Eva and others raised a key issue in Ride with the Devil that we must confront: the question of Holt (played by Jeffrey Wright). Holt is an African-American who is fighting with a group of white Pro-Slavery men, the Bushwhackers. George Clyde (Simon Baker) has granted Holt freedom. Nonetheless, Holt fights alongside Clyde and aids the Bushwhackers all the way, tracking for them, engaging in guerilla warfare tactics, and killing Jayhawkers and Union soldiers in order to drive these anti-slavery forces out of the territories. Simply put, Holt is putting his life on the line with men who believe in a culture and a way of life that includes bringing the enslavement of African-Americans to every new territory and state in the United States.
So, how do we explain Holt then, his choices, and his actions?
And how do some of the questions we are raising here possibly relate to our considerations of The Godfather? In fighting alongside George, is Holt (perhaps like some mafia figures we've seen) choosing personal bonds of family and community over country or nation, over laws that we consider just, and over certain moral ideals? Why and how is it that he accepts this? What do we make of this and the more general question of whether we should prioritize family and certain personal bonds above all?
Finally, as you reflect on this issue, there's a related question worth noting? As Holt and Jake (Tobey Maguire) grow closer, George seems to resent it in subtle ways. What insight might this give us?
Please respond with a thorough and thoughtful post that fully engages the prompt here.
I believe that Holt’s choices and actions can be explained much like those of people who are “family” to the Corleone family. Holt is fighting for his family and his close friends, which he would rather keep than see society changed to allow freedom for African-Americans. I also believe that all Holt knew about life was the social system of that time, and he would fight to keep the social system. Despite how despicable slavery was it would be very difficult for any free man to give up the life he knows just because a bunch of foreigners said so. To reaffirm what I said earlier, I believe Jake, George and Jack Bull were Holt’s family and he would fight with them till the day they died. They treated each other with love and respect, as any family or tight-knit group of friends would. He also fights against the good of his people because he doesn’t know any better and total freedom most likely was a new and scary idea at the time. On a side note, I believe that as Jake and Holt grew closer George became jealous, as any man would. George went out of his way to make sure Holt didn’t end up a slave and he became selfish and thought that only he could be friends with Holt. We see that the rift that was created between George and Holt was superficial because of the way Holt reacts after George’s death.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Holt is clearly fighting more for his close personal relationships and to protect those that he grew up with. He wants to preserve his life with his friends more than he cares about the major political themes going on here. George clearly has a close friendship with Holt and is adamant that people don't view the man as a slave, or as his property. He grew up with Holt and befriended him, and clearly, Holt cares about this. He also doesn't have any sort of positive experience with Union men. The only thing he knows of them is the plundering and killing that they are doing in his home state. I believe that we can definitely relate Holt to the characters in the Godfather in this way. The people who fought for and with the Corleones were clearly bonded to the family with a personal, emotional commitment. Though the members of the Corleone family are not all literal family (that is to say, blood related) but they view each other as family and brothers who they can never betray. I think Holt feels the same way about his "family", in this case the people who have been his friends and stood up for him in this community of slavers. Georg specifically, and later Jake, have been great friends to Holt, who doesn't have a real family, and are basically all he has for a family. This shows that he believes in personal bonds of brotherhood, just like the members of the Corleone family
ReplyDeleteEverybody identifies themselves with different groups of people. Holt clearly identifies himself as black, but due to the sides of the war, he is forced to choose between other black people or a man who is basically family to him, almost a brother. Holt chooses to fight with his brother as opposed to against him. In a way, Holt embodies one of the biggest struggles of the civil war, in that it was brother vs brother in many cases. Because each side was part of the same country, families were split as they took sides and choices had to be made about what is most important to you, and Holt chose George Clyde. Holt clearly doesn’t support the Bushwhacker’s cause wholeheartedly, as evident when they pull out scalps of black people they have killed, but he chooses his ‘family’. His bond to George Clyde must be close enough for it to out way his other connections and emotions. However, as Holt grows closer to Jake, George becomes a bit resentful. I think George felt a bond to Holt that he thought was exclusive, but as the two other men grow closer, George realizes that it isn’t just him.
