In class we viewed the film American History X. This film was chosen by the class as a source for our research paper. While watching the film, I could not help but to notice how one of the main character's (Danny Vineyard) way of thinking was easily shaped in a negative way by his family members. My thesis is a question that I wanted to answer for myself and inform anyone who is interested in how easily a life can be destroyed when someone is looking for love in where he or she thinks is the right place.
Janelle Rodriguez
April 30, 2015
English 112
Research Paper
April 30, 2015
English 112
Research Paper
A family's loving divide
In the scene in American History X, when Derek Vineyard is recovering from a prison rape, he is talking to Dr. Sweeny about how confused he was about his views of the world. Sweeny informs him that his brother is going the path that he led. Derek states that Danny is not his responsibility, but Sweeny makes him think by asking him “Has anything you done made your life better?” Derek shakes his head. He then asks Dr. Sweeny to help him to get released because he is up for parole in four months. Sweeny questions his genuineness and Derek states “I don’t want to fuck up my family anymore, I’ll go far away.” This statement from this scene, I am going to discuss how Danny Vineyard’s family was the one main factor that affected his choices that ultimately led to his death.
American History X is a movie about how family shapes our character. In the film, a teenaged boy, Danny Vineyard, has to write a paper about his brother, Derek, who is the leader of the Neo Nazi white supremacy gang in his area. Derek’s character was shaped by their father, Danny was also influenced. Derek is convicted of manslaughter of three men who tried to steal his truck in Venice Beach, California. While serving three years in prison away from his family, Derek’s views about society change. When released he hopes to convince his brother Danny not to follow the path that he led.
Berkowitz and Bier write, “Although school has a central role in developing students’ character, the most profound impact on students’ development comes from their families, notably their parents”. In the film, Derek Vineyard’s father had a huge impact on the how Derek thought. With an upcoming exam about the novel “Native Son” (a novel about a black American youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s) Derek voiced his opinion that Dr. Sweeny (who had two PhDs) was a good teacher and made some key points about the racial divide. Derek’s father did not like the idea that his son had some type of empathy about the subject. Mr. Vineyard, who is a firefighter, quickly advised his son not to take the subjects of Affirmative Action and political correctness for African Americans seriously because it was all “Bullshit.” Derek’s father’s opinion had a strong impact on his son. Family has a huge impact on a person’s social experiences. It is the forefront of how we socialize because with family we first learn to socialize with each other and develop how to shape our thoughts of the world.
In the movie, one could see that Danny himself was looking for affection from his family. According to Wienclaw, “The family unit offers affection and other companionship to its members, thereby helping them to feel secure and satisfied”. In the scene where Derek was discussing his assignment with his father, Danny was paying close attention to how proud his dad was of Derek. It seemed like Derek was favored because he was an “A” student. The boy’s father told Derek that he was proud of him. When their father died Danny sought that male affection from his brother. Trying to impress his brother was the reason for writing a paper that argued for Hitler as a civil rights hero. Danny Vineyard looked up to his brother and valued his opinion leading him to have his brother’s racial beliefs about society.
The Violence Prevention Institute states “Studies indicate that a tight family structure is lacking in the home environment. Gang activity offers that closeness, that sense of family that is often lacking in the home”. In the film American History X, viewers can see that the Vineyard family fell apart after Mr. Vineyard’s death. He was the glue that held their family together and when he was murdered Derek wanted revenge. In the film, Derek helps form and run the D.O.C gang, a white supremacist group, with Cameron, an older man who is like a father figure. Together they placed their influence on young people (mainly teenagers) that whites should rule over non-whites. “Children often choose to join gangs if their friends or family members belong” (http://www.violencepreventioninstitute.com/youngpeople.html). In seeking his brother’s approval, Danny joins the gang in which Derek is the leader, believing that he will make his brother proud.
One cannot help but to wonder if Danny’s mother, Doris, were to express that she did not share the same opinions about race and society as Mr. Vineyard and their eldest son, would Danny have had a different view? Since family has a huge impact on our lives and shapes our thoughts on the world, is it possible that Danny’s mother could have influenced him to think differently? Looking back at Derek discussing his assignment, viewers can see that Doris is not included in the conversation while she sits head of her table and her opinion is not sought. There is this sense that Doris was in charge of influencing the girls and Mr. Vineyard was to influence the boys.
