Derogatory Words

In "Black Man, White Mask" Frantz Fanon talks about the degrading aspect of racist actions. He tells a story from his past where he is on a train and a white child turns and says "look mom a dirty nigre" However this is something that happened in his past, it is still a problem in the present time. Racism is still a prominent problem and is still felt the same way as described by Fanon. He describes that when being called upon in a derogatory way you feel objectified and alienated as a person. I agree with this because when being put down by another person you feel like you are being singled out/alienated. Although Frantz's book is specifically talking about racism as the the thing that is downgrading and stereotypical, I feel that it also goes along with what was said in class today with all of the other derogatory words. It's not only race that was brought up today that have words that can be used to put someone down and single them out to make them feel less of a person. Society has changed our perception of some words over time to make them have less impact, but some people still find them very offensive. Someone in class today stated that when someone says something derogatory towards someone else, that they should ask if it made them feel like a bigger person or more superior. This comment really fits into Fanons story of looking into a key hole in a hallway and being the person being looking and then someone coming up behind you and becoming the person being looked at, where the person looking through the keyhole is the person calling someone out, then they become the person being looked at when the person that called out ask them their reasoning and if it makes them a bigger person for saying it. Over all today's class was very interesting in how very good points on the aspects of how racism and derogatory words are taken.