Fear of the Unknown

It is funny how the unknown and unfamiliar can produce such a negative aurora. In the film there is a scene where there are men are checking a small boat for authorization to fish in the area. In the midst of all of this a woman im the boat makes a small movement and the American soldiers began to fire their weapons killing everyone aboard the small boat. It almost seemed as if the soldiers did not think about what they were doing and the consequences of their actions. They simply acted on impulse, with one soldier claiming that the woman “jumped” at another soldier when in all actuality she was simply attempting to pick up her dog. Afterward, the soldiers pack up and leave as if nothing happened. As if, five innocent people did not just die at their hands.

This is an important scene in the film because it illustrates the idea of fear in the unknown. The soldiers were in a strange place and dealing with strange people they were not used to being in contact with. Similarily, in “An image of Africa” the unknown is spoken of negatively. The people of Africa are referred to as “savages” and “ugly” because they are unfamiliar. This negative connotation given to the unknown is simply an issue of American idiocracy. It is interesting to consider how an individual can call someone a savage, and then turn around and praise them for their artwork. We see this happen in “An Image of Africa” where a mask is praised for its beauty by the Americans while simultaneously criticizing the individual who created it and calling them a savage.

Fear of the unknown can cause an individuals morality and ethics to be swayed. Even in today’s world we see this happen all too often. Although, however, sometimes it can be utilized in a good context (like dehumanization during war), more often than most that fear is channeled into ignorance.