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Within Our Gates

INSTRUCTIONS:

Please edit or rewrite the paper and 100% followed the Grader's Comments, thank you.INSTRUCTION:In his 1920 film "Within Our Gates," director Oscar Micheaux contests Hollywood representations of African American life and pursues a theme of moral uplift, offering a distinct middle-class worldview in which characters sought out progress through education and community improvement in the face of repression and violence from white supremacist culture.  "Body and Soul" also pursues this theme of moral uplift, but also makes a strong critical commentary on the role of the church and religious faith within the Black community.  Explain how Micheaux used Paul Robeson's two roles, as Sylvester (the fiance and aspiring inventor) and as the Reverend Jenkins, to suggest a conflicted moral system within the Black community depicted in the fictional film. Compare particular scenes to demonstrate your explanation. Alternative: you may approach this question by analyzing the mother-daughter relationship instead of the Reverend and Sylvester. Grader's Comments:This is a great analysis of the film and specific examples of where the audience is confronted with those conflicting personalities that are opposite of one another. However, there was only a brief mention of the conflicting moral system within Micheaux's work. What do you think the intent behind these choices was? Why was Micheaux critiquing the Black community as an individual who belongs to it? What might this signify? What does the conflicting moralities of the two characters - Jenkins and Sylvester - tell the viewer? What does it say to the Black audience who were so opposed to it?
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