Philosophy of Literature

Midterm (part 2)

March 12, 2016

Black or White
April J. Rivera
1. Metaphysics-What is real?
a. Elliot
Reality for Elliot is his family. In the same way that the earth revolves around
the sun and rotates in its axis, Elliots life revolves around his family-his wife, his
daughter, and his granddaughter. He values his family so much that he is willing to
sacrifice his self, his business, his pride, and even his principles just to protect his
family. Just like in the case of Eloise. When Rowena files for custody case, Elliot met
his lawyer friends and although it is not the area of expertise of his law firm, he
used his firm to defend his claim of Eloise. Furthermore, he was willing to sacrifice
his time in order to be with Eloise. He did not go to work and he even attended
tutorial sessions with Duvan to learn Math together with Eloise. Also, although he
hated noise and people in his house, just because Eloise said she wanted a pool
party, he let Rowena and her entire family in his house. Moreover, he asked Reggie
to come for dinner because Eloise misses him. Although he hates Reggie and he has
never forgiven him, he was willing to welcome him to his house for the sake of
Eloise.
The danger of Elliots predisposition towards the people he loves is that when
he loses them, he tends to self-destruct. When he lost his wife, he tried to destroy
himself by drinking. He made himself believe that his drinking was just mild and he
was just using it to cope but his drinking has become a problem that hindered him
from functioning well as a human being and as a lawyer. The feelings and emotions
are there but he cannot cope with them because his grief supersedes everything.
Also, whenever he loses someone, he tends to be very overprotective. He
wants to cover his loved ones in a cocoon just in case they break. When he lost his
daughter, he took care of his wife and grand kid and cut all ties with Reggie who
brings harm and sadness in his family. This is why when he lost his wife and Rowena
sued him for custody, he went berserk and fought tooth and nail to keep his
granddaughter to the extent of confronting Rowena and Reggie.
b. Rowena
Rowenas reality is also her family. Her world revolves around her family and
she treats her kids with gloves. She is like a mother hen who hovers over her kids to
make sure they are okay and they cannot be hurt. She is very protective of her kids
that she even lets them stay in her house although they have grown up and they
already have a family. Her heart is genuine and she really loves her kids. This is
basically her motivation in suing Elliot for the custody of Eloise. She wanted to
protect Eloise. She thought that Elliot will not have enough time for the kid and she
worried that that would impede the growth and development of the kid.
Honestly, her view of family is jaded in a way that she treats the kids as
perfect and good although they are not. She makes excuses for the behaviour of his
APRIL RIVERA

Philosophy of Literature

Midterm (part 2)

March 12, 2016

children even when the behaviour is considered bad. She believes in innocence of
people. This is a very positive attitude but in this world and during this time, this
belief in innocence is the reason why there are so many people who deceive others.
Some of her kids know that she loves them so much that they intentionally abuse
her kindness. In most cases, Rowena is also aware that her kindness is already
exploited, she just accepts it as part of life.
Two incidents in the movie can support this claim. One is when she was
having a conversation with Elliot during the funeral of Elliots wife. She told him that
most of her kids live with her using her own money. She is aware that she is already
being used as a free pass by her kids but she just accepts it as it is. Another
instance is when Jeremiah said that the reason for Elliots aversion regarding the
shared custody of Eloise is based on racial prejudice. Rowena clarified that she did
not think that Elliot is like that but she was overruled by Jeremiah. In this instance,
Rowena just kept her silence and accepted what Jeremiah has said.
c. Reggie
Reggies idea of reality is basically the world revolving around him. He is a
self-centered person whose life is spent on a pursuit of his own gratification. He is
willing to sacrifice people who are close to him if the reward would something
pleasing and advantageous to his self. He is also an accomplished black mailer who
knows how to use emotions of the people around him to gain an advantage.
When he met Elliot in the firms office, he told Elliot that he can make the
custody case go away but in exchange he needs a loan from Elliot. Elliot gave him
money but he told him that the money should be spent in buying flowers and gifts
for Eloise. Eloise was so excited to see her father but Reggie did not come.
Furthermore, in the night of his confrontation with Elliot, he was not really
asking for his daughter. He was asking for money. It was really irritating and unfair.
His kid was there and he only thought of money. He acts like a kid whose candy was
stolen by another person (in Reggies case, it was stolen by Elliot) and he threw a
huge tantrum over it.
d. Jeremiah
Jeremiah is a lawyer. That word, lawyer, reflects the reality that he lives in. a
lawyer basically aims to debate, argue, and win an argument. His prime purpose is
win a case and move on. Because he thinks that winning is his purpose, he believes
that he has to do everything just to win even when the strategies to win deviate
from what can be normally called as right and moral.
In the beginning of the custody battle, he was already willing to accuse Elliot
of racial prejudice to sensationalize the case. He was preparing for a bloody and
complicated battle that would drag so many things and so many people. It does not
really matter that the case was about a child, for him it is about winning against his
enemy, a dragon, figuratively speaking.
e. Eloise
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Philosophy of Literature

