Crash Character Profile: Anthony One Thesis

' Anthony, an actual resident of the street, sneers at white perceptions of how blacks talk in the media: "You think whites go around callin' each other honky all day?" While Anthony's theft of the SUV is clearly shown to be destructive, socially as well as morally, the film also shows how black inner city views of law and order have evolved in such a negative and polarized fashion: the presence of the black officer Detective Graham Waters is undercut by the racism and racial profiling of other members of the force.

Racism is circular in nature, and this is revealed in Anthony's lapses in logic: "That waitress sized us up in two seconds. We're black and black people don't tip. So she wasn't gonna waste her time. Now somebody like that? Nothing you can do to change their mind. You expect me to pay for that kind of service?" Anthony has been scarred by racism, and every time he actively (such as when he carjacks the DA's SUV) or passively (not tipping) lashes out against the world, he creates a more racist view of black young men in the minds of whites.Anthony would clearly support affirmative action, given the prejudice and discrimination he has experienced as a black man. He would see increased access to education and opportunities as what are 'rightfully' his. And affirmative action could possibly help a young man such as Anthony. Expanded access to jobs and education might enable Anthony to envision a better world. He might be able to use his energies and intelligence in a more productive fashion after gaining access to the world of wealth and knowledge he has only seen, pressing his nose against the glass of white society.

Work Cited

Crash. Directed by Paul Haggis.….....