Citation:

Green, Ronald J. "Oscar Micheaux's Interrogation of Caricature as Entertainment." Film Quarterly 51.3 (1998): 16-31.

Content and Relevance of Work:

J. Ronald Green's article addresses the issue of Black stereotypes and caricatures displayed in the entertainment industry. Green believes that pervasive, ethnic images blocked any autonomous effort put forth by African American entertainers to provide a realistic model of African American citizenship. Since nothing could be accomplished until that problem was resolved, Oscar Micheaux made this issue a top priority. Then, the author highlights important milestones of Micheaux's career, his childhood, and the financial hurdles he was forced to overcome. Green focuses on the success of D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation: the stereotypes and setbacks it provided for African Americans, and the motivation it provided Micheaux to remove these caricatures. Micheaux, Green argues, recreates these caricatures for the purpose of criticizing them, and explains how dialects provide a framework in relation to his ethnic criticisms.

Overall, Green's defends Micheaux's use of caricatures, saying it draws attention to what is wrong in the Black community, so that Blacks can repair the problem in what Green calls a "search and destroy" mission on Micheaux's part. Since this text suggests that Micheaux goes beyond positive images to function within the race as a starting cure, Micheaux held high expectations for the future of black and white race relations. If the black community were to answer his call, and repair its problems, blacks could finally command respect from whites. As a result, the change Micheaux attempts to provoke could spark an end to most of the mistreatment and racism projected by whites upon blacks. Unlike author Charlene Regester's article titled "The Misreading and Rereading of Oscar Micheaux," Green's article does not discuss Body and Soul's relevance a larger audience (i.e. not just a black audience).

J. Ronald Green's article addresses the issue of Black stereotypes and caricatures displayed in the entertainment industry. Green believes that pervasive, ethnic images blocked any autonomous effort put forth by African American entertainers to provide a realistic model of African American citizenship. Since nothing could be accomplished until that problem was resolved, Oscar Micheaux made this issue a top priority. Then, the author highlights important milestones of Micheaux's career, his childhood, and the financial hurdles he was forced to overcome. Green focuses on the success of D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation: the stereotypes and setbacks it provided for African Americans, and the motivation it provided Micheaux to remove these caricatures. Micheaux, Green argues, recreates these caricatures for the purpose of criticizing them, and explains how dialects provide a framework in relation to his ethnic criticisms.

Overall, Green's defends Micheaux's use of caricatures, saying it draws attention to what is wrong in the Black community, so that Blacks can repair the problem in what Green calls a "search and destroy" mission on Micheaux's part. Since this text suggests that Micheaux goes beyond positive images to function within the race as a starting cure, Micheaux held high expectations for the future of black and white race relations. If the black community were to answer his call, and repair its problems, blacks could finally command respect from whites. As a result, the change Micheaux attempts to provoke could spark an end to most of the mistreatment and racism projected by whites upon blacks. Unlike author Charlene Regester's article titled "The Misreading and Rereading of Oscar Micheaux," Green's article does not discuss Body and Soul's relevance a larger audience (i.e. not just a black audience).

Citation:

Green, Ronald J. "Oscar Micheaux's Interrogation of Caricature as Entertainment." Film Quarterly 51.3 (1998): 16-31.

Citation:

Green, Ronald J. "Oscar Micheaux's Interrogation of Caricature as Entertainment." Film Quarterly 51.3 (1998): 16-31.

Content and Relevance of Work:

In the article titled "Oscar Micheaux's Interrogation of Caricature as Entertainment" Ronald J. Green takes a look at Oscar Micheaux's response to negative stereotypes and images of blacks in early white films. Green explains how most black directors responded by creating films that portrayed positive images of blacks in society. However, although Micheaux like the other directors saw caricatures and stereotypes as barriers to black people's individuality and emancipation, he believed that he would be most effective in his films if used these same caricatures of blacks and simply exaggerated them to the point where he would be mocking their existence in white films. Thus, he would be using negative stereotypes in his own films with the purpose of criticizing them. Green describes the ‘ABAB' character method used by Micheaux as a specific way in which he used caricatures to critique a class-based society. His films would have ‘A' characters and ‘B' characters: The ‘A' characters would represent black middle-class legitimacy while the ‘B' characters were supposed to symbolize illegitimate black caricatures such as "coons". Green uses the preacher played by Paul Robeson in Body and Soul as an example of a ‘B' character. Green recognizes that Micheaux's use of negative images of blacks in his films such as Body and Soul can create the sensation that Micheaux was racist against his own kind. However, Green's argument is that Micheaux was not trying to further degrade his own kind; he was attempting to draw on existing stereotypes in order to criticize their place in society. Thus, this article is very relevant to the analysis of whether or not Micheaux is using the film Body and Soul to present a negative image of blacks with the purpose of criticizing their place in society. Green analyzes the role of black caricatures in Micheaux's films and even uses Body and Soul as an example. Green's article can be seen as a counterargument to the idea that Micheaux was racist against his own kind and so is a valuable source in the investigation of the presentation of blacks in Micheaux's Body and Soul.