Society today is filled with discrimination, racial stereotypes, and segregation. These social issues can be seen all throughout the U.S. history since the beginning of our nation. In the film Rosewood we view the extreme case of racism in Rosewood, Florida during the 1920’s as the White town of Sumner searches for an alleged rapist amongst the black community. This leads to a massacre of half the population in Rosewood in their efforts to intimidate the Blacks. The literary motif of terrorism and Intimidation can be seen as a social norm during this era. However, Emmett Purdy is a young boy who exposed to terrorism through the actions of his father as well as other elder white men in his town, but chooses to follow his own beliefs rather than the social norm.
The film takes place in Rosewood, Florida, which is in the Southern most part of the United States. This area is commonly known as the center of racist ideals. The confederate states still carried the views of inequality that were taught from their ancestors who lived during a time when slavery was legal. Their views were carried out through actions of intimidation such as lynching. Along with the belief that African Americans were inferior to whites, the Jim Crow Laws also encouraged the social mistreatment of African Americans in their efforts to gain equality. Each particular state had separate laws that encouraged violence such as “never assert a white person is lying” which becomes the basis for the film’s plot. These laws condoned the idea that African Americans inferiority Caucasian race.
Emmett Purdy is the son of Duke Purdy, a white supremacist in the town of Sumner, Florida. Duke Purdy performed many acts of violence in the film such as, hanging, burning, and the killing innocent Black women, children, and men. Emmett was raised to learn and act upon the belief of racial hate crime including the many gruesome tactics he was subjected to. In the film we see Duke Purdy teach his son the steps of how to intimidate Blacks and other techniques such as how tie a noose, or knot specifically used for hanging. Although Emmett was raised to be a clone of his father and his beliefs Emmett had different view of the world and others.
The massacre of Rosewood seems to disturb Emmett. He showed little interest in learning the techniques taught to him by his elders. In the last scene of the movie we see Emmett leave his father’s home to no longer be associated with the Purdy family. Emmett had the knowledge of the advantages he was born into, being a white male in the South, but chose an alternative path. In one of last scenes in the movie Emmett tells his father “ You ain’t no man” which displayed the lack of respect he has for his father’s recreational activity of intimidating African Americans. Emmett Purdy’s reaction to the intimidation and terrorism of Blacks is unlike any other character’s in the film.
Emmett Purdy’s is expected to follow in the social stigma of a young white male during this time. However his courage to recognize that racism morally wrong brings hope to future generations. Emmett can represent the forward movement of equality amongst all individuals.
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