It is Mr. Vineyard’s words that stick to Derek while Danny watches intensively. As a result later in the film, we witness a lunch discussion about the Rodney King trial with the Vineyard boys, along with their sister and guests. Here is where Doris is finally able to express that she does not agree with the Vineyard men’s way of thinking. This makes Derek angry and sends him into a raged fit as he yells at his mother, questions her authority and assaults his sister. Now, Danny is watching his brother as he did his father and seeing him as head of the family.
In a post on fathers.com titled How Fathers Can Teach Their Sons to Respect Women, there is a statement that says, “Like dads, moms have a strong influence over their sons, but they also have a sensitivity and keen insights about these things that most dads don’t have. Your son will benefit greatly from that womanly perspective.” Danny did not gain any thoughts from a woman’s perspective. There were times in American History X that we could see that Danny was a bit confused about what he believed in and when his father was murdered he witnessed the anger that his brother had while blaming society and racial issues. Derek was too far gone with his views, though they later changed, but Doris could have altered Danny’s fate by expressing her thoughts, even if they were in private, and taking the lead of her family after Mr. Vineyard’s death. By doing this she could have changed Danny’s way of thinking and the choices that he made, which led to his death.
Works Cited
Berkowitz, Marvin W. and Melinda C. Bier. "Character Education Parents as Partners." Educational Leadership, Vol 63 Issue 1 (2005): 64-69. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.libdb.dccc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=18154059&site=eds-live
Casey, Carey. How Dads Can Teach Sons to Respect Women. Shawnee Mission, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.fathers.com/s7-hot-topics/c42-your-marriage/how-dads-can-teach-sons-to-respect-women/
Institute, Violence Prevention. "Why Young People Join Gangs and What You Can Do." 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.violencepreventioninstitute.com/youngpeople.html
McKenna, David. American History X. Los Angeles, 1998. Retrieved from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120586/
Wienclaw, Ruth A. "Family Functions: A Structural-Functional Analysis." Research Starters Sociology (2009): 8. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com.libdb.dccc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89185464&site=eds-live
a Family's loving divide
American history x Research: second draft
Janelle Rodriguez
April 27, 2015
Research Paper
A Family’s Loving Divide
In the scene in American History X, when Derek Vineyard is recovering from a prison rape, he is talking to Dr. Sweeny about how confused he was about his views of the world. Sweeny informs him that his brother is going the path that he led. Derek states that Danny is not his responsibility, but Sweeny makes him think by asking him “Has anything you done made your life better?” Derek shakes his head. He then asks Sweeny to help him to get released because he is up for parole in four months. Sweeny questions his genuineness and Derek states “I don’t want to fuck up my family anymore, I’ll go far away.” This statement from this scene, I am going to discuss how Danny Vineyard’s family was the one main factor that affected his choices that ultimately led to his death.
American History X is a movie about a teenaged boy, Danny Vineyard, who has to write a paper about his brother, Derek, who is the leader of the Neo Nazi white supremacy gang in his area. Derek is convicted of manslaughter of three men who tried to steal his truck in Venice Beach, California. Danny writes a paper that is “pro Adolf Hitler" and is reprimanded by the principle Dr. Sweeny. While serving three years in, Derek’s views about society changes. When released he hopes to convince his brother Danny not to follow the path that he led.
In the film, Family has a huge impact on a person’s social experiences. It is the forefront of how we socialize with the world because with family we learn to first socialize with each other. Family is where we develop how to shape our thoughts of the world by way of our family member’s opinions. Derek Vineyard’s father had a huge impact on the how Derek thought. With an upcoming exam about the novel “Native Son” (a novel about a black American youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s.) Derek voiced his opinion that Dr. Sweeny (who had two PhDs) was a good teacher and made some key points about the racial divide. Derek’s father did not like the idea that his son had some type of empathy about the subject. Berkowitz and Bier writes, “Although school has a central role in developing students’ character, the most profound impact on students’ development comes from their families, notably their parents”. Mr. Vineyard, who is a firefighter, quickly advised his son not to take the subjects of Affirmation Action and Political correctness for African Americans seriously because it was all “Bullshit”. Derek’s father’s opinion had a strong impact on his son.
