Deployment of Images The Use of Language
Ozzie Walls was the only black sheriff in Mississippi. He was proud of this, especially since Ford County was 74 percent white and the
other black sheriffs had been from much blacker counties. The word “only” shows that there is just a small chance for the Blacks to
have a high position in the society. Ozzie Walls is the law officer though he is black. The Blacks are still figured as passive and inferior. More or less this is
because of the system created by Whites, where the Blacks do not stand many chances to stand up in a good position in the society or even in job opportunity.
She did not move. Willard asked Cobb if he thought she was dead. Cobb opened another beer and explained that she was not dead
because niggers generally could not be killed by kicking and beating and raping. It took much more, something like a knife or a gun or a
rope to dispose of a nigger. Although he had never taken part in such a killing, he had lived with a bunch of niggers in prison and knew all
about them. Some of the whites were beaten and raped, and some of them died. But none of the niggers. Their heads were harder. Willard
seemed satisfied. Grisham, 1989: 2 Blacks are portrayed to have good physical appearance. The sentence “it
took much more” seems to underline that. Blacks cannot be killed just by kicking, beating or even raping. It takes more than that. The image of the Blacks is to have
strong physical power, and the Whites view this as a threat. By slavery, in the Old South, the Whites are able to use Blacks’ physical ability to work in their
plantation. The Blacks women are the victims of sexual abuse. By the Whites, Blacks
are treated merely as sexual threat. The physical appearance of the blacks makes the Whites become jealous. The Blacks, according to the Whites, have more
physical power. The passage from Grisham 1989: 8 below reflects that for the Whites, the Black girl is not only a disgrace, but also a sin. The rednecks believe
that Blacks are never virgin. Back in the old south, a black girl working in a plantation always tends to bea sexual victim from the masters. For the Whites,
raping a black girl is merely a sport. The Whites do not feel anything but fun whenever it comes to abuse the Blacks.
“
Hes laughin about it, Sheriff. Its a big joke. Said he finally found a nigger who was a virgin. Somebody asked how old she was, and Cobb
said eight or nine. Everybody laughed. Yep, theyre both laughin about it...”
The image of the Whites is created by themselves. They regard themselves high, that they are the stereotype. Whenever it comes to stereotyping, any person
of races who does not look fit like the stereotype will feel different. Surely, the Blacks are not the stereotype of the Whites. This is reflected in Grisham’s work
1989: 61 below. Can Carl Lee Hailey receive a fair trial in Ford County?
Why couldnt he? Jake asked. Well, hes black. He killed two white men, and he will be tried by a
white jury. You mean he will be tried by a bunch of white racists.
No, thats not what I said, nor what I implied. Why do you automatically assume I think you are all a bunch of racists?
Because you do. Were stereotyped, and you know it. For the White racists, they will never take the Blacks’ side in a court. It
implies that the values in the south are influenced by the racist spirits. Furthermore, this racial spirits become hatred so that whenever it comes to contact
with the Blacks, the Whites are eager to ignore them. Besides, the Blacks are portrayed by the Whites as powerful. The images
of Blacks are created in many kinds by the Whites’ standard. The Whites figure the Blacks as having potential danger threat. Grisham 1989: 173 portrays this:
You better believe it. And if Hailey gets off, none of us will be safe. Every nigger in this countyll carry a gun and just look for trouble.”
The Blacks’ image is shaped by the Whites. Whenever it comes to hold a gun, the Blacks believed just to look for a trouble. It represents the Blacks can do
the right thing according to them. This is called as freedom. Blacks demand freedom. For the Whites as colonizer, freedom for the Blacks means a threat.
However, to overcome this, the Whites keep making pressure to the Blacks so that the Blacks feel weak.
The Blacks are the victims of stereotyping. The whites create and reshape the images of the Blacks. Blacks are believed to be stupid and blunt. They do not
deserve something good or bad. Grisham portrays this condition in the quotation below.
Wheres the sheriff? Hes supposed to keep law and order. Sheriff, do your job. Shut those niggers up so we can assemble in peace. Cant
you do your job, Sheriff? Cant you control your own people? See, folks, thats what you get when you elect niggers to public office.
Grisham, 1989: 182 For a sherrif who is black, the racist society will always press him. The
Blacks do not get chance as the Whites to have a proper life and job. For a black who holds a high position in the society, the Whites keep on pushing him. The
Whites believe the old values, the stereotypes, and the images of the blacks created by their white colonizer ancestor. The Blacks do not deserve to get an
important position in the society.