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Kathy Huizar
Jennifer Rodrick
English 115
15 November 2016
Richard Rayner Character Analysis Draft
Its Black Friday every day! Except only looted, more chaotic and it is the result of a
racism riot in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles riots, also known as the Rodney King riots began in
April 29, 1992 till May 4, 1992. They were the result of the acquittal of four white police officers
who had been caught on videotape beating an unarmed African American named Rodney King.
Richard Rayner lives in Los Angeles during this time in a Spanish-style villa who experience and
witnesses the brutality of the riots. In Los Angeles Richard Rayner exhibits an excitement
towards the Rodney King riots to the extent that being privileged he realizes that L.A has steered
him to become racist.
The Los Angeles riots contributes to the development of Rayners identity of being
racists. He even despise himself for it, Rayner says, In Los Angeles I was afraid of black in a
way I never had been. I behaved in a way that would have disgusted me in New York or London.
I was a racist (Rayner 176). It was the reflection form categorizing blacks and having an easier
disguise to be hidden from the crowd than being a white man versus the black man. Rayner also
felt the need the harm the blacks, Watching the Rodney King video, I had thought it reasonable
for American blacks to hate the police and be suspicious of all whites. This didnt make me
suspicious of these particular blacks; it made me want to kill them (Rayner 179). Out of impulse
he wanted to kill the blacks but it was because of the reaction people have with each other. For
instance, the riot started with racism but then it escalated to just harming people.

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Rayner felt the excitement as the riots were getting close to his neighborhood and is the
consequence of building his confidence thus making him be racists due to the L.A riots. For
example, If the riots were going to start again, I wanted to see them for myself, and I wanted to
see them with a black, not, Im afraid, because I thought Id get a special insight (although that
was the way it turned out), but because I knew Id be safer ( Rayner 180). He felt motivated to
see the riot in his own perspective. Contributes to his own selfishness. Also noted by Jake, The
it he was talking about was violence, But its never reached out and really hurt you. I
agreed; I was lucky (Rayner 181). For some reason Rayner does not want to move even though
he is able to. Perhaps it is for his own satisfaction.
According to Modern Racism Attitudes Among White Students: The Role Of
Dominance And Authoritarianism And The Mediating Effects Of Racial ColorBlindness. Poteat, V. Paul, and Lisa B. Spanierman From an intergroup relations perspective,
highly dominant white students may perceive racial minority students as even more of a
competitive threat than those low in dominance, which subsequently may lead them to adopt
stronger negative attitudes or feelings toward racial and ethnic minorities (Poteat 760). Because
Rayner is privilege he seems not be in tremendous fear than if he were a black. Since the police
would only attack the blacks instead of the whites. In addition, the writers also informs Social
dominance theory builds on the notion that hierarchies exist between groups in society, such that
some groups are in positions of dominance and power over others (Poteat 760). In facts feels
excitement for the riots coming, I realized that the looting had got very close to my home. Id
been expecting it all day, and I felt a thrill as I saw a pair of homeboys, shouting and jumpingI
wondered how the homeboys would manage to dispose of that in South Central. I didnt know
why, but I felt a little proud. The riot had reached my neighborhood (Rayner 187). He

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articulates that the fight of racism is controlling the riots. He felt proud because the people could
release their intention of fighting for being attack and stereotype. Rayner also, mentions I had
an exhilarating sense of chaosand so I went along as well, not trying to resist as I was almost
lifted off my feet in the dense mass of bodies that suddenly crushed forward (Rayner 188). This
exerts his excitement and Los Angeles that made him become who he is now.

Rayner felt as if he didnt cared and he own seek for his own amusement until it reached
him. He says The TV hadnt prepared me for the deafening noise of the riot breaking glass,
engines, sirens, smashing, shouting. Everyone was shouting. The noise of the riot was a shape,
and it approached and receded like a wave, surging this way and that (Rayner 184). He also
continues, Id been amazed by the riot, thrilled by it, swept along by it, terrified by it. It wasnt
just that events had moved at such speed; the actual nature of what had occurred seemed to be
shifting all the time (Rayner 190). He said that kids had no hope of getting out as he had.
Everything about society told them they were worthless, nonpeople. They had nothing, so they
had nothing to lose, something Id hear a lot of blacks say over the next days (Rayner 182).
In The Antecedents And Consequences Of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination During
Adolescence: Does The Source Of Discrimination Matter? Benner, Aprile D., and Sandra
Graham communicate, Adolescents interactions within schools and neighborhoods (i.e.,
proximal processes) were expected to influence perceived discrimination, as seen in the middle
portion of the conceptual model (Benner 1604). The interactions of people especially in a

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diverse neighborhood model the stereotypes and influence the actions of the people. He claims
Los Angeles had become another city (Rayner 191). In other words another city who has face
the difficulties of being racist and the people who themselves serotype others instead of
respectfully accepting one another. Rayner also concludes She was right: If thinking that twelve
people like her couldnt be relied upon to hand down a fair verdict was racist, then I was a racist.
I hated her. I wanted to hurt her. I didnt want to argue or protest. I wanted her injured. I saw
myself doing it. Pow. Pow. Pow (Rayner 196). He reveals that his intention relates to the riots
because even though if the riots had a goal, people lose sight of that and started to fight in order
to get free merchandise or to freely do what they want. Rayner realizes that he is racist.
The riot in Los Angeles has made him realize that he is racist and it contributed to his
own identity. He experience and being white privilege contributes to these factors. Rayner during
the L.A riots felt excited for them and acted like the people in the riot. To act in an impulse. It
was interesting for him to view and he witness many people fighting and struggling in the
neighborhood. It develop to his own identity of portraying the riots. Which was the escalation of
people fighting about racism to being a poverty fight.

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Work Cited
Benner, Aprile D., and Sandra Graham. "The Antecedents And Consequences Of Racial/Ethnic
Discrimination During Adolescence: Does The Source Of Discrimination
Matter?." Developmental Psychology 49.8 (2013): 1602-1613. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Digital image. Quotes Gram. N.p., n.d. Web.
Rayner, Richard. "Los Angeles." Another City: Writing from Los Angeles. By David L. Ulin. San
Francisco: City Lights, 2001. 173-96. Print.
Poteat, V. Paul, and Lisa B. Spanierman. "Modern Racism Attitudes Among White Students: The
Role Of Dominance And Authoritarianism And The Mediating Effects Of Racial ColorBlindness." Journal Of Social Psychology 152.6 (2012): 758-774. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.