According to Wienclaw, “The family unit offers affection and other companionship to its members, thereby helping them to feel secure and satisfied”. One could see that Danny himself was looking for that type of affection from his family. In the scene where Derek was discussing his assignment with his father, Danny was paying close attention to how proud his dad was of Derek. It seemed like Derek was favored because he was an “A” student. The boy’s father told Derek that he was proud of him. When their father died Danny sought that male affection from his brother. Trying to impress his brother was the reason for writing a paper that argued for Hitler as a civil rights hero. Danny Vineyard looked up to his brother and valued his opinion leading him to have his brother’s racial beliefs about society.
The Violence Prevention Institute states “Studies indicate that a tight family structure is lacking in the home environment. Gang activity offers that closeness, that sense of family that is often lacking in the home”. In the film American History X, viewers can see that the Vineyard family fell apart after Mr. Vineyard’s death. He was the glue that held their family together and when he was murdered Derek wanted revenge. The D.O.C, which is ran by Cameron, puts Derek on the forefront to get recruits that they feel that are worthy to be a part of the gang. Together they placed the influenced on young people (mainly teenagers) that whites should rule over non-whites. “Children often choose to join gangs if their friends or family members belong” (http://www.violencepreventioninstitute.com/youngpeople.html). In seeking his brother’s approval, Danny joins the gang in which Derek is the leader, believing that he will make his brother proud. Derek helps form a white supremacist gang after their father’s murder with Cameron, someone who could be viewed as a father figure.
One cannot help but to wonder that if Danny’s mother, Doris, were to express that she did not share the same opinions about race and society as Mr. Vineyard and their eldest son, would Danny have had a different view? Since family has a huge impact on our lives and shapes our thoughts on the world, is it possible that Danny’s mother could have influenced Danny to think differently? Looking back at the where Derek is discussing his assignment, viewers can see that Doris is not included in the conversation while she sits head of her table and her opinion is not sought. There is this sense that Doris was in charge of influencing the girls and Mr. Vineyard was to influence the boys.
It is Mr. Vineyard’s words that sticks to Derek while Danny watches intensively. As a result later in the film, we witness a lunch discussion about the Rodney King trial with the Vineyard boys, along with their sister and guests. Here is where Doris is finally able to express that she does not agree with the Vineyard men’s way of thinking. This makes Derek angry and sends him into a raged fit as he yells at his mother questions her authority and assaults his sister. Now, Danny is watching his brother as he did his father and seeing him as head of the family.
In a post on fathers.com titled How Fathers Can Teach Their Sons to Respect Women, there is a statement that says “Like dads, moms have a strong influence over their sons, but they also have a sensitivity and keen insights about these things that most dads don’t have. Your son will benefit greatly from that womanly perspective.” Danny did not gain any thoughts from a woman’s perspective. There were times in American History X that we could see that Danny was a bit confused about what he believed in and when his father was murdered he witnessed the anger that his brother had while blaming society and racial issues. Derek was too far gone with his views which were later changed, but Doris could have changed Danny’s fate by expressing her thoughts, even if they were in private, and taking the lead of her family after Mr. Vineyard’s death. By doing this she could have changed Danny’s way of thinking and the choices that he made, which led to his death.
Works Cited
Berkowitz, Marvin W. and Melinda C. Bier. "Character Education Parents as Partners." Educational Leadership, Vol 63 Issue 1 (2005): 64-69.
Casey, Carey. How Dads Can Teach Sons to Respect Women. Shawnee Mission, 2015.
Institute, Violence Prevention. "Why Young People Join Gangs and What You Can Do." 2009.
McKenna, David. American History X. Los Angeles, 1998.
Wienclaw, Ruth A. "Family Functions: A Structural-Functional Analysis." Research Starters Sociology (2009): 8.
April 27, 2015
Research Paper
A Family’s Loving Divide
In the scene in American History X, when Derek Vineyard is recovering from a prison rape, he is talking to Dr. Sweeny about how confused he was about his views of the world. Sweeny informs him that his brother is going the path that he led. Derek states that Danny is not his responsibility, but Sweeny makes him think by asking him “Has anything you done made your life better?” Derek shakes his head. He then asks Sweeny to help him to get released because he is up for parole in four months. Sweeny questions his genuineness and Derek states “I don’t want to fuck up my family anymore, I’ll go far away.” This statement from this scene, I am going to discuss how Danny Vineyard’s family was the one main factor that affected his choices that ultimately led to his death.
