Gentrification Sherman Alexie SummarySep 10, 2016 [size=0.9em]772 Words [size=0.9em]4 Pages
[size=1.25em]There are many ways that white people are unintentionally racist. One way is gentrification. Gentrification is the renovation or improvement of certain housing or districts. This increases property value and drives out lower-class families.This causes economic problems because wealthy white people run lower-class families out, benefitting from the property value increase. Racial inequality occurs as a result. Sherman Alexie’s “Gentrification” uses isolation, emotional appeal and guilt to express the wrongfulness of gentrification.
To begin, the author uses isolation to prove the wrongfulness of gentrification. The author isolates the white homeowner, for example, “I am the only white man living on a block where all of my neighbors are black” (Alexie 616). This shows that it is rare for a white man to be living in this neighborhood. He does not even know the names of his neighbors. A good neighbor would know there next door neighbors names. Another instance of isolation is when the white homeowner feels racially isolated. The homeowner feels racist when he states, “‘t felt racist for me to look out my front window at that abandoned mattress and wonder about the cultural norms that allowed my neighbors, so considerate otherwise, to create a health hazard’” (617). This proves that the white homeowner is racist because he looks down upon them for having a mattress in their front yard. The white homeowner is also racist in the fact that he assumes all black people live this way. . In addition, the police would make the white homeowner feel isolated if they caught him. For example,”’Buddy,’ the cops would say. ‘You do not fit the profile of the neighborhood’” (617). This proves that even the police are racist. They assume that just because he is white he does not belong in that area. To continue, the only way to clean up the neighborhood without being seen is at night. The white homeowner does not want to get caught by his black neighbors, therefore he works at night. He is only cleaning up the neighborhood to boost property value for his own personal benefit. In order to prove that gentrification is wrong, the author uses isolation.
To continue, the author uses examples of emotional appeal to prove that gentrification is wrong. The author makes you feel as if you are stuck in the situation; for example, “The mattress, dank and dirty to begin with, had begun to mold. There were new holes in the fabric that I assumed were made by rats. The mattress was an apartment building for rats” (616). The descriptive detail makes the reader feel as if they see the mattress. This makes the reader feel mad about the mattress as well. It makes the reader want to take action to remove the mattress as well. Furthermore, the author uses humor as an emotional appeal. The homeowners actions are funny; for example, the homeowner is completely covered in sanitation gear. He also struggles with the rotting mattress as he drags it down the street. (617) Humor is an effective way to make people aware of gentrification. People tend to remember things better through comedy. The funny scenario brings greater attention to the sensitive topic of gentrification. All in all, the author uses emotional appeal to bring more attention to the negative effects of gentrification.
Moreover, the author also uses guilt to make the reader feel the wrongfulness of gentrification. The white homeowner feels guilt. For example, “I knew the entire block would now shun me. I felt pale and lost, like an American explorer in the wilderness” (618). The homeowner feels guilty because he realizes what he has actually done and how it affects the neighborhood. He originally feels good about it, but after he sees the neighbors reaction to his action, he feels bad for what he has done. He also realizes he was racist without even knowing it at the time. The guilt proves that he realizes he is only doing it for himself and not the good of the neighborhood. He also knows that he sticks out for his actions and that the other neighbors know his true colors. The author expresses the guilt of the homeowner to inform the reader that gentrification is a form of racism.
To conclude, the author uses examples of isolation, emotional appeal, and guilt to express the wrongfulness of gentrification. Gentrification is morally wrong because it displaces lower-class families and residents while high-class homeowners profit. As the lower-class families leave, the property value increases. This hurts the economy and social lives of people. The author tries to make others aware of gentrification because of the racial inequality it causes.
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