ReplyDeleteClearly, Holt identifies as a black male. I feel that as George bought his freedom, George becomes like that of a brother to Holt, as seen when Holt goes absolutely nuts when George dies, completely ignoring the gaping hole in his body. Because of the war, he is forced to choose between fighting for those who want to end the thing that has held his people captive, or fighting with his brother. In the end, he ends up fighting with George against the Jayhawkers. This was one of the main struggles that many people did encounter during the Civil War era. Brothers were pitted against each other due to those divided beliefs, and this is a big indication of that, though Holt has chosen to fight WITH, and not AGAINST.the "brother". This is something that ties in very well with The Godfather, as it is a movie based around an organization that holds family as a number one priority. Even though they may not be blood related, in each family there are members that trust each other with their life. They would never betray each other. So there is a connection to The Godfather. In regards to the whole Jake-Holt thing, I think that the reason that there is tension is because there is a subtle sense of ownership that George Clyde must feel, seeing as he just bought a person's freedom for them. And there really is a sense of ownership that is felt. What do the Bushwhackers who defend Holt say he is to the attacking accusing forces? "This is George Clyde's n******". So it's almost like Holt was bought into another ownership from one sort of ownership. That's why I think that there is tension.As the person who bought hius freedom, I think George feels that Holt should stick to him and him only, and not other people who believe that slavery is the way to go, though I don't see why he would be fighting for the Bushwhackers then, because I'm not sure whether the movie explains whether George supports slavery or not.
ReplyDeleteHolt is in a blessed situation. He happens to be surrounded by people who are anti-slavery. Naturally, I think this makes one feel hopeful and protected, and so with this, he feels a connection and an opportunity with these people. This strength and power can bring others together with trust in one another. The way Holt behaves and acts is intuitive, especially since those people are anti-slavery he has no reason to despise them or ignore the. Instead, he can help fight for justice, which he has done along side with those men. This image in a way is similar to the Corleone’s in The Godfather, because Holt’s decision-making is to stay personal and close with the people he has a relationship with or considers family. However, I feel as though this reaction and action is more natural than the Corleone’s, because that family has literally been “practiced” to believe that family comes first and has been forcefully pushed and pressured to stay together. Holt is kind of his own leader and sees his separation from his “family” as a gift and is his motivation to fight along side with the Bushwhackers.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that we must realize is Holt doesn’t have much of a choice here. With the Bushwhackers, he has a group of people who at the least tolerate him, and some who are friendly to him. He has clothes, food, and a place to sleep. Leaving the group is simply not a smart decision for him: he is likely to be killed or possibly re-enslaved if he happens upon different group of southerners. That said, we can see in the movie that Holt does feel a personal connection with several of the men, such as Jake and George. You can argue that there is some element of Stockholm syndrome, but it seems like Holt really does like the group of people he is with. Holt is fighting not really for the continuation of slavery, but against the Union army that has killed his friends. I believe that Holt is choosing personal bonds with the Bushwhackers over the moral ideal of condemning slavery. Also, I believe that George resents Holt and Jake’s friendship because George feels that he should be the closest person to Holt, being the person that released him from slavery. He probably still feels some sense of ownership and resents the fact that Holt is growing attached to another person.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to recognize that both sides of the war are ultimately human. Compassion, love, camaraderie -- elements of human nature -- prove more influential than political or even patriotic ties. We see this both in Holt in Ride with the Devil and in Tom Hagen in The Godfather. Vito Corleone adopted Tom, an orphan on the streets, as his own. Tom is neither a blood relative of the Corleones nor an Italian immigrant, but he still plays an important role in the family business. As an African-American man and former slave, Holt clearly does not favor the institution of slavery. As Eli points out, he reacts with disgust when he sees the scalps of the black men the Bushwhackers have killed. Holt supports the Bushwhackers despite such horrors because in Holt's own life, George Clyde has done more and means more to him than the relatively foreign abolitionist northerners. Holt and George share a very deep connection, as we see when George rushes to Holt's side when he is shot and when Holt cannot bring himself to leave his friend's corpse, even amid gunshots. The northerners threaten this friendship in their desire to overthrow George and Holt's southern traditions and lifestyle. Ride with the Devil presents a more personal aspect to war -- Are personal relationships, rather than obligations to an institution or government, worth fighting for? Holt and Tom certainly feel so.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the growing jealousy of George as Jake and Holt grow closer: I am not sure what to make of this. George may still feel as though Holt belongs to him -- everybody, even Jake, refers to Holt as "George's n*****" -- so he may feel like Jake is stealing his "property". But this remaining slavery mentality may have nothing to do with George's jealousy. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a friend got jealous because their best friend started making new friends.
