Essay Example on Luce: An American Thriller of a Troubled Student's Journey

Luce is an American thriller/drama based on the life of a young black male student who is about to attend college. The film mainly focuses on the Edgars, Amy and Peter, who adopted Luce at the age of seven from the war infested Eritrea and raised him as their son. Naomi Watts and Tim Roth (Amy and peter Edgar) believe that they are raising a model son who is the class valedictorian but are alerted to some troubling behavior courtesy of his history and government teacher Miss Harriet. She found the paper written by Luce troubling as it supported violence by referring to it as a necessary evil for society. Miss Harriet (Octavia Spencer) unjustifiably searches Luce's locker and finds illegal fireworks which lead her to alert his parents. The film then focuses on the aftermath of these events with both parties showing well-crafted hostility towards each other for the rest of the film. The teacher believes the student is headed towards a dark path while the student believes that she has a vendetta towards him and is out for blood.

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The film addresses a number of themes with some of them being more prevalent than others. The race is one such issue that repeatedly takes precedence in the film. Students of African American descent and other minority groups are expected to behave differently as compared to the rest. For instance, we learn that after Deshaun got kicked out of the team for possession of narcotics, Miss Harriet help a meeting with the remaining black kids in the team. She cautioned them against engaging in behaviors that would give the world grounds to judge them. She advised them to emulate her priced pupil at the time, Luce Edgar. Although she may have been well-intentioned while holding the meet with these students, she is painted as someone who holds people by different standards based on their race, gender and cultural origins. Luce complains that Miss Harriet occasionally have a habit of using her students as examples in class when talking about a certain topic which can be quite humiliating at times.

The stereotype is another major issue that is seen in the film. When Luce is giving his final speech, he talked about his life and how he ended up in America. He tells of how his adopted mother Amy is unable to pronounce his African name despite her valiant effort to learn it, and the only solution is to rename him. The assumption that African names are hard to pronounce and have difficult syllables to grasp is a misconception based on a few names, and so it's completely unfounded. Another perfect example of stereotype is the idea that it's always a warzone in Africa where these kids are adopted. Although at times, this may be true, there are many reasons why one would adopt a child from what is considered a third world country. For example, hunger and absolute poverty are perfect reasons. War is not the only reason for adoption in Africa.

There is also the belief that all students who come to America are bright and academics. It is not farfetched to believe that students will work hard and appreciate the opportunity of a fresh start. Nonetheless, not all students are gifted in academic and sports such as Luce was painted. One may be gifted in other areas or even be a below-average student with behavior issues just like any other teenager in America. The expectation that they are all model students whose behavior is nothing but commendable and requires appraisal is not accurate.

Language barrier and culture shock is another issue seen to be as a result of immigration. In his final speech, he tells of what thought his name was spelled like since he was still learning English at the time. The assumption that refugees who migrate to the United States have no prior knowledge of English is inaccurate. Although they may not be fluent, they will at least possess some skills for conversation as it is one of the widely spoken languages in the world. It's also used for educative purposes to give instructions in the classroom.

In one of Luce's interactions with Miss Harriet, he tries to explain to her why the fourth of July is his favorite holiday. He states that he had no idea what a holiday was and that his adopted parents had to explain it to him the concept. Despite being in a war-infested country, some holidays cannot be avoided. For instance, Christmas and New Year are almost universally celebrated as they represent the faith and the start of a new calendar, respectively.

Luce is a touching story of a boy who is trying to find his place in the new home far away from home. While the film may have highlighted some of the issues faced by both parents and immigrants accurately, some were misrepresented. One such issue is Luce's stand towards violence. Despite originating from a warzone, it is unfair to assume that he holds a grudge a vendetta against all who disagrees with him and would result in violent and uncivilized behavior to solve it. One's opinion of whether to support violence or not should not be predicated on his origins but rather what he believes in. It is possible to believe in violence for the greater good and still be against innocent bloodshed. What you believe in and what you practice are two distinct things that can independently exist. Your beliefs may be based on personal feelings towards an issue, but what you support and practise is based on facts and values such as morality and justice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Luce may have been judged harshly for his paper, which led him to act out. One may argue that the reason for his abhorrent behavior is a result of his teacher holding him to a different standard. Had Miss Harriet talked to Luce first, he may have perhaps explained his paper, and the reason for his believes. This would have made it easier to guide him away from what she considers wrong. Therefore, we should hold off all judgement and communicate with each other to avoid wrongful assumptions. It is wrong to assume that things as bleak as the news make them appear to be without all the information or firsthand contact. We should always make sure we have all the information before passing any judgements.

References

Onar, J. (2019). Luce {DVD}. Hollywood: Neon.