I will come to my actual topic later. First I would like to mention about the plot and story line of the movie.
The movie is about a writer Mr. Green, played by Gregory Peck who moves to New York from California looking for fresh job. He would get job in Smith’s weekly. He will be a widower with a child of 10 year old. His wife would have died in an accident when their son was 4 years old. He would be living with his son and mother.
Mr. Green’s first assignment would be to write about anti-Semitism (anti-Semitism is an expression and reaction of people who hates Jews). Initially he would not be much interested in the topic. He will ask his boss to provide him the facts and figures present in the office’s research department. His boss out rightly reject his request and asks him to write something innovative and that’s the reason why he has hired him. Mr. Green will discuss his first assignment with his mother and son. His son will ask him what is anti-Semitism and Mr. Green will find it difficult to explain his son about religion and anti-Semitism. His difficulty in explaining the topic to his son will inspires him to write about the topic.
Initially Mr. Green would find difficult to write anything on the topic. He plans to call up his best friend Dave, who is a Jew and ask him to explain his feelings for being a Jew. But later abandons that idea as he thinks that it is not decent enough to ask such things over the phone. One fine day he would be discussing his difficulty about initiating the topic with his mother. Suddenly he remembers that his previous article which was written about the Coal mine workers, for which he would have disguised as a Coal mine worker and worked in a Coal mine for 2 months. Adapting this idea he decides to become a Jew for six months and to get his story based on the interactions and reactions of other people. He thinks he can easily disguise himself as a Jew as he is new to New York and no one knows him there. Also his name Mr. Green can be considered as Christian name or a Jewish name. His actual identity is known to only to his boss. He asks his son and mother also to pretend to be Jews. He will name his article as ‘I was a Jew for six months’.
Mean while he meets Ms. Cathy his boss’s niece, who is a divorcee and looking for right partner. Both of them fall in love immediately. He will discuss with her about his assignment and explains her plan of him to get into the root of the story. She also will agree to conceal his true identity with others.
On his first day in office as a Jew his secretary will be astonished to know that the company has hired a Jew. When he asks the reason for her astonishment she will tell when she initially he applied to the company in her actual name ‘Kawinski’ and her application was rejected and later she applied in false name of ‘Ms. Swan’ and got selected. Mr. Green suspects that there is discrimination going on in hiring department. He will asks her to give an advertisement for a job opening with a statement that ‘People from any community and religion can apply. Later he would discover that all the applications with Jewish names and other minor community names have not at all been considered. Mr. Green will complain this to his boss. His boss will apologize to Mr. Green that he is ashamed of this act by the hiring department and considers this as a most disgraceful act of a liberal news paper company. Later the head of the hiring department would be warned and will be asked to not to repeat such disgraceful act.
His friend Dave, who is a war veteran comes to New York in search of job and stays with Mr. Green family. When Dave, who is Jew hears about Mr. Green’s idea he will call him crazy fool and tells him that it’s not so easy to be a Jew. One day Dave and Mr. Green will go to a bar to have a drink and a person calls Dave a ‘Yed’ (slang for a Jew). Dave will not get offensive by such provocative comment when asked by Mr. Green why did he tolerated such comment Dave tells that if he gets in fight then he has to fight with at least 80% of America. Also he tells to Mr. Green that this is not first time that he is hearing such comment.
Cathy will invite Mr. Green to attend a party hosted by her sister and she also she tells him that in that party that she wants to introduce him to her family. Mr. Green requests her to not to reveal his real identity to her family but by then she would have told everything to her family. He will get angry and leaves her home at that instant. Later they will patch up.
Few days later Mr. Green’s marriage will be planned and he does reservations at a big hotel for their honeymoon. But his reservation will be rejected later. When he approaches the hotel the manager, hotel manager asks him whether he follows Hebrew (Jewish) religion. Mr. Green answers that he is a Jew and he demands his reservation to be done as he is human. But the manager out rightly refuses and tells him that no rooms are available. The entire crowd at the hotel will be watching this and no one raises question. Humiliated Mr. Green returns home.
