Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White Irony

Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White Irony

The irony of digging a tunnel to China

When the narrator moved to the new neighborhood with his parents, he met many ambitious children who wanted to accomplish big dreams. The narrator met a kid in the next house, and he told him that they could start a project of digging a long tunnel that can take them to India. Ironically, the narrator and his new friends were small kids who were daydreaming that digging a tunnel to China is a possibility. When they started digging the tunnel, they gave up too early. The narrator says, “The kid who lived behind us once suggested that we can dig our way down to China. We started on the project, only to tire after shoveling a hole a few feet deep.”

The irony of a nuclear explosion

The reader finds it ironic that a machine is fighting for justice after the explosion takes place in the first episode. The explosion is meant for destruction, but satirically, it gives the machine life and energy to continue fighting for fairness. The narrator says, "In the first episode, a nuclear explosion brought the machine to life to fight for justice. His face was fixed with glowing eyes beneath a mock Egyptian headdress.”

The irony of the robot

Towards the end of the movie series, the narrator recalls seeing the robot sinking into the sea as a martyr of humankind. Based on the description of the narrator, the robot is powerful and undefeated. Ironically, there is a sad ending for the robot because the reader expected it to fly to glory after defeating Johnny's enemies. The narrator writes, “I choked up when in the melodramatic finale the robot sank beneath the sea as a martyr for humankind.”

The irony of the Ultra Man

Throughout the series, the narrator takes the readers through what is happening, and more importantly, the Giant Flying Robot is strategically positioned as the most powerful character. Ironically, the reader realizes that the Ultra Man has powers that are beyond this world. For instance, when Hayata crashes in the Ultra Man's spacecraft, he revives him! The Ultra Man has the power of bringing dead people back to life. The narrator writes, "The Giant Flying Robot was born when Science Patrol Officer Hayata crashed into Ultra Man's spacecraft. Hayata was killed, and Ultra Man felt guilty. He revived Hayata by becoming a single being with him."

The irony of the Asians

The narrator's expressions towards Asians are discriminative, which is satirical to readers. Readers are likely to conclude that the narrator is a racist who is not the author's intention. For instance, the narrator says, “The Asians on the silver screen were even less appealing to a first grader!” The narrator also reminds readers that Asians have wide-eyed expressions with upturned noses, which sound abusive.

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