American History X is a movie about a teenaged boy, Danny Vineyard, who has to write a paper about his brother, Derek, who is the leader of the Neo Nazi white supremacy gang in his area. Derek is convicted of manslaughter of three men who tried to steal his truck in Venice Beach, California. Danny writes a paper that is “pro Adolf Hitler" and is reprimanded by the principle Dr. Sweeny. While serving three years in, Derek’s views about society changes. When released he hopes to convince his brother Danny not to follow the path that he led.
In the film, Family has a huge impact on a person’s social experiences. It is the forefront of how we socialize with the world because with family we learn to first socialize with each other. Family is where we develop how to shape our thoughts of the world by way of our family member’s opinions. Derek Vineyard’s father had a huge impact on the how Derek thought. With an upcoming exam about the novel “Native Son” (a novel about a black American youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s.) Derek voiced his opinion that Dr. Sweeny (who had two PhDs) was a good teacher and made some key points about the racial divide. Derek’s father did not like the idea that his son had some type of empathy about the subject. Berkowitz and Bier writes, “Although school has a central role in developing students’ character, the most profound impact on students’ development comes from their families, notably their parents”. Mr. Vineyard, who is a firefighter, quickly advised his son not to take the subjects of Affirmation Action and Political correctness for African Americans seriously because it was all “Bullshit”. Derek’s father’s opinion had a strong impact on his son.
According to Wienclaw, “The family unit offers affection and other companionship to its members, thereby helping them to feel secure and satisfied”. One could see that Danny himself was looking for that type of affection from his family. In the scene where Derek was discussing his assignment with his father, Danny was paying close attention to how proud his dad was of Derek. It seemed like Derek was favored because he was an “A” student. The boy’s father told Derek that he was proud of him. When their father died Danny sought that male affection from his brother. Trying to impress his brother was the reason for writing a paper that argued for Hitler as a civil rights hero. Danny Vineyard looked up to his brother and valued his opinion leading him to have his brother’s racial beliefs about society.
The Violence Prevention Institute states “Studies indicate that a tight family structure is lacking in the home environment. Gang activity offers that closeness, that sense of family that is often lacking in the home”. In the film American History X, viewers can see that the Vineyard family fell apart after Mr. Vineyard’s death. He was the glue that held their family together and when he was murdered Derek wanted revenge. The D.O.C, which is ran by Cameron, puts Derek on the forefront to get recruits that they feel that are worthy to be a part of the gang. Together they placed the influenced on young people (mainly teenagers) that whites should rule over non-whites. “Children often choose to join gangs if their friends or family members belong” (http://www.violencepreventioninstitute.com/youngpeople.html). In seeking his brother’s approval, Danny joins the gang in which Derek is the leader, believing that he will make his brother proud. Derek helps form a white supremacist gang after their father’s murder with Cameron, someone who could be viewed as a father figure.
One cannot help but to wonder that if Danny’s mother, Doris, were to express that she did not share the same opinions about race and society as Mr. Vineyard and their eldest son, would Danny have had a different view? Since family has a huge impact on our lives and shapes our thoughts on the world, is it possible that Danny’s mother could have influenced Danny to think differently? Looking back at the where Derek is discussing his assignment, viewers can see that Doris is not included in the conversation while she sits head of her table and her opinion is not sought. There is this sense that Doris was in charge of influencing the girls and Mr. Vineyard was to influence the boys.
It is Mr. Vineyard’s words that sticks to Derek while Danny watches intensively. As a result later in the film, we witness a lunch discussion about the Rodney King trial with the Vineyard boys, along with their sister and guests. Here is where Doris is finally able to express that she does not agree with the Vineyard men’s way of thinking. This makes Derek angry and sends him into a raged fit as he yells at his mother questions her authority and assaults his sister. Now, Danny is watching his brother as he did his father and seeing him as head of the family.