Midterm (part 2)

March 12, 2016

Eloise reality is simple. She like routines and she likes everything to be in
place. She is a kid who acts like a kid. She is loved and this made her learn to show
love to all the people around her. Despite of this, she longs for her father. She wants
to meet her father and please him. Just like her relationship with her grandparents,
she wants to cultivate the same relationship with her father. Also, her eagerness to
see her father could be based on the fact that she does not have her mother with
her and although her grandparents adored her, she still longs for parental love.
She had a hard time adjusting after the death of her grandmother. She tried
to establish the same routine with her grandfather. It was not easy but she persisted
until Elliot learned to follow the routine established by his late wife. She is also
unaware of the battle between her grandparents and father. She was caught in a
cross fire. But she learned to get over it.
2. What led to the change in their perceptions?
Elliot
His perception of reality changed when Reggie saved his life. He learned to
trust people that despite of their past, people can have a redeeming factor. Further,
he learned to let go of Eloise so Eloise can learn on her won. He learned that he
does not have to wrap in cotton the people he loves but allow them room to grow.
He also learned to share.
Rowena
Her perception changed when she gave up her claim of Eloise because she
saw that Elliot loves Eloise and love is the most important thing in life.
Reggie
His perception changed when he went up to the room of his kid and saw the
life that his kid has with Elliot. He saw that his kid was growing well without him and
her life is pure and safe and he cannot bring his craziness and baggage in the life of
his kid. For the first time in his life, he realized that the world does not revolve
around him and that life goes on which allows others to live their life just like Eloise
and Elliot.
Jeremiah
His perception changed when he heard the argument of Elloit about racial
discrimination.
So, yes, we're different, you and I. You want to submit that? Submit it. We
have different skin colors. Is that the first thing I notice when I see a black man, the
color of his skin? Yes. Submit away. Because I can go ahead and submit that that's
the first thing you see when you see a white guy. Now, I don't know why that is any
more than I know why when I see a good looking woman the first things I notice are
her breasts, because I do. But if I move on to my next thought quick enough, I'm
not a pervert, alright? I'm not a bad guy. I'm just mildly flawed. It's the same thing
with race. It's not my first thoughts that count, it's my second, third, and fourth
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Philosophy of Literature

Midterm (part 2)

March 12, 2016

thought, and each and every case I'm in, it comes down to the same thing: the
action and interaction I'm having with the person that I'm interacting with!
3. Ethics-What ethical principles come into play?
a. Life as the Moral Standard.
b. Morality is a guide to living.
c. Reason is mans means of survival.
d. Self-interest.
e. Harmony of interests

How will you relate these principles to JS Mills greater good for greater number of
people?
The five principles mentioned above serve as the foundation of how we
should act in this world. Our life being our own moral standards governs how we
deal with others. In dealing with others, we have to consider morality as basis for
actions. Further, the ability to determine the rightness and wrongness of an action is
hinged on reason. Our self-interest governs our reasoning and when our interests
are aligned with others, it becomes a harmony of interests.
The quotation is basically a shorter version of an entire lecture on ethics
wherein the good of the majority is taken into account in making decisions that can
affect a multitude of lives. This is something that the characters in the film forgot to
consider in the beginning. All of them wanted to take care of Eloise but they have
different views of how to take good care of her. They all thought they are correct
and they have her best interest in their heart. All of them decided to impose what
they think is right to the others. This started conflicts of interests and they started
to hurt each other. In the end, they learned that their aim is the same, to take care
of Eloise, and some of them (Reggie, Rowena, and Jeremiah) backed down because
they realize that their fight with each other only hurts the one person they all
wanted not to be hurt.

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