The Test Essay Research Paper THE TESTThe free essay sample

The Test Essay, Research Paper THE Trial The Test is a short narrative by Angelica Gibbs which illustrates the issue of power maltreatment, where actions all originate from personal biass and ignorance. The characters ; Marion, the Inspector and Mrs. Ericson represent three different societies which collide and are caught in a state of affairs where there is a victim, a culprit, and a denying, yet guilty looker-on. Representing the first # 8220 ; society # 8221 ; is Marion. Though stereotyped by some ( the Inspector ) as being an ignorant and uneducated black adult female, who is expected to be illiterate, married and to come from the South. In this narrative, Marion proves these racialist premises to be incorrect, and in bend, shows that she is an single. Marion understands, and is to the full cognizant of the bias that nescient white Americans have about her, and the unjust manner they treat her, due to her sex, race, and the coloring material of her tegument. This cognition was revealed when she rebuked Mrs. Ericson # 8217 ; s suggestion that she should # 8220 ; steal them a small something # 8221 ; by stating, # 8220 ; No, that would merely do it worse, Mrs. Ericson. I know # 8221 ; . Aware that she is a victim of bias, Marion strives to construct a protective barrier around herself ; disregarding the cruel shot, remarks and actions of others, and concealing her choler, defeat and hurt feelings under a mask and outer outside of unagitated indifference. During the Driving Test, Marion endured the Inspector # 8217 ; s cruel and provoking remarks, and his obvious disdain in her. It was merely when he belittled and laughed at her college grade did Marion # 8217 ; s unagitated outside of indifference break down ; # 8211 ; # 8221 ; I got my college grade last twelvemonth # 8221 ; , Marion said, her voice was non rather steady. # 8211 ; and eventually collapsed wholly as she could command herself no longer, and burst out # 8211 ; # 8220 ; Damn you! # 8221 ; . As she said this, Marion realised that she had failed The Test ; that it was all over, and in the terminal, the Inspector # 8217 ; s power had won. Representing a society of white Americans who feel that their # 8217 ; high quality # 8217 ; gives them the right to utilize their power to mistreat others because they are prejudiced against them, is the Inspector. The Inspector wields his authorization like a whip # 8211 ; striking out whenever he pleases. He is to the full cognizant of his power, and has no vacillation in taking full advantage and control of the state of affairs ; proving and teasing Marion ; stepping over her boundaries, and make bolding her to belie him. In the Inspector # 8217 ; s eyes, Marion represents all nescient # 8216 ; Southern darkies # 8217 ; , and he links and relates all her actions to others of her race ; for illustration # 8211 ; # 8220 ; Turn onto Main Street and allow # 8217 ; s see how you-all does in heavier traffic # 8221 ; . He does non see Marion as an single # 8211 ; and does non trouble oneself to name her by her existent name, but alternatively refers to her as Mandy-Lou, a com mon name give to black native servants/slaves. Upon detecting that the premises he had made about Marion were wrong, and that he had been proven incorrect, the Inspector experiences assorted emotions. He is angered to be made a sap, by a ‘black nobody’ . He is besides covetous of Marion’s college grade, as he might non hold one himself. Last, the Inspector feels threatened ; as to his horror, he comes to gain that he may non be as superior and powerful as he thinks or pretends to be. If the Inspector represents an ugly and open signifier of racism, Mrs. Ericson portrays a non much less racist, but in a more hushed signifier and latent, 3rd society. Mrs. Ericson is a typical illustration of the authoritative white progressive. She is person who regards herself as being tolerant, sensible, and most understanding # 8211 ; particularly towards Marion ; a black adult female. Yet, she refuses to believe that Marion is being judged below the belt by the Inspectors because of their racism towards black people, and alternatively denies and attempts to do alibis for their actions. Marion # 8211 ; # 8220 ; They likely do like it better if a white individual shows up with you # 8221 ; . Mrs. Ericson # 8211 ; # 8221 ; Oh, I don # 8217 ; t believe its that # 8221 ; . Mrs. Ericson merely feels that Marion is being excessively sensitive ; doing excessively large a trade, and conceive ofing all of this, and that she was treated in the same mode as any white female in the same state of affairs. Marion # 8211 ; # 8220 ; I don # 8217 ; t retrieve making all the things the Inspector marked down on my space # 8221 ; . Mrs. Ericson # 8211 ; # 8220 ; Peoples say that they merely want you to steal them a small something # 8221 ; . But what Mrs. Ericson does non gain, or what she won # 8217 ; t let herself to acknowledge, is the fact that if a white adult female and Marion ; a black adult female, were to both # 8217 ; steal them ( the Inspectors ) a small something # 8217 ; , the result to both state of affairss would be wholly different. Mrs. Ericson enjoys holding Marion work for her as a housekeeper and kid minder, and she does non truly desire to assist or help Marion, in seeking to obtain the higher degree of employment that a individual with her high degree of instruction should hold. Mrs. Ericson likes things being the manner they are, and she likely thinks that Marion is soon at her right position in American society. Mrs. Ericson appears to be sort, and generous towards Marion. Yet she is patronizing and complicit. She does non assail the system in which racism and bias has a choking clasp over black Americans, and the ground is merely that she benefits from the apparatus. Therefore, in her ain manner, Mrs. Ericson is in fact about merely every bit racialist as the Inspector, though she would neer convey herself to acknowledge that it is so. But alternatively, hides it under the ness of Patriotism, and White Liberality. In this short narrative, the writer uses three characters as symbols of three separate groups in America. This narrative illustrates the deficiency of power that inkinesss feel, and the racism that they experience ; either in an open signifier such as that of the Inspector, or in the more hushed and latent signifier of the patronizing Mrs. Ericson. This short, yet powerful and meaningful narrative, reveals how incapacitated black people feel ; in a prejudiced and nescient society, where the maltreatment of power can determine their fate.