I definitely see how Holt relates to some of the mafia figures that we've seen. I even think that the whole Civil War is kind of similar to the war among the mob families that occurs during "The Godfather." Holt is choosing personal bonds over whole moral ideas, which is very similar to what Michael does in "The Godfather." Michael places the concerns of the safety of his family over morals as well as Holt. We learn from "The Godfather" that Michael is willing to murder to ensure his family's safety. For some reason, Holt is choosing to fight for the bond that he has with George (and some others) over fighting for the injustice of slavery. If Michael and Holt are really that similar, than maybe we can assume that Holt does what he does for the same reason as Michael. Michael chooses his family bonds over laws because the laws do not protect him and his family. Because of the dirty business that they run, the police won't protect the Corleones from the other families who are doing similar illegal things. Michael chooses to ignore the law and kill because it will protect him more than the police will. Maybe Holt chooses his bonds with George and Jake instead of choosing the more moral route because he thinks that those bonds will give him more protection than the seemingly slight possibility of the end of slavery. After years and years of slavery not ending, maybe Holt barely has any hope left and then assumes that the North won't win and end slavery. In case things stay the way that they have been for so long, Holt wants to be protected. Holt, like Michael, does not really follows morals for the safety of his well-being. Michael, Holt, and many others I believe would value family and well-being over all.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to the other topic, I definitely have noticed the subtle resentment coming from George in regard to Holt and Jake's growing friendship. Maybe George's resentment just stems from simple jealousy. Holt used to only be George's friend, and now he is becoming friends with more people. Maybe George is even mad because he liked to think of himself as Holt's savior and defender from others, and watching Holt befriend other bushwhackers is making him feel less needed or important.
I think it is easy to view Holt as a person who is acting on limited knowledge . However, I believe that Holt is fighting for the only 'family' he has left. He grew up with George and the two obviously have a very tight bond, as we can see when George takes personal offense at Sue Lee's rude remarks and defends Holt. Interestingly, he also makes it very clear that Holt is not 'his', and we see this again when Holt tells Jake that George does not own him, but rather 'bought' his freedom as a gift almost. It is this rare mentality of equality that I believe led to their practically family bond and Holt to fighting. I don't think Holt is fighting to protect slavery or save the Southern way of life, but rather to protect his family. The Union army is incredibly destructive and he is retaliating in a defense. In this way, I think he is similar to the mafia, or rather what the mafia is supposed to be. Reacting against a corrupt, harmful authoritative force to protect one's own family, blood or adoptive. And while Holt certainly cannot forget his racial identity, as we see when he is made to work during the festivities at the guerrilla army camp or when he is looking at the pile of dead black men in Lawrence, he is aligning himself with the people who care and have cared for him. The scene where George is shot and killed trying to protect and help Holt shows how deeply this bond runs. George values Holt's life as much if not more than his own and Holt shows a very emotional, distressed reaction to George's death. Watching it, you realize that this is Holt's last family left. However, we see the tight bond between Holt and Jake. There are many similarities between the two- both have little to no family left and are distrusted because of their heritages. While Jake is wary of and disrespectful to Holt in the beginning, we see the two bond. George seems to take this as a personal insult, perhaps because he values his position as Holt's protector almost and friend. But at the before mentioned scene of his death, we see that this does not really affect their relationship at all.
ReplyDeleteI honestly cannot rationalize Holt's decision to fight for a side who believes he and his "kind" should be in chains, stripped of his humanity. I understand that he has a deep and loving friendship with George, but he must resent slavery in some way, right? It tore apart his family, ruined his childhood, and set up stereotypes that mock him daily. Why does he fight FOR this just to remain loyal and by the side of his dearest friend? Someone will have to explain that to me because I just don't get it. Fighting for the wrong thing because love and loyalty drive you to do so doesn't make that fight any less wrong. In a way, he reminds me of Kay. Both Kay and Holt are aware of the atrocities that their associates condone/perform. Kay's husband and his family are part of a murderous group of organized crime, yet she doesn't second guess their work (except that one time at the end of the movie, but that was just once out of every time). Similarly, Holt doesn't question the motive of George and his allies (at least he doesn't vocalize any questions just like Kay). I suppose that both Kay and Holt are choosing personal bonds over the safety of American citizens and the future of black people, respectively. Again, I really do not know why Holt does this. I've thought about it, and it just seems crazy. Does he like to be someone's property (i.e. George)? George does have a sort of possessive nature about Holt as we see in the film when Holt and Jake become closer, so he obviously thinks that Holt is in someway his or should be only his best friend. It could be a small thought, but it's still there.
