White Savior- Presentation

 

White Savior

Emoni Holmes

Mrs. Harris

ENGL 2017

Apr 30, 2023

 

            What is a white savior trope? According to an article on a website titled, The Take, the white savior trope is “a strong-willed, often optimistic non-traditionalist, who courageously risks being ostracized by their more prejudiced community in order to help a person of color.” A real-life example to help better understand this trope or a white savior, in general, could be seen during the elections. Black people assumed that Joe Biden would be the person to right Donald Trump’s discriminatory wrongs, leading him to later say, “If you don’t vote for me you ain’t black.” So is the white savior trope something that sets us forward or sets us back. In the novel A Different Drummer you see two contrasting sides of the white savior trope. The two white saviors in the novel that I would like to shine the light on are Dewey and David, both showcasing their tropes towards the end of the novel. Let’s first discuss the aspects of the white savior trope that set us back. One main aspect of a white savior that sets us back is hypocrisy; sometimes, their actions contrast with their words. For instance, on page 258 of A Different Drummer, David thinks to himself, “ I am trying to get over bugging my eyes out each time a negro gets near me.” Which is an example of him still having his racist traditions still attached to himself. Yet, on page 269, he states towards his mother, “You are extremely bigoted,” when referring to living with his negro roommate. Usually, white saviors call out others but never realize their own wrongdoings and how they add on to the things they are against. White saviors can also have the elements of a narcissist. David believed that he had an unreasonably high level of importance when it came to Tucker’s liberation. After finding out about the liberation on page 269, David thought to himself, “I contributed to it; I sold him the land and the house.” David believed that if it were not for him giving the things the Tucker rightfully deserved because it imprisoned his freedom, that Tucker would not have been free. He believed he was the cause for this huge turn of events. Seemingly downplaying Tucker’s actions. Although these elements of the white savior trope affect the way some people see it, what about the good aspects? Dewey shows the other side of the trope. He actually participated in hands-on action against the racist violence Bradshaw was experiencing. On page 329, the narrator states, “Dewey followed the mob, still clutching at arms and backs.” Dewey did everything in his power to help Bradshaw, not only was he physical, he was also verbal with going against what they were doing. Sometimes the white savior in books, movies and other things can be used in a way that showcases the good in people. To conclude, the white savior is the trope in a story when a white person is showcased as a hero and saves the main character, who is a person of color, from their issues. It is up to the author or the audience's interpretation of whether it will be a David or Dewey savior.