English

• Both works

  • Effectively utilize cultural narratives to highlight issues of racial prejudice and gender discrimination
  • Inspire change and reinforce stability within their respective societies
• Othello


  Examines the destructive power of racism and jealousy in a deeply hierarchical and patriarchal society
• Hidden Figures


  Showcases the overlooked contributions of African American women to NASA's space program, challenging the racial and gender norms of its time
• By comparing these two works, we can understand how cultural narratives are employed to critique societal values and advocate for social change
• Body paragraph 1- Racism in Othello

  ·       Through William Shakespeare and Theodore Melfi’s texts, racism is integrated within the settings, to inspire change and reflect upon social dynamics. In the Jacobean era, Europe was motivated by colonialism and imperialism. Race was the new pattern of difference in European society.

  àTitle of ‘Othello’

  -               Draws attention to the protagonist

  -               Singles out Othello as the ‘other’

  -               Foreshadows tragic chain of events
• Zoomorphic imagery

  -               ‘Old black ram’

  -               Convey contextual prejudiced and dehumanisation he experiences

  -               Degrading him to nothing more than an animal

  Highlighting the idea that a person of colour is less humane and inferior to other characters
• Synecdoche

  -               ‘The thick lips’

  -               Strips Othello of his complex identity to a single characteristic

  -               Accentuates the racial prejudice and Othello’s physicality as his difference
• Magic and unchristian practices

  -               ‘Chams by which the property of youth and maidhood’

  -               Brabantio implies that the attraction between race is unnatural

  -               Against the law of nature
• Othello’s belief in service over race

  -               My service which I have done in the signiory shall out-tongue his complaints’.

  -               Othello’s belief that his service to the state overrules his physical appearance of race and difference.

  -               Ability and position in the army should be more significant than his race.
• Happily, for I am black’

  -               Dramatic irony

  -               Shows destructive powers of racism

  -               Internalised racism despite his service and achievements Othello believes his race makes him unworthy of Desdemona
• Body paragraph 2- Racism in hidden figures

  ·       Contradictory but similarity to Othello, the ideology of racism shapes Melfi’s film and integrated into the setting of 1960’s America during many civil rights movements. Despite the significant contributions to the space race, the three main protagonists encounter significant segregation and inequality.
• à Fear

  -               ‘You could be sitting at the back of the bus’

  -               Shows segregation of black people having to sit at the back

  -               Shows fear that she would rather be in a dangerous car then be in the back of a bus

  -               Further lowers African Americans and maintains white supremacy.
• à ‘You don’t pay coloured people enough to own pearls

  -               Shows unfair pay gap

  -               Only allowed to wear pearls as only people who could afford them worked there
• ‘Drinking out of a coffee pot that none of you Wanna touch!’

  -               Shows racist ideologies of 1960’s-belief that black people had something wrong with them

  -               Coffee pot inspires change and reinforces stability

  -               Everyone staring at herà her own empty coffeeàrageà someone else brings ger coffee
• Mary’s aspirations to be an engineer chat with Mr Zielinski- low shot then high shot

  -               Low angle sot showing her optimistic atmosphere and the dreams she wishes to fulfil

  -               contrasted with a high angle shot to remind her of her lack of authority and control she has over her race.
• Segregated facilities

  -               The setting displays segregated facilities that exposes the harmful truths of 1960’s America

  -               Gives us an idea on the causal racism that was encountered.
• This line encapsulates the idea that


  Regardless of race, all individuals are equal and deserve the same rights and treatment
• The line further accentuates the idea of racism in the 1960s
• Triumphant music is paired with the scene to highlight hope and future progress for the African America women at NASA
• Breaking the physical sign


  Is a symbol for breaking down the physical barriers and fighting the systematic racism in the workplace
• The daily humiliation that was a constant reminder that she was a lower-class citizen
• Body paragraph 3- treatment of women in Othello

  ·       The treatment of women in William Shakespeare’s Othello is a central theme that illuminates the societal attitudes and expectations towards women in the early 17th century. Set against the backdrop of a male-dominated society, the play portrays various female characters who navigate the restrictions imposed upon them by patriarchal norms
• à woman as treasure

  -               ‘Land chrack’

  -               Shows the possession of woman as treasure

  -               ‘o thou thief where hast thou stowed my daughter’

  -               Iago speaking about Desdemona, explaining that Othello has a good treasure.

  -               His crude comments highlight the misogynistic views of the time
• ‘o curse of marriage that we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites’.

  -               Othello laments that although he can claim Desdemona as a wife, he can’t control her desires or ensure her loyalty/.

  -               This shows the misogynistic belief that a woman’s sexual desires are uncontrollable and threaten male authority.
• ‘Let husbands know their wives have senses like them’

  -               Emilia’s willingness to challenge norms is juxtaposed with Desdemona’s innocence

  -               Highlighting equality of women

  -               Tragic irony- speaks just before Desdemona was killed by Othello.
• Iago to Cassio about Emilia-  ‘Sir she would give you so much of her lips’

  -               Iago’s comments reflect his deeply misogynistic views by suggesting Emilia talks too much and her speech is a burden.

  -               Cassio courteous behaviour contrasts with Iago’s comments and highlights Cassio respect

  Shakespeare exposed misogyny and broader societal attitudes towards women in the setting and context of the play
• ‘I nothing but to please his fancy’

  -               Emilia’s line reflects the subservient position of women in the play, who are expected to comply with their husbands' wishes.

  She believes she is performing a simple act to please her husband, unaware that it will lead to tragic outcomes
• Body paragraph 4-

  ·       The mistreatment of woman is used to inspire change through the entire film, Hidden Figures. Intrinsic to its context, Hidden Figures reflects on the gender discrimination of the early 1960’s which causes us to have a need to inspire change and take action against racism.
• they let women handle that sort of stuff”

  -               This quote implies that a woman’s work is considered less significant and less intellectually demanding.

  -               This moment serves as a catalyst for Jim Johnson’s character development. As he learns more about Katherine’s work and recognizes her exceptional talent and intelligence, he begins to challenge his own prejudices and assumptions
• Contrast of outfits

  -               Men in the play are shown to wear sharp, dull coloured suits while the women are always displayed in bright colours.

  -               They are show in formal attire which displays their inner authority and power

  -               Outfits of the women highlight the traditional views of femineity.

  -               Highlights barriers faced in being recognised as equal in a male dominated environment.
• Katherine over the shoulder shot

  -               Exemplifies racial segregation and isolation she faces by showing her lack of resources compared to her male colleagues.

  -               Puts her in a position of disempowerment comparable to when Desdemona was falsely accused as unfaithful, which causes her to be innocently murdered.

  -               Katherines position as an African American woman in the space task program shows the vulnerability of mistreatment by men.
• à Low and sombre music

  -               When Dorothy is rejected from her promotion as supervisor.

  -               Conveys her disappointments and gives an insight to her struggles as an African American woman in a male dominated field.
• I am a negro woman; I am not going to entertain the impossible’

  -               Highlights casual racism and the ideology that black people, let alone women won’t be able to achieve as much as everyone else.