Christopher Gonzalez A bullet-pointed version of my thoughts on American History X: Derrick eventually sits in his father’s seat at the head of the table after his father dies. Would the brother eventually have sat there if Derrick had died and he himself had lived? Cameron acts as the father figure of the skinheads while Derrick acts as the big brother. With this efficient system, they assume the positions of the two strongest figures of male influence in a family environment, attracting more neglected youth into the fold. Do the skinheads shave bald because they are ashamed of having any hint of natural darkness on their bodies? Seeds like the angry black boy seeking vengeance exist appropriately and intriguingly throughout the movie to help tie together the beginning with the end. The tape cover mentions that every legacy must end. We see exactly why with the movie’s final death. As we discussed in class, just one generation of adoption can break hundreds of years of tradition (negative), but so can one generation of deliberate anti-hate (positive). Even extremists fill a niche. Without a broad spectrum of viewpoints, including the extremes, we limit the potential of our innate imaginative and creative capabilities. The minority and majority must conflict. When the minority finally wins, it becomes the majority. The new minority then fights back. If the majority ever becomes absolute, we end up in a much worse society without alternatives or potentially necessary radical changes.