Isabel Wilkerson once theorized that “a caste system gives us false comfort, makes us feel that the world is in order, that we automatically know the good guys from the bad guys”. It seems that today Americans have been lulled into a false comfort of their own as many unknowingly uphold a centuries old caste system.
In her 2020 book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson examines the creation and continued presence of an American caste system. Through expert use of historical reflection, comparisons to other societies, and human experiences, Wilkerson takes a closer look at the American caste system. In writing her book she hopes to open the eyes of Americans to the injustices of the system and spark a change in the way we view our country.
Background:
Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste is split into 7 parts detailing the underlying Caste system present within modern American society. More specifically, Wilkerson takes a look at the legacy of slavery that influences the way in which society functions. In order to guide readers through her thought process, Wilkinson makes comparisons between American society to the Indian caste system and Nazi Germany. Subsequently she theorizes that modern America is split into the dominant caste of whites, and subordinates or non-whites. Crucially the presence of a caste system is not beneficial to either caste and simply decreases the quality of life for both.
Introduction:
The first idea Wilkerson presents to the reader is the difference between both a casteist and a racist. A racist is someone who harms or makes claims of inferiority on the basis of race. On the other hand a casteist is someone who upholds or benefits from an ingrained system of hierarchy without ever challenging the system. With all of this in mind one crucial idea arises, the fact that this book aims to examine social structure rather than anything to do with race. Isabel Wilkerson’s idea of the Caste system is that it is a powerful, yet often overlooked, force shaping human interaction. Unlike race or class, the caste operates on a subconscious level, dictating the roles of individuals within society. Wilkerson drafts a compelling argument that the caste is a continuous and enduring part of everyday life in modern society. To effectively achieve this effect Wilkerson ties together a multifaceted argument through the use of history, sociology and personal narratives. Some of the effects outlined within Caste are that suppression not only takes a toll on those who are being suppressed, but it also takes a toll on the suppressors themselves. Consequently there is an extreme amount of stress that develops within society due to the pressure of keeping the caste system within place. The suppressed essentially become conditioned into accepting a pre destined societal role of what they are expected to be. Behaviors and even personalities can therefore be created due to the concept of race within America.
Part One: Toxins in the Permafrost and Heat Rising All Around
Isabel Wilkerson opts to start off her novel by taking the reader on a journey back to the year 2016. America was on the verge of the most highly anticipated elections in modern history. The first female candidate was running against a billionaire with no political experience. The billionaire Donald Trump is a figure of interest for Wilkerson who discusses how his republican party typically appealed to white voters and pushed a view of returning America to the people. The 2016 presidential elections were crucial for America, the rapidly shifting demographics in America threatened the established racial caste that had existed since the country’s founding. The caste itself is split into two major factions: Trump and his supporters who are the historically dominant conservative upper level, and Clinton who represented the marginalized and lower level of America’s caste system. After Trump’s triumph over Clinton in the elections conservative supporters would become more bold with the year 2017 seeing a rise in hate crimes and violence. Although many didn’t expect Trump’s win and the ensuing effects, Wilkerson theorizes that these effects are not part of a sudden shift, but rather a slow movement within American society. After contextualizing the situation, Isabel Wilkerson begins her argument by discussing how the caste system affects our day to day lives. She argues that the caste system is like the structure of a building, as a building ages its structure weakens with time. Similarly as time has passed within America the effects of the long standing caste system become more apparent. Americans have been unknowingly conditioned by the caste on how to divide the population on the basis of race or appearance. The caste is essentially a guide on how Americans are meant to view the world around them and an infrastructure that dictates a person’s rank. Despite its importance in dictating the way we live, many Americans remain ignorant of its presence.
