free conditions, and to the disgrace of our nation do intermarry with Negro slaves," and to deter these "shameful matches" the law provided that women who so marry, and their off-spring, should themselves become slaves”. More than 300 years later, in 1967, the "Loving vs. Virginia" trial substantially changed the rights for interracial couples in the United States.
Today, 9.5 percent of American marriages are interracial. Interestingly, only 7 percent of those marriages are between black and white people, amounting to less than 1 percent of all marriages. It seems, as if there is still a barrier in the minds of people regarding the concept of romantic relationships between African-Americans and white citizens.
The topic of bi-racial couples has not only been an issue within the social sciences but also a topic of Hollywood movies like "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (which will be referred to as "Guess" throughout this term paper) by Stanley Kramer or Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever". As both movies were created in different periods of time and by directors of different colors they should differ significantly in the ways they present interracial couples and the way they are influenced by their communities and families.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Basic concepts
2.1. Gender
2.2 Race
3. Historical Background
3.1 Historical Background of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
3.2 Historical Background of Jungle Fever
4. Analysis and Comparison
4.1 Analysis of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
4.2 Analysis of Jungle Fever
4.3 Comparison of Guess and Jungle Fever
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper examines how the films Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Jungle Fever depict interracial relationships and the extent to which these couples are influenced by their respective families and social environments.
- Comparison of interracial relationship portrayals across different cinematic eras.
- Analysis of gender dynamics and racial hegemony in Hollywood cinema.
- Examination of social and historical pressures influencing bi-racial couples.
- Assessment of the "black sexual threat" trope in film.
- Contrast between idealistic and realistic representations of interracial romance.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Analysis of Jungle Fever
The film Jungle Fever was directed by Spike Lee and released in 1991. It takes place mainly in two areas of New York: the white, working-class area Bensonhurst and the black, urban district Harlem. The main protagonist is Flipper Purify, a black architect who is married to Drew, a bi-racial woman with whom he has one daughter called Ming. Flipper starts a romantic affair with the white, Italian temporary help at work, Angela “Angie” Tucci. After the affair is revealed by friends of the two, they are confronted with the prejudices and anger of their families and communities and consequently excluded. Due to the numerous problems they have to face, they eventually break up with each other and try to return to their normal lives.
The name “Jungle Fever” indicates that bi-racial relationships are comparable to tropical diseases. Flippers friend Cyrus claims that Angie and Flipper have the “jungle fever” when Flipper admits that he has an affair with a white woman (Lee 1991, 46:44). This means that he regards their relationship as an illness, that both of them are infected with. As “Jungle Fever” is related to exotic diseases this implies that the exotic “other” is dangerous because it causes illnesses or as Paulin (1997, p. 168) claims: “[it] reinscribes the notion that interracial love is the result of irrational, racialized, heated passion – which manifests itself as a sickness”.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the legal and social context of interracial relationships in the U.S. and outlines the paper's goal of comparing filmic representations.
2. Basic concepts: This section defines the theoretical framework of gender and race, discussing binary oppositions and the concept of white patriarchal hegemony.
3. Historical Background: This chapter explores the social and political climates of the 1960s and 1990s to contextualize the production of the two featured movies.
4. Analysis and Comparison: This core section provides a detailed breakdown of how each film handles the subject of interracial coupling and concludes with a comparative synthesis.
5. Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the main arguments, noting the significant shift from the idealistic, white-centric view in the 1960s to the more realistic and complex portrayals in the 1990s.
Keywords
Interracial relationships, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Jungle Fever, Black masculinity, White patriarchy, Gender studies, Racial segregation, Hollywood cinema, Miscegenation, Social hierarchy, Film analysis, Spike Lee, Stanley Kramer, Cultural identity, Racial prejudice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates how the movies Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Jungle Fever represent interracial heterosexual relationships and how these depictions are shaped by family, community, and time periods.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The study centers on the intersection of race, gender, and class, exploring how social hierarchies and patriarchal structures influence the cinematic portrayal of black-white couples.
What is the main research question?
The research asks to what extent the relationships in these two films are influenced by their families and communities, and how the two films differ in their overall perspective on interracial coupling.
Which methodology is applied in this work?
The paper utilizes a comparative film analysis combined with socio-cultural theoretical frameworks, specifically drawing on gender and race studies.
What topics are discussed in the main analysis?
The main part analyzes the characters' professional success, their de-sexualization (or lack thereof), the role of the settings, and the reactions of their social environment toward the interracial nature of their partnerships.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
The key terms include interracial relationships, black masculinity, white patriarchy, social hierarchy, and cinematic representation.
How does the setting of the "Drayton house" in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner function?
The house serves as an "ivory tower" that protects the protagonists from real-world racial problems, allowing the film to present an unproblematic, "light" version of an interracial relationship.
Why does Jungle Fever present a more pessimistic view of interracial dating?
Unlike Guess, Spike Lee's film depicts the external pressures, community rejection, and historical baggage of racial injustice as insurmountable forces that ultimately cause the relationship to fail.
- Citation du texte
- Stephan Jaskolla (Auteur), 2016, The Depiction of Interracial Relationships in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "Jungle Fever", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/494929