One day his son returns home filthily when asked he tells that he had a fight with some boys who called him a dirty Jew and a Kike (slang for Jew). His son will ask him why are they doing this to me what has he done to deserve such a treatment from others. Cathy who will be there consoles the boy telling that he is not a Jew but a Christian. Mr. Green yells at her. Later he will fight with her saying that she is reacting like a typical Christian mother who puts the superiority seed in a child’s mind that they are Christian and they are not Jew. He also tells her that anti-Semitism is considered to be followed at some not so well educated families but the fact is that sub-consciously it is followed more by the well educated families more. But they consider not be an anti-Semitist but they are and they are making their kids to react in the same way as they think about others. Cathy accuses him of being stubborn and making everyone in the family to endure the pain and also she tells that she hates whatever he is doing. This incidence will sour their relation and they will not see each other for sometime.
Frustrated Mr. Green will decide to stop the experiment. He will write the article under the name ‘I was Jew for 8 weeks’ which was earlier planned for 6 months. Everyone in his office will be surprised to know that Mr. Green was actually a Jew but for the article he pretended to be a Jew. His secretary will be more astonished he will tell her what’s so difference in him today? He is still a same person with same eyes, skin and flesh only thing different is his religion.
Mr. Green returns back home his mother would be reading his article and tells him that she liked it and his father would be proud of him if he would have read the article. She tells that particularly she liked a section which she reads out ‘….. I know what every man and woman would go through when they said the job is filled when it wasn’t and when every youngster who would have been turned down from college. I know what the rage you would go through when you see your own child shaken and dazed. From that moment I saw an un-ending attack from an adult and kids of 7, 8, 9 and 10. I knew they would have known some how to inure these. Those patient men who fought, argued and came up with Constitution and Bill of rights, they knew that a tree is known by its fruit and injustice corrupts that tree and its fruits shrivel and falls at last on the dark ground of history where other hopes have rotted and died. Quality and Freedom remains only choice for Wholeness and Soundness in a man or nation’. His mother tells him that she would like to live some more years as she is seeing changes in the people’s behavior and attitude and tells that this century is going to everybody’s century. She wants to see it at least the beginning of it.
Mean while Mr. Green’s friend, Dave meets Cathy and tries to find out the reason for their break-up. She tells that she couldn’t understand Mr. Green’s actual intentions and why he is so stubborn on the article and his experiment and what exactly he expects from her? While talking she tells that some person from a dinner party had made some vulgar joke about Jews. Dave asks her what she did after listening to that joke. She answers that she did nothing and she hated that person but not only she but everyone present in the dinner couldn’t do anything. Dave tells that Mr. Green is expecting her to stand-up and argues whenever she finds such things happening. He will also tell that a man expects his wife not be only a good homemaker but also he wants them to be his friend, buddy, side kick etc.
At the end Mr. Green and Ms. Cathy gets married and both will live in peace and harmony.
Now coming to actual topic of this post. I don’t know what you might have perceived or understood or interpreted about the movie story line I have written above (you can watch the movie on a dvd to get the complete story of the movie). According to my knowledge the movie is well written. I think Laura Z. Hobson who has written the novel on which this movie is based has thought futuristically. Also to note down one more point the movie has shown that in the mind of US citizens who fought for Jews against Nazis during World War II still there is existence of an underlying discrimination against Jews.
Also I think the story is more relevant to the present situation of the world. Don’t you that that the racial discrimination, religious discrimination, caste discrimination and hate for each other is more now than ever?
I think ‘YES’, it’s more than ever. Let me not discuss about discrimination of people from other developed countries have against us. I would like to tell about the discrimination and racism present in our country and between us.
I think we are the biggest racists in the world and it’s useless when we create hue and cry when some Indian is attacked in some other country. Why don’t we look inside ourselves? I don’t want to ask about anyone’s nationality or religion or caste or sub-caste. I want to ask few questions to everyone who is reading this.
If you are from higher caste, how many friends you have from backward communities? Or have you ever invited them to have lunch or dinner in your home with your family?
If you are a Hindu, how many friends do you have from other religion? Or have you ever invited them to have lunch or dinner in your home with your family? And vice versa.
Have you smirked upon a person when you came to some inferior family?
Have you ever thought that the city that you live in is contaminated by the people coming from other states or cities?- Have you ever judged person by his caste or religion but not based on content of that person’s character?
If your answer is ‘No’ to any of the question, believe me or not you are sub-consciously discriminating against humankind and you are a most probable racist. Because it’s not a possibility that you would have never came across a person who is from backward community or from other religion. When you have came across you just avoided them. Well, I’m not setting a thumb rule for discrimination but if you would have avoided a person who is of reasonable character only then it would apply to you.
