The Unspoken Truth: A Sociological Examination Of The Suppression Of

The Unspoken Truth: A Sociological Examination of the Suppression of the Unprivileged in Society of Our Town By: Billy Ceskavich

Indirect

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Oppression

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Symbolism for the grayness of discrimination

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Schema

Critical Race Theory 

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Those who are not the majority, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant “stock” of Grover’s Corners are ignored and seen as inferior to all else “Professor Willard: Migration toward the end of the seventeenth century of English brachiocephalic blue-eyed stock…for the most part. Since then some Slav and Mediterranean -Stage Manager: And the population, Professor Willard” (Wilder 22). “Thus, following the logic of physical segregation, a code for the physical separation, a kind of ideological segregation governed [them]” (Nelson). In Grover’s Corners, there is a clear discrimination against those who are not the majority AngloSaxon population. Yet, this discrimination is not one of clear racism, but instead is one based upon ignorance. In the Stage Manager’s conversation with Professor Willard, he only allows the Professor time to elaborate upon the backgrounds of the majority of those living in Grover’s Corners. When the time comes to talk about the minority Slavic and Mediterranean people, Willard is abruptly cut off. The Stage Manager and Willard indirectly insult those who aren’t the majority by simply ignoring their very presence. As Nelson says, there is a “code” that “governs” the segregation. In Grover’s Corners, this code is one of silence, which quietly suppresses all that it victimizes. The racism of Grover’s Corners is not one of aggressive confrontation, but instead that of passive aggressive shunning.

Critical Social Semiotic Theory 

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Symbols, including ones not necessarily meant to be harmful, are often used to depict the inferiority of the minorities of Grover’s Corners “Dr. Gibbs: Yes. I declare – easy as kittens” (Wilder 12). “…meanings, opinions, emotions, and feelings are conveyed, often very subtly…by means of symbols” (Engler 152). The unspoken truth is often conveyed through the symbols of Grover’s Corners. Dr. Gibbs’ response “easy as kittens” to a question about a recent birthing of a Polish woman seems harmless, but it is in fact a subtle insult, which connotations define the discrimination of this small New Hampshire town. Dr. Gibbs is comparing a Polish woman to the likes of an animal, which very well could mean he does not even consider her to be equal to his level of being. To Dr. Gibbs, this Polish woman is nearly subhuman, no more than an animal compared to his level of existence. And, this entire meaning comes from a simple metaphor that slips off Dr. Gibbs’ tongue after a long night of work. It is as if this basic phrase is said without thought, a possible expression of Dr. Gibbs’ unconscious. As Engler writes, so much of societies’ true feelings are conveyed through the subtle “means of symbols.” In the case of Dr. Gibbs, his simple metaphor defines everything that is hidden in the “perfect” American town of Grover’s Corners. Underneath the quaintness of the Town lies a nasty pit of segregation and racism, much of which Dr. Gibbs represents in his six word declaration.

Critical Postmodern Theory  

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In Grover’s Corners, all aspects have their understood place, yet most are never clearly defined “Constable Warren: I don’t know how that’s goin’ to end, Mr. Webb. Mr. Webb: Well, he’s seen a peck of trouble, one thing after another…” (Wilder 44). “For this reason the stage of tragic drama consists of ever-shifting backdrops or perspectives: the ultimate perspective which is neutral and beyond good and evil” (Corrigan 169). The ugly truth of Grover’s Corners can often be fixed, but in most cases the people sit idly by as they watch the problems of the Town simmer underneath a false exterior. Simon Stimson drinks his life away; for some he is a disgrace for what the Town stands for, but for most he lies within an apathetic indifference. As Constable Warren and Mr. Webb discuss the presumed fate of Stimson, they are inactive and merely observe his predicament. For the two men, there is no clear action or inaction. Constable Warren, who holds the legal power of the Town, could attempt to straighten Stimson’s depressing behavior; yet, the men stand idle, they need not know his future or past, and they barely even care about his present. As Corrigan states, true tragedy is expressed through ultimate neutrality, and this neutrality is clear in Grover’s Corners. By standing on the sidelines, the men and women of Grover’s Corners indirectly, and perhaps unintentionally, discriminate against a man they should rightfully help.

Synthesis 

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In Grover’s Corners, there are many unspoken barriers that cause more harm than any other aspect of the Town. Whether it be focused upon race, gender, or ethnicity, the addicts, minorities, and unprivileged of Grover’s Corners are subsequently barred from progression through indirect prejudice. It is ignorance which fuels the fire of unspoken hatred in Grover’s Corners. The Polish are never spoken about, and are only referred to as a group of people, instead of being given the dignity to be assigned names and personalities. Debasing metaphors are used to represent the bias of the Town in ways which words cannot. And, what makes the matter all the more tragic is that nothing is ever done to alter the situation. For, the enigma of discrimination in Grover’s Corners has no right or wrong answer. Instead, there is a gray area that is filled with inaction and procrastination. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” comes to describe the situation well, for the Town masses simply push away those they do not want present, and hope their absence will make the problems these minorities represent non-existent. Nobody of the Town condemns these actions, yet nobody applauds them either; instead Grover’s Corners is caught in a limbo of neutrality. This tiny New Hampshire town is a prime example of how disturbing life can really be. Grover’s Corners is supposed to be the pinnacle of the classic American town. The Town ideally should represent the ideologies our nation was founded upon and should set a model for other communities to follow as well. Yet, underneath its pleasant exterior is a grim truth: that even what seem to be the foremost examples are often no better than the most abhorred paradigms. Grover’s Corners proves that nothing is truly what it seems; there is often an ugly face hiding behind a mask of beauty, and that the most innocent actions, such as that of inherited ignorance, can in fact be the most harmful of all.