Diversity in Society: Uniqueness, Struggles, and Differential Treatment - Essay Sample

Introduciton

Society contains diverse ethnic groups with distinct cultures, practices, and belief systems. These differences are crucial markers of identity. They are the features that distinguish one community from another. The uniqueness of each ethnicity contributes to the cultural beauty that characterizes a heterogeneous society. The individual and collective traits that set apart communities sometimes become the basis for differential treatment. A group that has experienced struggles in defining and maintaining their identity is the American Indians, also referred to as Native Americans. Due to contact with other groups such as the Europeans, American Indians have faced identity issues occasioned by socialization, colonization, and discriminative practices. Minority groups such as American Indians suffered numerous problems at the hands of the state police officers due to lack of power to stand up against discrimination, as depicted in Leslie Marmon Silko's Tony's story.

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"Tony's story" revolves around three main characters. Leon is a young man who has come back from the army. The second character is a state cop who fixates on the two boys. The third one is the narrator, Tony, who informs the reader of the events that define his story. It is an account that begins on San Lorenzo's Day as Tony and Leon stand in the market place. He assaults Leon without cause and injures him (Silko 362). He has to seek medical help to treat the wound. The incident forms the basis for the rest of the story as it documents the encounter between Leon and the state cop who harasses them. Throughout the story, the conflict between the police officer and Leon shows the injustice that Native Americans endure due to their ethnicity and identity.

In section one of the story, the reader becomes aware of the hostile approach that the cop uses when interacting with Tony and Leon. They are two innocent individuals who have not committed any wrong deed. While Tony intends to go and purchase a hamburger at the stand, Leon stands with a bottle of wine wrapped in a brown paper sack. The police officer approaches Leon and strikes him without asking any question or explaining his actions (Silko 362). It is a scene that hints at the problem that arises when some members of law enforcement agencies perpetuate stereotypes used to discriminate against specific ethnic groups. By hitting Leon for no particular reason, the officer uses excessive and unjust force. Thus, he abuses his power and authority by harming Leon.

The interaction between Leon and the state indicates a deep-rooted problem that afflicts native communities whose rights get overlooked. The presence of a tribal policeman enables the reader to spot the difference in personality between the two law enforcement officers. The tribal policeman kneels over Leon to check him and then proceeds to inquire about the cause of the altercation. While both of them are police officers, the state cop asserts his dominance by refusing to answer the tribal policeman (Silko 362). His arrogance and inhumanness are evident as he is not bothered by the pain he has caused. Neither Leon nor Tony had committed any offense that warrants the use of such intense force. Therefore, the narrator reveals the prejudice with which the state cop treated them.

The narrator has a dream that foreshadows a future exchange between them and the state cop. In the dream, the policeman was pointing a long bone at him. Besides the dream, the reader gets introduced to the bitterness that Leon develops due to the brutal treatment. He feels wronged. His civil rights got violated by a police officer. The actions of the state cop were contrary to the norms and duties of law enforcers. Hence, Leon develops feelings of hatred that lead to the desire to revenge. He even vows to take the law into his hands and kill the cop if he shows up again (Silko 363). Thus, it is a profound statement made out of anger and frustration that shows how the relationship between police officers and civilians become strained.

The difference between Tony and Leon is essential as it depicts the resigned attitude of an oppressed people who lack the power to change a dominant system. In response to Leon's desire to seek vengeance, the narrator states that it is better to forget if it is a matter that involves a policeman like a state cop. Tony says, "It is over now. There is nothing you can do (Silko 363)." It implies that Leon has little or no room to resolve the conflict since it involves a person with authority. He is powerless to take up the issue and win. The narration hints at the idea that some people deem it easier not to address or rise against such injustices. Therefore, the only option that Leon has is to let it go and nurse his injuries in silence.

The state cop trails Leon and Tony and stops them along the road. Tony states that he was afraid of falling asleep. He knew the police would follow them and interrupt their trip. The two have not broken any law or harmed another road user. They are on the way to Grants. During the exchange between the state cop and Leon, it becomes apparent that the policeman dislikes Indians. He refers to them as bastards. According to the state cop's admission, he got transferred to the region because of Indians (Silko 364). There is a probability that he had abused his power and got sent to the reservation. However, to his joy, he still manages to find Indians to mistreat in the region.

On their way to the sheep camp, Leon realizes that the patrol car is tracking them. It is a realization that the dominant state cop will continue to haunt their peace no matter how civil and obedient they are. He tries to ram them off the road into the pine trees, but Leon manages to keep the vehicle steady and in motion. The state cop stops them and proudly states that he likes to beat Indians (Silko 366). He raises his stick, ready to strike, as foretold in Tony's dream. In self-defense, Tony aims and fire a gun at the officer. By killing the cop, the story points to the reaction that ensues when a powerless person cannot endure unwarranted pain and suffering anymore.

Overall, the story tells the experiences of Tony and Leon, American Indians who suffer at the hands of a biased police officer. It is a narrative that shows the kind of brutality that a minority people have to endure when they lack the voice or power to stand up against discrimination. As an account that captures the persistence of negative stereotypes that encourage the mistreatment of the weak, it depicts the violation of human rights by the agencies designated to protect the public. Due to their unique identity, the state cop locates and fixates on them. Tony reveals that they are helpless when one has an issue with this type of police officers. Thus, the story documents the struggle of an underprivileged group.

Work Cited

Silko, Leslie Marmon. "Tony's Story." Silko (1981): 360-369.