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The Forbidden By Beverly Jenkins

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Racial and gender stereotypes are vague assumptions that are generally negative in the novel, Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins. They are false beliefs abstracted by judgmental people based on a person’s gender or ethnicity. Each person has their respective thoughts, ambitions and passions despite their gender or race. These stereotypes are ignorant and do not define every single person. Most people realize that stereotypes are inaccurate, however they continue to make presumptions based on ethnicity or gender. The author of Forbidden, challenges racial and gender stereotypes by explaining how they are only crude generalizations which cause disruptions in society because of people’s belief that as long as they exist that they must follow them.…show more content…
In their mind, they felt a black person should not have done as much as Rhine did. They had this idea that he shouldn’t have contributed as much as he did because as a black person he did not have the right. Despite the fact that he was still the same person with the business knowledge and achievements, people began to vote against his involvement within the town (Jenkins, 328). They did not want him in the committee, there were people who believed that they shouldn’t even be stepping inside his saloon and more. Rhine’s businesses and involvement within the town would have definitely been a huge convenience for the town financially. Trying to put a stop to all his establishments and engagements surely puts strains on the town’s finance and more. For example, Natalie’s father himself was in debt and couldn’t afford to be the owner of his house, but because Rhine had the deed Mr. Lyman did not have to pay the debt. Mr. Lyman, however demanded he had the deed back after he heard Rhine’s confession which only lead to him paying the debts immediately to Rhine’s brother (Jenkins, 327). If he hadn’t had a problem with Rhine’s heritage he could have simply continued making payments slowly. Those who didn’t want Rhine’s contributions were being ignorant only because they had the impression they needed to follow the unwritten rules of how much a black member in their community can participate in their town’s
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