In the novel, "In the Heat of the Night", a murder is investigated by a negro detective, Virgil Tibs, and a team of white officers. "In the Heat of the Night" is a detective novel written by John Ball to show racial attitudes that happened in a small town in the southern part of the United States.
Discrimination not only affects the main character Virgil Tibs, but also affects everyone involved in the story. Lastly, discrimination, is a negative and degrading action that clouds a person's judgement and affects everyone negatively.The following essay is about how discrimination affects a negro detective and southern whites negatively when they investigate a murder. Discrimination is racial attitude that affects people negatively. The main character, Virgil Tibs, is a strong person who finds himself in with many racial situations. The first racial example in the novel is when Sam Woods, a police officer, arrest Virgil Tibs for no reason at all as he waits for a train.
"On your feet, black boy he ordered... make one false move and I'll drop you right then with a bullet in your spine" (Ball, 15-16).
Virgil Tibs is insulted for his colour and is threatened with a gun that could kill him. This example shows how racial attitudes scare people and goes against their basic rights. Discrimination does not only affect the victim put also affects the Southern whites that are involved in the situation. Discrimination, not only affects the victim Virgil, but it also affects the Southern whites in the novel. These racist people, the police department, makes mistakes because they have no proof, no evidence and they judge Virgil based on his colour.Gilliespie, the new chief of police, did not believe that Virgil was a police officer and checked that he was, he was surprised with what he found.
"Confirm Virgil Tibs member Pasadena Police Department.. reputation excellent"(23). They found out that Virgil was a very important officer in homicide who had an excellent reputation and yet, they arrested and brought him to the police station to question him without any evidence.
The southern whites found out that they had made a mistake and they could be in trouble for arresting him with no evidence.Everyone has rights and everyone should follow the rules or else people will be treated unfairly. In general, discrimination affects all people negatively and clouds their judgement. When the chief of police, Gilliespie asked Virgil for a report on Mantoli's body, Virgil said he gave it to Arnold two days ago. When Arnold was questioned by Gilliespie, he said "I didn't think you wanted it"106).
The negative attitude is still clear when Gilliespie reads the report "... as he read from the paragraph he began to hate the document...
t was the work of an inferior... better then he could have done...
"(106). These Southern police officers all see Virgil as a coloured man, an inferior, who can't do anything right, regardless of the fact that he had an excellent reputation as a specialist homicide. Discrimination, is a racial attitude, which clouds the judgment of people. Discrimination causes pain and suffering in people even when they have better abilities then other people as Virgil had compared to Gilliespie and the other police officers.The southern police officers had to accept Virgil's ability, even though it was better then theirs.
Discrimination causes people to make bad decisions, it clouds their judgment and does not allow people to see things as they really are, even for the sake of justice. In conclusion, people should be seen as they really are, based on their abilities and values, and should not be judged by their colour. Virgil, proved that he was capable of excellence, despite all the problems he encounter, and continued with integrity to do his job.