I want to confess something. I’m from a backward community. This fact is known only by my closest friends. Other people also know this but they successfully avoided me. I know the discrimination that’s been done with people of my community. I want to make clear that I’m not only defending me or my community but for all the people who were been ever discriminated based on one or other reason.
Luckily I’m in Bangalore. The most happening and cosmopolitan city in India, here the discrimination is less compared to other rural part of the country. I would like to tell that it’s less not completely eradicated. Even today house will be rented to you based on your caste or religion, if people came to know about real identity they will completely avoid you as if they are entering a tiger den. I have seen this happening. Even my dad lied about this to get a house on rent. We were living on false identity for many years. But since I have grown up I started not doing that rather I started being proud of what god has created me and god created all men equal. If anyone wants to judge me purely on basis of this then be hell with him. I’m in no more loss.
Please don’t think I’m a revolutionist or a politician who is trying to say all these for my own gain. No. I’m just trying to say this as a human and it’s left to you whether you would understand or accept it as a human or else, it’s your wish.
I would like tell about an instance where recently I underwent a humiliating experience. I visited a temple near my village. It is been believed that everyone who visits that temple there problems will be solved. Who doesn’t need that? Being myself a strong believer in god I visited that temple. Entrance to that temple is restricted to people from other backward community. I was made to stand outside the temple for an hour in cold wind (thank god that it dint rained that day as there was no shelter anywhere else. I’m happy that god understood that and it did not rain). At last the pooja is finished and we were given aarthi (camphor fire). I was told not to put my offering money directly in the plate in which aarthi was done because our money is tainted and we were also not supposed to give money to priests directly. They would accept it after sprinkling it with cow’s urine, because it’s sin to accept anything from us. Do you think it’s fair? I wanted to protest this but was not allowed by my mother. I was judged by my caste but not on based on my character. This is one to explain. There are many others.
My father used to tell about his experiences how they were been treated. Imagine people not offering to cut your hairs, if you want to drink tea you need to get your own cup if you forget to get you will be given scooped empty coconut shell, you are not allowed to drink water from any wells or from anyone’s home, for festivals if you want to visit the temple a time slot will be allotted for you and your community, in schools you were always made to sit in the last bench even if the entire class is empty. Well, things have been improved but I would like to tell that it’s not completely eradicated.
Recently the hate towards our community has been increased as there were reservations mad in PG and other courses. I would like to tell that it’s been made only for pure political purpose but for nothing else.
Also I would like to mention that I have minimally used the reservations and other benefits that Government of India has offered to us. To be frank all the benefits are made for the people from our community who cannot afford good quality education. Thankfully many people in 60’s, 70’s and 80’s have become gazette, IAS, KAS, IPS and IFS officers but regretfully children of those officers (who are well off) still today will compete with the people of their own community from rural background and obviously they will get all the benefits and it is not reaching to the people to whom it is supposed to.
Personally till date I have taken only Rs. 950/- scholarship when I was studying PUC. There are no other benefits I have accepted except that. I did not apply for scholarship when I was studying Bsc or Msc, because that money can be used for some student who cannot afford study. Also if I just quit my work for 3 months and prepare for any IAS or IPS exams I would easily get into Government job. But that will be purely on basis of my caste and reservation. I do not want that to happen. I want to grow purely on my ability, I want people to recognize me for my efforts not as some under achiever who got through by reservation. That is why I have decided not to join in any Government Service. Whatever I’m today it is purely on the basis on my sincere and hard work.
While watching that Gentlemen’s Agreement movie I felt that I’m leading a life of person who is from higher caste as I have not taken much benefit that is offered to our people. Even I’m slogging at work, even I forgot about Government job etc. To be frank I know how much it’s not so easy task to do.
The reason why I quoted Gentlemen’s Agreement is that it offers a wonderful solution for us. All of us have to try once to be someone else. We have to try it once in our life time. We have to pretend like an Muslim and enter the Hindu dominated area, dress like an Hindu and enter Muslim dominated area, appear like a poor and talk to a rich person, identify yourself as an backward community person and approach higher community people. That is when we will come to know the pain and humiliation other people undergoes and also see how our own friends and community people would smirk and see at you hatefully just for a reason that you are not from their community. That is what other people are undergoing. Once we come to know that we will never behave so and we will teach our children to respect all as one and one as all.
That is what I’m doing, will do and that is what I’m going to teach to my son.
Now, its your choice.
