Is This Racist

You miss my two points. One is that, assuming that the character's appearance is important to the story - and there are many reasons why it might be - just saying "part-African" doesn't tell the reader enough to get a mental picture of the person. So, as a writer, the OP has failed in his/her most basic task. The other is the the connotation that could be drawn by the way it was mentioned, as I stated in my first post. It is clear from subsequent posts that the OP is trying to make a political statement of some kind, and that "part-African" is intended as code to the reader that the reference is to Barack Obama. In my view, this, too, is clumsily and ineffectively done. Assuming that the OP's differences with Mr. Obama are based in policy (or even in the implementation of policy), an astute observer should be able to create a character that the reader would recognize as being based on Mr. Obama without ever mentioning race. As such, the writer would most certainly have a more effective polemic as well as a better-told tale.

Anthony Trollope, who wrote some fine novels about Victorian era politics (and left little doubt as to whom he was portraying), did this exceedingly well.

Well, to begin with, a high school speech class is hardly a true test of your skills. I remember speech class, and no one wanted to be there. And the few who did were only interested in what they themselves had to say. A much better test would be a town hall meeting, or a town council hearing, about an issue that someone has the ability to act upon and that people care about. I have two children (now grown) with special needs, and unfortunately got a lot of practice at this sort of thing when they were growing up. Passion rarely carries the day. I always found cool and calm - and rational - was much more effective.

I'm not saying not to write to make a point. But if you're going to do it, let your story and your characters make your points for you (and only rarely with oratory). Dickens was brilliant at this. So was Steinbeck. But if you want to contrast doing it well and doing it poorly, read Allan Drury's "Advise and Consent" and then read his "Come Nineveh, Come Tyre" or, worse, "Anna Hastings".

 

Plus, if I recall correctly the poster's objection is not to President Obama specifically, but to democracy in general. So any American president would do just as well. Why date the story by choosing a specific current president, when that president will be out of office within five years? And why risk the likely interpretation that the story is based on racist views, when that's not the point at all?

 

No, but it is somewhat racist to say someone looks part African.

Africa is a large continent with a very diverse population. And yet the thread originator apparently has a very clear stereotype in mind when saying the character "looks part African."

Not only is that racist, it's sloppy, murky writing.

 

If you really want your political views to be inserted in a story, use satire. Do not, under any circumstances, make a pure fantasy novel and then try to slip in some preachy democracy-sucks message in there. Your readers will hate you forever.

 

If your story isn't meant to be a political commentary, adding in your political views will NOT improve it. Sit back and tell your story, and quit worrying about sensitivities. Every word you write must serve a purpose or it shouldn't be there. If you describe the racial attributes of your characters, it needs to be with the purpose of developing the storyline otherwise, who cares? You are just distracting the reader from your story. And honestly, if you are filtering your writing because of some bizarre sense of political correctness this early on, your chances of writing something worth reading go down pretty quick.

Writing a scene about racism in a book is not a "racist" thing to do, having a racist character in your book is not "racist." You are not your characters! But if you do those things they have to be with a purpose that advances your goal in writing the story in the first place. Does that make sense?

 

This might have been said, but aside from the potential for racism, physical appearance just seems like a weak/lazy way to connect your fantasy world with real-world politics. It's possibly also a little patronising, as your readers should be able to recognise the point you're making from your depiction of policies etc, they shouldn't need such an obvious clue. Books like Animal Farm, and even Terry Pratchett's Thud! manage to get their point across being so explicit about who the stories are really about. Maybe see how your book goes without your character looking like Obama, and if it doesn't work it will be easy enough to go back and change.

 

I think my story will work without my antagonist looking like Obama as the political point of my story is that democracy sucks and is a corrupt form of government. Perhaps I could base my antagonist on another American president say maybe Franklin D. Roosevelt.

 

As you plan your story, it would be good to discuss your ideas with people of various political leanings to see if you have represented things realistically. This is not the forum for such discussions. I hope you consider the following thoughts as you build your story, but if you don't like them I will not respond to rebuttals.

It is ironic you pick FDR as the representative of democracy, since he was the closest to a benevolent dictator the US has ever had. He asserted power, and people deferred to his judgment in desperation to deal with the depression and war.

It is obvious that a benevolent dictator is the best form of government, but only for the person who gets to define benevolent; others will disagree.

Democracy is somewhat useful in balancing opposing interests. It doesn't always do a wonderful job of the balancing. Is it the model or the implementation that is awry?

A TV program in the 1960's called Slattery's People always opened with approximately this quote: "Democracy is a very bad form of Government, but I ask you to never to forget it, all the others are far worse."

 

I always thought of FDR as the one who started a lot of bad programs such as social security, which is now in danger of running out because we have too many old sickly people here in the states. If you ask me social security was a bad idea in the first place because it ask people to pay more to help those who don't even deserve to be helped. Just my opinion though. I will talk this idea over with my parents who are clearly for the democratic party and get their opinion on this story. I will also talk this over with my older sister who is more for the republican party and get her opinion too.

 

We didn't ask you. You offered the opinion anyway.

And as someone who has a brother with Down Syndrome (he receives social security benefits), I am insulted by your callous remarks and your inserting them into a discussion about writing. You came here looking for writing advice. We offered advice because we are a writing community. You chose to insert politics into it and that just isn't right.

 

I'm sure this thread has strayed away from writing and closer to political rhetoric... But for your story you may want to do some research, specifically define democracy and republic. Is your story going to be anti Democratic Party, or anti democracy, because they are two different things. I don't exactly need a response either.

Cheers,

 

Yes I agree I should definitely do my research especially on social security. I'm sorry if I see disabilities as a bad thing. That's because of my past experience. Perhaps we should care for those who are less fortunate then us. I don't know. I have heard of people with disabilities doing amazing things so maybe we should help them. I'm such a confused person, which doesn't help with my political views.

 

If you're confused, perhaps you could consider writing stories that explore that confusion, rather than a novel that preaches a very extreme political philosophy, one that would require a tremendous amount of knowledge and research to present persuasively.

 

I agree. This is no longer a writing issue, if indeed it ever was.