COMMENT, two separate paragraphs.
1) Put yourself in the perspective of the original NON ITALIAN audience that saw those texts. Which one do you think was most effective in communicating its message (the message is pretty obvious throughout.)
2) Pick a SMALL DETAIL in the text you choose in 1) and explain why, in your personal view, it enhances and clarifies the underlying message. DETAIL means a small aspect, not a major theme.
Read your classmates' comments first. For 2) choose something original that has not been picked before.
3) REPLY: choose a comment that made an impression for the QUALITY OF WRITING and explain what you could learn from it.
1) In the eyes of a non Italian audience, I feel that "The Black Hand" was an effective way of communicating a message of fear from Italians by way of the Mafia. The overall theme of intimidation and crime from the Mafia attempted to reinforce fear of Italian immigrants at the time, associating them with criminal behavior.
ReplyDelete2) One small detail that enhances the message in "The Black Hand" is when the Mafia thug is taken down by the officers towards the end. As he falls, multiple valuables/items fall from his jacket. This likely was an implication of him being a thief, another common theme of stereotyping Italian immigrants at the time.
I've re-watched "The Black Hand" and at the end I didn't see anything fall from his pocket all I saw was the cards that they were playing with had fell to the ground. I didn't know it was a stereotype that Italian immigrants were common as thieves. I still think that anyone can be thieves its just their choice of getting things, or maybe only at that time of year when the Black Hand was meant to be a group of bad people stealing and killing promoted by media.
DeleteThe Black Hand was created as you said to send fear to the Italians from the mafia. When the man from the mafia was being arrested he dropped some other money or valuables that he had stolen as well. This just shows how the mafia stole so much money from the Italians and that the Italians gave into the Mafia because of the amount of fear they had.
DeleteThe text that I think that was most effective in communicating its message was the anti Italian cartoons 2. I feel like this piece of text was the most effective because even though the Black Hand wasn’t an existing thing the media sold it and it was quickly spread throughout about this “this monster”. The Black Hand was made to scare people.
ReplyDeleteThe image at 1:41 anti Italian cartoons 2, enhances the message by showing that people are willing to kill another person for money. That organized crime does exist, and murder is real.
Hi Annie, I found how you viewed the cartoon quite interesting. I didn't even look at it that way at first. I only saw the black hand as a way to show that Italians were criminals and/or thieves who didn't pay their taxes. It's interesting that you mention that "people are willing to kill another person for money." In the video it mentions that some people believed that the black hand was a precursor to the mafia. It makes me think about how people are not only willing to kill other people for money but their own as the mafia would have consisted of Italian immigrants extorting money from other Italian immigrants
DeleteThe message depicted in anti-Italian cartoons 2, portrays different powerful ideas about “The Black Hand.” It was very interesting how this term was created by the media and exploited by the politicians to scare the people. It made the situation seem more stressful than it is, since this concept was made up.
DeleteHi Annie,
DeleteI like your writing style and your organization of thoughts made it very clear. I went back and watched the video and I was able to see a different point of view after reading your thoughts and rewatching. The Black Hand was used to scare peopple and I saw that after watching it again.
The text that I found to be most effective in communicating its message was anti italian cartoons part 1. I think that the theme of Italians being seen as a lesser species and a nuisance was very apparent throughout this text. Such as the use of rodents to represent Italalian immigrants throughout the cartoon definitely showed this message.
ReplyDeleteThe image that is shown at the end of the video is what really enhances and clarifies the underlying message of the video. The use of a subhuman species to represent Italians as has been done with many other minority groups (Irish and Africans), further confirms the idea that Italians were viewed as inferior.
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DeleteThe texts and video clips all show the fear the Italians faced and shares a series of tense confrontations. A non-Italian audience would most likely have preset stereotypes and judgments about the Italians."The Black Hand 1906" most likely supports these harsh judgments because here the Italian gangsters are hungry for money and show their fierce, aggressive characters. The act of the Italians kidnapping a little girl and leaving the note for the butcher reading, "give it to us or we will take your Maria" instills the theme of criminals.
ReplyDeleteThe image that is shown at minute 3.56 just before the Italians carry out the threat is probably often over looked. The Italian guy is looking on the ground for what seems to be coins someone dropped. He is looking closely for change. The overall reasons as to why they carried out the crime was for money. In the beginning, a poster was showed and the Italians wanted money for Maria. The irony of him then looking for small change is relevant to their greed shown from the beginning.
I found it interesting the way you expressed your thoughts in the second paragraph, there's a certain organizations to the ideas you presented that makes it easier to follow and when I went back and watched the video again I saw exactly what you meant you were right I did overlook it the first time.
DeleteI found it interesting how you portrayed the "Italian gangsters" in terms of their aggressive characteristics. Describing the characteristics in this way made it really understand to learn how these people behaved. I was able to learn from this how a representation of a group can be characterized aggressively by using multiple metaphors to describe them.