In a post on fathers.com titled How Fathers Can Teach Their Sons to Respect Women, there is a statement that says “Like dads, moms have a strong influence over their sons, but they also have a sensitivity and keen insights about these things that most dads don’t have. Your son will benefit greatly from that womanly perspective.” Danny did not gain any thoughts from a woman’s perspective. There were times in American History X that we could see that Danny was a bit confused about what he believed in and when his father was murdered he witnessed the anger that his brother had while blaming society and racial issues. Derek was too far gone with his views which were later changed, but Doris could have changed Danny’s fate by expressing her thoughts, even if they were in private, and taking the lead of her family after Mr. Vineyard’s death. By doing this she could have changed Danny’s way of thinking and the choices that he made, which led to his death.
Works Cited
Berkowitz, Marvin W. and Melinda C. Bier. "Character Education Parents as Partners." Educational Leadership, Vol 63 Issue 1 (2005): 64-69.
Casey, Carey. How Dads Can Teach Sons to Respect Women. Shawnee Mission, 2015.
Institute, Violence Prevention. "Why Young People Join Gangs and What You Can Do." 2009.
McKenna, David. American History X. Los Angeles, 1998.
Wienclaw, Ruth A. "Family Functions: A Structural-Functional Analysis." Research Starters Sociology (2009): 8.
First Draft of American History "X" Research paper
In the scene in American History X, when Derek Vineyard is recovering from a prison rape, he is talking to Dr. Sweeny about how confused he was about his views of the world. Sweeny informs him that his brother is going the path that he led. Derek states that Danny is not his responsibility, but Sweeny makes him think by asking him “Has anything you done made your life better?” Derek shakes his head. He then asks Sweeny to help him to get released because he is up for parole in four months. Sweeny questions his genuineness and Derek states “I don’t want to fuck up my family anymore, I’ll go far away.” This statement from this scene, I am going to discuss how Danny Vineyard’s family was the one main factor that led to his death by affecting his way of thinking.
American History X is a movie about a teenaged boy, Danny Vineyard, who has to write a paper about his brother. First reason for this is that he wrote a paper that is 'pro Adolf Hitler" and is reprimanded by the principle Mr. Sweeny. Second, his brother, Derek Vineyard, is the leader of the Neo Nazi white supremacy gang in his area, is convicted of manslaughter of three men who tried to steal his truck in Venice Beach, California. While serving three years for the crime Derek’s views about society changes. When released he hoped to convince his brother Danny not to follow the path that he led.
Family has a huge impact on a person’s social experiences. It is the forefront of how we socialize with the world because with family we learn to first socialize with each other. Family is where we develop how to shape our thoughts of the world by way of our family member’s opinions. Derek Vineyard’s father had a huge impact on the how Derek thought. With an upcoming exam about the novel “Native Son” (a novel about a black American youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s.) Derek voiced his opinion that Dr. Sweeny (who had two PhDs) was a good teacher and made some key points about the racial divide. Derek’s father did not like the idea that his son had some type of empathy about the subject. The authors of “Character Education Parents as Partners” writes, “Although school has a central role in developing students’ character, the most profound impact on students’ development comes from their families, notably their parents” (Berkowitz and Bier). Mr. Vineyard quickly advised his son not to take the subjects of Affirmation Action and Political correctness for African Americans seriously because it was all “Bullshit”. Derek’s father talked to him about his views on the subject which he had a strong racial opinion and strongly encouraged his son to agree.
In the scene where Derek was discussing his assignment with his father, Danny was paying close attention. It seemed like Derek was favored because he was an “A” student. The boy’s father told Derek that he was proud of him. One could see that Danny himself was looking for that same type of affection. When his father died he sought that male affection from his brother. Danny Vineyard looked up to his brother and valued his opinion leading him to have his brother’s racial beliefs about society. Though looking for approval from his brother by writing a paper that argued for Hitler as a civil rights hero, landed Danny trouble. “The family unit offers affection and other companionship to its members, thereby helping them to feel secure and satisfied” (Wienclaw).
Derek and Danny’s father was murdered my black drug dealers while putting out a fire. This incident ignites a fire within him and he forms a white supremacist gang with someone who is like a father figure to him. The D.O.C which is ran by Cameron puts Derek on the forefront to get recruits that they feel that are worthy to be a part of the gang. Together they placed the influenced on young people (mainly teenagers) that whites should rule over non-whites. Decker states the statistics that, “About two-fifths of gang members are under the age of 17, and almost nine-tenths are under age 25” (Decker). Danny is a member of this gang and I believe that he thinks that his brother will be proud of him the way their father was proud of Derek.