ReplyDeleteThere is no simple explanation for Holt’s actions. The only logical reason a black person would never get involved with people in favor or slavery is if their life was on the line. That is assuming there are no black people racist towards black people, but I think that’s a fair assumption. Holt, after seeing the scalps of all the other killed black people, should believe his scalp would be with the others if he wasn’t supporting the bushwhackers. That fear of death motivates Holt to continue his relationship with Jake and the other bushwhackers. And as Holt’s relationship with Jake prospers, Holt seems to value that over his opposition to slavery.
ReplyDeleteI think Holt can be related to Michael in the sense that they both choose safety and protection over morals. Holt sides with the bushwhackers and fights against a cause he doesn’t support, but in turn makes sure his scalp remains on his head. Michael murders the heads of the families and breaks his father’s promise, something very immoral, but more importantly he keeps his family safe. They both disregard what they believe to protect themselves, which I don’t think is worth blaming them for. Holt definitely personal bonds over his nation–which in this case is all of the black people in America. But I think he factors in his personal safety into his decision more than his relationship with Jake and George. Ideally Holt would fight slavery, but at the same time it is hard to blame him for wanting to keep his scalp attached to his head.
I think George resents the fact that Holt is growing closer to Jake. George likes to think he is the only reason Holt is free, which is true to some extent, and he takes pride in saving Holt. However, I feel like George also feels like Holt is his; even though he is technically free, George thinks he owns him.
It is hard to believe that Holt has chosen to fight for a cause that is completely against black people and thinks that they should only be slaves. However, he does have a connection with George that draws him towards the side that George is fighting for, the Southerners. Holt is similar to the people who fight for the Corleone family in The Godfather. He isn't related to any of the men but he has a deep tie to them as a "family." Despite his love for George, Holt doesn't really come out of his shell until it is just him and Jake talking. Holt decides to tell Jake that his real name is Daniel Holt and this marks the start to a great friendship. Jake and Holt are practically side by side throughout the rest of the film which really seems to bother George. I guess that says something about George as a man. Maybe George really isn't so great after all and maybe he really doesn't want the best for Holt. It seems as though George wants Holt to himself and doesn't want Jake to have anything to do with him.
ReplyDeleteI love the character development involved with Holt in this movie. He begins as a low key guy who barely speaks, he then opens up and becomes a good friends to Jake Roedel. Part of his development is Holt having to choose his place in the world. Is he a southerner or is he a part of the Yankee squad at heart? I believe that Holt chooses to fight with the bushwhackers for one reason--family. Holt has lived his whole life with George in south, and his entire lifestyle has been in a slavery-filled world. First with his mother, then George, and finally Jake. This is what he knows. The north doesn't have his family, or at least what's left of it, the south does. This is the same reason why Michael comes back to help the family. His family is the mafia, not some ivy league parents. They both need to find themselves, and even though the decision may effect them negatively, family is something that they are willing to sacrifice for, and potentially lose their life over.
ReplyDeleteHolt's choice to fight alongside the Bushwackers reflects a key aspect of choosing family over morals or beliefs. This theme appeared frequently in "The Godfather." Holt chooses to prioritize his loyalty to George over his dislike for slavery. For Holt, this shows how close his bond to George is. Holt's blood family experienced the hardships of slavery, yet Holt decides to fight alongside a group of men who support slavery. Instead of fighting for what he believes to be right, Holt chooses to stay with George and fight with his "family." This is a prominent theme in "The Godfather," where people choose loyalty to one's family over their own moral beliefs. Holt is very similar to a grunt in the mafia. Both Holt and lower ranking members of the mafia do the simple, dirty tasks assigned by the higher power. For Holt, the "higher power" is either George or the general ideas and plans of the Bushwackers. For members of the mafia, the power rests in the hands of a godfather, who determines who does what to complete certain tasks. These jobs can be morally conflicting for those assigned to it, particularly those involving harming another human being. If a godfather tells one of his men to kill someone, the man is expected to perform the task regardless of moral conflicts. They are expected to view their loyalty to the family over their own beliefs. This idea also appears in Holt's situation. He chooses to become part of a "family" with George and his friends. He decides that remaining loyal to this family is more important than supporting his own ideas, which suggests a number of possible traits that characterize Holt. It might reflect weakness in Holt's character, where he prefers to follow instead of lead. Since George acted as a leading figure to him by giving Holt his freedom, Holt decides to follow George. It could also show Holt's strong relationship with George. Holt might feel compelled to fight alongside the Bushwackers as a display of gratitude toward George. George is clearly very close to Holt. As Holt grows closer to Jake, George appears to get a bit jealous of their developing relationship. The bond between George and Holt is very strong, and George doesn't want to share that close friendship with someone else.
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