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Black Skin, White Gaze: the Presence and Function of the Linchpin Character in Biopics About Black American Protagonists

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Black Skin, White Gaze: the Presence and Function of the Linchpin Character in Biopics About Black American Protagonists City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 6-2020 Black Skin, White Gaze: The Presence and Function of the Linchpin Character in Biopics About Black American Protagonists Nicole N. Williams The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3856 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] BLACK SKIN, WHITE GAZE: THE PRESENCE AND FUNCTION OF THE LINCHPIN CHARACTER IN BIOPICS ABOUT BLACK AMERICAN PROTAGONISTS by NICOLE N. WILLIAMS A master’s thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Liberal Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, The City University of New York 2020 ii © 2020 NICOLE N. WILLIAMS All Rights Reserved iii Black Skin, White Gaze: The Presence and Function of the Linchpin Character in Biopics About Black American Protagonists by Nicole N. Williams This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Liberal Studies in satisfaction of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts. Date Juan Battle Thesis Advisor Date Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis Executive Officer THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv ABSTRACT Black Skin, White Gaze: The Presence and Function of the Linchpin Character in Biopics About Black American Protagonists by Nicole N. Williams Advisor: Juan Battle Throughout its existence the American film industry has--through the stories it has chosen to tell as well as discriminatory practices such as whitewashing and the erasure of non-White people-- enshrined whiteness as the default American racial identity. In multiracial films, Hollywood productions have historically employed racialized character tropes to further emphasize hegemonic American whiteness. This practice continues to the present day with the introduction of the linchpin, a White character who appears in films with majority non-White casts. Although billed and presented as a supporting character, the linchpin’s centrality to a film’s narrative or emotional arc elevates them to main character status. This thesis will conduct a content analysis of three biopics: 42, Hidden Figures, and Harriet. For each movie, the linchpin character will be examined in how they are used (1) to ensure White centrality, (2) to minimize the Black protagonists, and (3) to present an individual character as being capable of mitigating the effects of deliberate, race-based systemic inequities. Findings further reveal more nuanced ways that biopics, while featuring Black protagonists, can still be firmly rooted in White supremacy; especially if they adhere to the tropes and subscribe to the underlying assumptions of seemingly unimportant linchpin characters. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my family, particularly my mother, Ruth Williams, and my niece, Tamia Williams, my most enthusiastic cheerleaders and staunchest defenders. I would like to extend my gratitude to my friends and colleagues, who were extremely supportive and understanding throughout my time as a MALS student. The Graduate Center as an institution is full of lovely and helpful people, but there are a few people who I would like to thank by name. I am grateful to Racquel Gates, whose class on blackness in cinema started me down this path. I especially appreciate the assistance of Kathy Koutsis, the living embodiment of “clutch,” Chris Schmidt, whose thesis writing class and sage advice I found to be invaluable, and Juan Battle, my advisor extraordinaire. I had planned to write something very different here, but the world as we know it in April of 2020 is greatly changed from how it was when I started writing this thesis at the beginning of the year. I would like to thank all of the medical professionals, first responders, and especially the essential workers who have kept our world together throughout the coronavirus crisis. I see and value every one of you. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Background and Literature Review .................................................................................. 1 Hollywood and Race ....................................................................................................................... 1 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................... 3 American Whiteness ....................................................................................................................... 5 Literature Review ............................................................................................................................ 8 Racialized Character Tropes ....................................................................................................... 8 The White Savior ........................................................................................................................ 8 The Noble Savage ....................................................................................................................... 9 The Magical Negro ..................................................................................................................... 9 The Token Black Buddy ............................................................................................................. 9 The Linchpin ............................................................................................................................. 10 Chapter 2: Methods .......................................................................................................................... 12 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 12 Purpose of This Research .............................................................................................................. 12 Biopics .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Criteria for Film Selection ............................................................................................................ 15 Chapter 3 – Biopics .......................................................................................................................... 18 42 ................................................................................................................................................... 18 White Centrality and Black Protagonist Minimization in 42 .................................................... 18 White Racist System Mitigation in 42 ...................................................................................... 22 Hidden Figures ............................................................................................................................. 23 White Centrality and Black Protagonist Minimization in Hidden Figures ............................... 24 White Racist System Mitigation in Hidden Figures ................................................................. 26 Harriet ........................................................................................................................................... 28 White Centrality and Black Protagonist Minimization in Harriet ............................................ 28 White Racist System Mitigation in Harriet ............................................................................... 32 Counterpoints ................................................................................................................................ 33 Selma ......................................................................................................................................... 33 12 Years a Slave ........................................................................................................................ 35 Chapter 4 – Discussion and Conclusion ........................................................................................... 38 vii White Centrality and Black Protagonist Minimization Across All Three Films .......................... 38 White Racist System Mitigation Across All Three Films............................................................. 40 Implications for Audiences ........................................................................................................... 41 Implication for Film Industry Artists ............................................................................................ 42 Implications for Film Decision-Makers ........................................................................................ 44 Limitations .................................................................................................................................... 46 Future Research ............................................................................................................................ 47 Implications for the Future of the American Film Industry .......................................................... 48 Appendix A: 2010s Black American Biopics................................................................................... 53 Appendix B: Questions Considered While Watching Biopics ......................................................... 54 References
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