“Families provide social status to their members” (Wienclaw). Derek took on the role of the head of household when their father died. It was clear in the scene when the Vineyards are having a meal with guests that Derek is assumes that he is to lead his family.
One cannot help but to wonder that if Danny’s sister and mother were to express their views, would Danny had a different view. . Danny’s mother and sister, Doris and Davina, did not share the same opinions about race and society as Mr. Vineyard and they kept it quiet. In the film, Derek did not show a high level of respect for his mother. At the table during lunch during the discussion about the Rodney King trial, he laughed while he questioned her of her authority in the world. Even though he made that remark, she still did not seem to be able to express her opinion and inquired the thoughts of her guest.
American History X is a movie about a teenaged boy, Danny Vineyard, who has to write a paper about his brother. First reason for this is that he wrote a paper that is 'pro Adolf Hitler" and is reprimanded by the principle Mr. Sweeny. Second, his brother, Derek Vineyard, is the leader of the Neo Nazi white supremacy gang in his area, is convicted of manslaughter of three men who tried to steal his truck in Venice Beach, California. While serving three years for the crime Derek’s views about society changes. When released he hoped to convince his brother Danny not to follow the path that he led.
Family has a huge impact on a person’s social experiences. It is the forefront of how we socialize with the world because with family we learn to first socialize with each other. Family is where we develop how to shape our thoughts of the world by way of our family member’s opinions. Derek Vineyard’s father had a huge impact on the how Derek thought. With an upcoming exam about the novel “Native Son” (a novel about a black American youth living in utter poverty in a poor area on Chicago's South Side in the 1930s.) Derek voiced his opinion that Dr. Sweeny (who had two PhDs) was a good teacher and made some key points about the racial divide. Derek’s father did not like the idea that his son had some type of empathy about the subject. The authors of “Character Education Parents as Partners” writes, “Although school has a central role in developing students’ character, the most profound impact on students’ development comes from their families, notably their parents” (Berkowitz and Bier). Mr. Vineyard quickly advised his son not to take the subjects of Affirmation Action and Political correctness for African Americans seriously because it was all “Bullshit”. Derek’s father talked to him about his views on the subject which he had a strong racial opinion and strongly encouraged his son to agree.
In the scene where Derek was discussing his assignment with his father, Danny was paying close attention. It seemed like Derek was favored because he was an “A” student. The boy’s father told Derek that he was proud of him. One could see that Danny himself was looking for that same type of affection. When his father died he sought that male affection from his brother. Danny Vineyard looked up to his brother and valued his opinion leading him to have his brother’s racial beliefs about society. Though looking for approval from his brother by writing a paper that argued for Hitler as a civil rights hero, landed Danny trouble. “The family unit offers affection and other companionship to its members, thereby helping them to feel secure and satisfied” (Wienclaw).
Derek and Danny’s father was murdered my black drug dealers while putting out a fire. This incident ignites a fire within him and he forms a white supremacist gang with someone who is like a father figure to him. The D.O.C which is ran by Cameron puts Derek on the forefront to get recruits that they feel that are worthy to be a part of the gang. Together they placed the influenced on young people (mainly teenagers) that whites should rule over non-whites. Decker states the statistics that, “About two-fifths of gang members are under the age of 17, and almost nine-tenths are under age 25” (Decker). Danny is a member of this gang and I believe that he thinks that his brother will be proud of him the way their father was proud of Derek.
“Families provide social status to their members” (Wienclaw). Derek took on the role of the head of household when their father died. It was clear in the scene when the Vineyards are having a meal with guests that Derek is assumes that he is to lead his family.
One cannot help but to wonder that if Danny’s sister and mother were to express their views, would Danny had a different view. . Danny’s mother and sister, Doris and Davina, did not share the same opinions about race and society as Mr. Vineyard and they kept it quiet. In the film, Derek did not show a high level of respect for his mother. At the table during lunch during the discussion about the Rodney King trial, he laughed while he questioned her of her authority in the world. Even though he made that remark, she still did not seem to be able to express her opinion and inquired the thoughts of her guest.