What makes up inequality in society? Does it cause a substantial effect on the surroundings, or is it negligible? As time propels forward, various prejudices that people have on each other may subliminally turn into a contorted society, a kind of society where several kinds of inequality are not only present but also prevalent. Once these kinds of societies form, any type of change can be quite difficult to make. This theme can be seen in “Thunder on Sycamore Street” by Reginald Rose. Without a doubt, inequality is unfair for and drives hate towards the victims; however, the people who benefit from it do not mind it or care about it; they even enjoy the “superiority” they possess. After all, inequality exists along with degrading one to make another stand out, resulting in some people being privileged and comfortable and others suffering.
Inequality is most apparent for those who are being discriminated against. This specified group can be misapprehended by others or treated unjustly, but the reality behind it is that they have to endure a lot more than those things. The victims of inequality represented in the text are the Blake family in “Thunder on Sycamore Street”. Considering that the Blake family did not violate any laws or do anything damaging to their neighbors, the neighbors still think that “[the Blake family] have destroyed the dignity of their neighborhood” and even resort to “throwing garbage to [the Blake family’s] lawn” to show their hatred towards them. The main cause of this tragedy comes from how the Blake family has been mistaken as violent and murderous by their neighbors when the only reason behind Joseph Blake’s imprisonment was an unfortunate accident and not a violent crime. Thus, Joseph Blake share a trait of being on the receiving end of hatred or being misunderstood by others.
No one in the world has an absolute advantage enough to depreciate others. Still, there exists a group of people who feel superior over others and see innocent people as “dignified things”, and those people use unscrupulous methods to express their feelings of contempt towards people they think are beneath them. The people who show superiority are Frank and the neighbors in “Thunder on Sycamore Street”. Despite Frank only knowing that Joseph Blake was imprisoned, he does know the actual truth behind the imprisonment. Nevertheless, Frank still decides to frame a case against Joseph Blake and his family and sustain a consistent disdainful attitude towards them. This attitude is reflected when he tries to convince Arthur by saying, “we all agreed. That’s how it is. The majority. Right?” Often, an “evil” that presents a sense of inequality is far or little enough not to have a considerable impact on another person in a community; however, the influences caused by a huge crowd play a major part in this situation. In “Thunder on Sycamore Street”, Frank, the mob leader and their neighborhood’s person of trust, acts as a bellwether of spreading wrong information among his neighbors, saying that Joseph Blake has committed an unforgivable, wicked crime in the past.
In conclusion, inequality in society cannot exist without two opposing forces created by humans. Some suffer from it, but others find pleasure in it. Certainly, this is not a positive trend for how a healthy society should look. Figuring out an effective method to solve this problem is a must-do. No one knows to what extent the problem can be fixed, as inequality is not just an isolated community-wide problem but a worldwide concern. It cannot be denied that there are latent prejudices or preconceptions in people’s minds. However, these negative feelings and thoughts should be kept in check, pondered on, and eventually eliminated. Never look at others with prejudice, and constantly remind yourself that everyone is equal.
Source:
https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/thunder-on-sycamore-street
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0741627/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Rose