Delete1.The most effective video which communicated the message was “The Black Hand 1906.” It carries out a message about Italians being depicted as Mafias who were involved in gangs, theft, robberies, and different illegal activities, which all sums up to be “The Black Hand.” It presents the idea that the gang member was willing to do anything for money even if it involves the kidnapping and killing of Maria.
ReplyDelete2.The scene presented at a minute 8:14, presents one of the males being part of the Mafia. The symbols that clarify the message is the thief aiming the gun at Maria’s father and him robbing $1000.00. It shows an idea of Mafia members willing to kill other people for money.
I went back to re-watch this video and could learn from your use of picking up on details. I had not originally picked up on some of the details you mentioned.
DeleteIt was certainly a tactic to provoke fear to non immigrants to fear for their lives.
I really liked the attention to detail in the second paragraph. You pointed out somethings that I didn't really notice on the first watch, but going back to rewatch glares out at me.
DeleteOf all the texts presented I believe the one that most thoroughly and bluntly portrayed the overall tone towards Italians during that time period was the cartoon of Uncle Sam. Its a clear representation of what the U.S thought it was opening it's door to, people that were mafia affiliated and ready to bring anarchy into the states. The cartoon depicts all the characteristics of ideals America stands against, such as socialism, and has them entering our door step as a rodent infestation.
ReplyDeleteA small spectrum of the overall idea presented in the cartoon is the color of the Italian flag being the color of one of the rats bandanas. Initially all the rats are portrayed as coming from "the slums of eastern Europe." That little addition of the Italian colors though narrows down where the hatred and the ousting is directly being thrown towards.
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DeleteThe cartoon that was most powerful in communicating its message on the fear on Italians was the "Anti-Italian Cartoon Part 2". I felt like these cartoons got straight to the point of how the media and politicians felt about Italians. The people here felt like the Italians was robbing them by not paying taxes. This is something that is still kind of relevant today because many Americans feel that immigrants are taking their jobs and not paying taxes. This video was also very powerful in delivering its message because it shows how much of a powerful symbol the “Black Hand” was. The media used this symbol as a bad representation of Italians to scare Americans.
ReplyDeleteIn the video from about 1:28 we see Uncle Sam with a police stick representing law and order to try and control an Italian criminal. This Italian who just committed a crime do need to be controlled or they would continue with violence.
I like your analogy of how Uncle Sam is protecting America, and standing there with a police stick. However, I felt like he wasn't really doing anything but standing. There was no sense of motion, as we see with the rats. It felt as if the author was trying to show that Uncle Sam was standing there trying to save Americas "Picture Perfect" image without trying.
DeleteI actually can see it from your point of view. The rats are moving while he sleeps because in the video I believe they said he was sleeping with the stick in his hand.
Delete1) I feel like the cartoon with Uncle Sam standing on the shore, as the “mice” were running out of the container titles “Directly from the Slums of Europe, communicated its message the best. It shows the Italian colors indicating the mice were the Italians, and how mafia, crimes, anarchy and socialist ideologies came along with them as they entered America.
ReplyDelete2) The text on the container indicates that Italians were considered Slum. Without having a chance to prove themselves or show how’s successful they can be; they were identified as slums before even entering the US. Also the faces on the mice (“Italians”), are all angry or mean. They were stereotyped as trash coming from Italy.
1) In the perspectives of the non-Italian audience in these texts, the text on Italian Americans (cartoon 2) was most effective in communicating its message across to the viewers. These cartoons all share common themes of the "Black Hand" that were exploited by the politicians to scare the people. Through the "Black Hand", people are being taxed while thieves get away with robbery and do not pay taxes.
ReplyDelete2) A small detail in the text of cartoons 2 that explains why the underlaying message is enhanced would be the first cartoon that shows a robber with his loot while people behind him are being taxed in plain sight. The thief is robbing and avoiding taxes while others are being taxed right next to him.
1) I feel that the cartoon with uncle sam watching the Italian Americans that were portrayed as rats come into the US was most effective. Unfortunately it's an extremely obviously negative association. Regardless all of the cartoons made very negative associations to Italian Americans. The cartoon also equates Italian migrations as the carriers of crimes.
ReplyDelete2) The small detail I picked up on was in "The Black Hand" film, in the beginning it shows the two Italians drinking wine while writing their letter. The reason I thought it was significant was because even today when someone is shown drinking during the daytime in media we automatically assume that they're about to do something bad. Although it's subtle it's a part of the set up thinking that Italian Americans are irresponsible drunks.
1) I found the cartoon of Uncle Sam to be the most interesting because it was trying to reach a point of fear to Americans. Uncle Sam on the boat with parasites and with images of humans. The negative message truly stuck out.
ReplyDelete2)The picture of the Italians in number cartoons 2 stuck out to me. To me it describes that people have it in them to kill others for money. Knowing something, and hearing it are very different. I displayed reality that is still going on until today.