American History X

The themes of family in the film helped me understand the relationship between James and his mother and father. If you see the film you are clearly shown the cause of the protagonists racism is because of his father, I guess we can also see the issue in the play that James' father being a woman beating, we don't see an direct correlation between this and his violent outburst but there is a paternal influence from this skinhead culture he wishes to join if you see what I mean. With the absence of a father he has developed a want for masculinity and to be seen as tough and this was something being a skinhead could provide for him! Also his relationship between him and his mother is practically mirrored in this film as we see this helpless figure unable to help her son and one line has stuck with me after seeing it was when she was talking to him through the prison phone and she says "don't you think I'm not in here with you?" as to say you are my son, this hurting me as much as it hurts you. I may not be physically there but every little thing you do affects me and I think James mother comes off with an attitude like that.

It mentions in the play that one of James films he likes to watch was American History X, so to help me understand the Character more I watched it and to say the least I found it very useful source into skinhead culture (limitations because it's set in American) and situations and problems that you could be put in being in a stereotypically more violent sub-culture. 

Here's a link to synopsis I won't bore you with the story: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120586/plotsummary

I tried to watch the film from the aspect of James, so watching for the particular violent which usually I would abhor but I had to see why he would like this sort of film. In the play one of the lines that is link to this is that "it doesn't affect you any more" which helped me to see to what level his violent mind must be at to not be shocked by a scenes that would really disturb softer minds than him. I could see James empathise and try to be like some of the characters in this film as he under goes his "skinhead training" coping their behaviours and mannerism to make himself feel more accepted into the system he wants to become a part of. 

There are a lot of things that could help enhance our understanding what leads a human to commit a violent crime like James does at the end of the play, as (SPOILER) we see actually one of the skinhead characters who just  returned from jail after befriending an African American man who receives triple his punishment for dropping a stolen TV on a police officers foot even though he murdered 2 people in cold blood he only had a punishment of 3 years seeing that he has been conditioned to believe in this lifestyle that is simply horrible. Sadly his retribution didn't end in jail as he pays the price of his Brother who had just been rehabilitated after 3 years of succumbing to skinhead culture. I guess James pays a price of the lost confidence his Mother will have in him for the rest of her life and all the social ridicule and restrictions which comes with the label of young of young offender.