The Over-simplication of Barret's Portrayal

by Shawn Bruckner 

I suppose I should have known that the portrayal of Barret in Final Fantasy VII was going to create a controversy. I myself did not once think of Barret as a stereotypical black male, until I read the editorials here in Square Net.

Jeremy Parish accuses us of being racist and insensitive if we do not agree that the portrayal of Barret is racist. Many of you may already feel that I am showing myself to be by writing this article... however, I am not. I hate racism to the point where I don't believe that a person's race should be asked on anything except documents required for identification purposes. I find the collection of statistics classified by race just another form of discrimination, because it encourages programs like affrimative action which continue to take away from the true goal: pure equality.

Many of you may now be asking, "How can he possibly feel that Barret's portrayal is not racist?" The answer is simple: we have far oversimplified the situation in an attempt to understand a very complex subject - the subject of stereotypes.

We have oversimplified what is really wrong about stereotypes. A stereotype by itself is not wrong. It is when the stereotype changes our reactions to unfair and negative ones that a stereotype becomes harmful and wrong. After all, stereotypes are just a special type of generalization. It is either a generalization which has been taken too far to be accurate in scope, or a combination of generalizations combined when they shouldn't be. For example, just because a young black man speaks in "ebonics" doesn't mean he's a gang member. It doesn't mean he's dangerous, or that he is carrying a weapon, or that you need to label him any differently because of it. As well, the belief that all young black men speak in "ebonics" is a stereotype, because not ALL of them do. It may be a significant portion, but not all.

But being wrong about a group of people is simple ignorance. Racism comes in when you act differently towards a race because of this ignorance. If you fear a black man because he speaks in "ebonics," that's racist and wrong, rather than simply ignorant. It's even more wrong if you believe your race is superior because you talk "normally." This is the harm, and the wrong, of stereotypes.

Barret's portrayal in Final Fantasy VII is definitely a stereotype. Yes, the similarities between Barret and Mr. T of "The A-Team" are unmistakable. However, whether or not the Japanese writers knew it, Barret provides us with a very important lesson about stereotypes. To show you why, I will know tell you a little about a black man about my age that I know.

He speaks in "ebonics." His skin is a deep brown, like Barret's. His hairstyle looks like he just came in off the street, and his taste in clothing only increases the effect. He is almost a stereotype, except for the fact that he doesn't belong to a gang. He doesn't carry a weapon. He even has rather average intelligence, and rather good common sense. He may speak big sometimes, like Barret, but he doesn't actually become violent, at least, never that I have known of.

Barret is similar to this man in real life in several ways. Barret has common sense... it was only clouded by a desire for revenge, which transcends racial traits. A desire for revenge on those who wronged you is simple human nature, no matter the race. As well, Barret not only responded to common sense, he found a higher purpose. Barret claimed in the first parts of the game that he was fighting to save the planet, and he fought like a terrorist. Later in the game, he was truly fighting for the planet. He realized he was wrong when he blew up the No. 1 reactor, and began fighting like a noble warrior rather than like a terrorist.

Not only that, but Barret cares deeply for his daughter, who, unless my eyes don't work right, is a young white girl. Barret's love for his daughter transcends racial lines. (It would even seem that Marlene may not even be his biological daughter, which makes this even more symbolic.) [Ed: Indeed, Marlene is Dyne's biological daughter whom Barret adopted after Dyne's apparent death] Even Barret was moved by Cid's realization after they returned from space. Barret was a senstive, caring man underneath his outer projection of strength and anger.

Is this a stereotype of blacks? If so, it's not one I know about.

The lesson Barret teaches us is highly important. It shows us how stereotypes may have SOME truth to them, but still be wrong. It shows us that a black man speaking in "ebonics" is not something to fear, because the stereotype is too broad to be accurate. It teaches us the other wrong of stereotypes. It teaches us that people are often far more than the sum of those stereotypes which apply to them, and sometimes far different.

Barret's portrayal is not racist. It is a testament to the exact opposite.