I understand the “divide of beliefs/ideas within oneself” is a huge connection in the content we have seen so far. More specifically, the conflict a character experiences with their own ideas when faced with traumatic events and backlash from others. A great example of this is the play “Mickeybo and Mojo.” Within the story, Mickybo, a catholic, and Mojo, a protestant, become unlikely friends. During the story, Mickeybo’s father is shot in the head, by the protestants, for being catholic, and this creates an internal struggle within him and his views on Catholics. Mickeybo and Mojo friendships begin to unravel and this demonstrates this divide within the individual’s ideas/beliefs. Mickybo begins to agree with Fuckface and Grank and expresses things to Mojo he doesn’t mean. Mickeybo has now developed a conflicting view of his friend and is now more involved with the tension of his society.
Another example of this internal struggle is presented in the movie Uptight. Within Uptight, Tank has been identified as the informer and this is due to his push back from the black revolutionary group. The group kicks Tank out due to his inconsistent behavior and the threat of this to their cause. This event leads to Tank’s conflict within himself and the decision to betray his friend, Johnny, and the revolution. This betrayal demonstrates an action that goes against Tank’s ideals and beliefs, and this presents the internal struggle this character faces due to ideas from others.
Overall, the content of this class focuses on the conflicts between various groups and how these disagreements play out. Additionally, these opposing views bring internal conflicts within individuals and this creates struggles and actions that go against their beliefs.
I think the comparison of Mickybo’s internal struggle to that of Tank is a great way to synthesize the different works we’ve read and watched so far. I would argue that the similarities go even farther, as the death of an important figure forces both characters to confront their internal struggles and make the ultimate choice to betray a friend. After Mickybo’s Da is killed, Mickybo can no longer ignore the reality of the tensions between Catholics and Protestants, and he effectively ends his friendship with Mojo in order to align himself with “his people.” Likewise, the assassination of MLK paralyzes Tank, suggesting to him that there is no way, nonviolent or violent, to escape the reality of poverty that surrounds him. This hopelessness drives Tank to betray his friend Johnny as a means of survival. In the end, neither character “wins” with this decision, since Mickybo and Mojo never restore their friendship, instead ignoring each other on the street, and since Tank is killed for his betrayal of the Committee. I would argue that the characters of both works are forced to confront their internal struggles once they feel that they cannot escape the difficult realities pressing upon them, and both of their decisions result in a form of isolation and a betrayal of friendship.
I think you hit on a good point that these works both touch on the idea of internal struggle but think you could get a little more specific. Perhaps you could say that this class emphasizes the struggle between the individual and the community. In both Mojo Mickybo and Uptight we see an individual who is supposed to cast aside their personal desires (Mickybo’s desire to retain his friendship with Mojo and Tank’s desire for a higher quality of living) to stand in solidarity with their identifying groups. I think that both through Mickybo’s allegiance and Tank’s deviance from supporting their respective groups, that specific internal struggle of weighing individual and community needs is really brought into the spotlight. I’m sure there are other ways to interpret the internal struggles that have been present in the literature we’ve encountered in this class, but this seems to be the major theme in my eyes.