Part Two: The Arbitrary Construction of Human Divisions
Part Two of Caste focuses on examining colonial society and the early beginnings of the caste system. During the dawn of colonial America the caste system was largely based upon religion rather than skin color. Christians were viewed to be at the top while African Americans were placed towards the bottom as many of them didn’t practice a religion. The relegation of African Americans to the bottom tier would continue and eventually evolve based on race. As slavery began to become more commonplace we saw the development of a subordinate caste within society. The goal of the oppressors in this situation is to make the impression of the subordinates normalized amongst people. Even after the official end of slavery, the caste system and oppression would continue in more subtle ways. Furthering the issue is the fact that generations inherit the viewpoints of those around them, essentially allowing the hierarchy to live on through ideas. In conjunction with the development of a caste system we also see the concept of race come into play. White supremacists created the social construct of race to justify the privileges of the upper caste. Racism and casteism Wilkerson theorizes are intertwined in the United States. Racism is an action that harms or attaches a stereotype based on the construct of race. Casteism is any action that seeks to limit or rank someone within society for the benefit of elevating one’s own rank. Wilkerson then claims that one can be casteist without being racist, but that all racists seek to uphold casteism.
Part Three: The Eight Pillars of Caste
Part three of Caste begins to focus on the foundations of the caste system and how it is justified. The first pillar of caste is the use of religious justification. India implemented the same idea when using Hinduism as a basis for their system, Americans would follow the same concept by looking towards the bible. Next, pillar two is the concept of inheritance where children gain the status of their parents. Essentially, someone is born into their caste with a lack of ability to get out of it. The third pillar is the concept of endogamy in which marriage is restricted to those within your rank. The United States has historically employed this tactic with laws restricting the marriages between African Americans, or the subordinate class, and the dominant class of whites. Tying into this idea is the fourth pillar which tells us that the superior class must not be contaminated by those in a lower tier. Members of the lower classes were meant to be separated from those in the upper classes, as seen by the separation of Whites and African Americans or even restrictions on immigration quotas. Pillar five entails the working conditions of those in lower classes, stating that these people traditionally are given the worst jobs in society. The sixth pillar discusses the dehumanization of those in the lowest class. In order to justify their oppression, the upper class will view them as being less than human. Pillar seven is less openly viewable than it has been historically. It states the following, in order for the lower class to stay in the bottom tier, you must use terror and violence to control them. Finally the eighth pillar is the idea that the upper class possesses natural superiority. Even the worst members of the upper class are still superior to those in lower classes.
Part Four: The Tentacles of Caste
The tentacles of caste are largely used to discuss the ways in which the caste system begins to affect society. Isabel Wilkerson’s first effect is in relation to the fear possessed by the upper caste against the lower caste. As the lower caste gains power within society the upper caste proportionally grows in fear and hatred. Caste subsequently becomes something that the dominants feel a need to protect. Additionally there is the idea of the scapegoat where society places the blame of their problems at the hand of the lower caste. The realm of achievements are another area that experiences unfairness, oftentimes the successes of the lower caste are overlooked and not given credit for.
Part Five: The Consequences of Caste
Isabel Wilkerson begins part five with arguably the most common effect of the caste system: ideas of superiority. Since the dominant caste is constantly surrounded by ideas of how great they are, they are lulled into a false sense of superiority because that is what they have been conditioned to think. One of the most in-built mechanisms of the caste therefore is the desire for those of the upper caste to maintain their superiority. To maintain their station these people begin to employ tactics such as the creation of fascism and authoritarianism.
Part Six: Backlash
In the penultimate chapter of Caste Isabel Wilkerson attempts to examine the current day effects of the caste system. Starting off with the election of former president Barack Obama and its effects. Despite many Americans claiming that Obama’s presidency marked a change in the importance of race in American society, this claim is ultimately false. Wilkerson points out that the majority of white Americans did not actually vote for Obama. Rather his election caused the plight of conservatives to grow until they began taking drastic action. Anti-Black hate groups and police violence would skyrocket as the dominant caste sought to protect its position. Going back to the beginning of the book Wilkerson uses these ideas to explain Trump’s unexpected victory in the 2016 elections. Perpetuating the problem is that symbols of the caste system are still allowed to exist today. For instance, the confederate flag is still part of the Mississippi state flag. Although countries such as Germany have created measures to prevent the formation of a caste, America has not followed in their footsteps. The United States Wilkerson claims has faltered in recent years due to the prolonged use of a caste system. As time progresses we are seeing more and more fractures in our society develop as a result of the caste system.
Significance to Contemporary society:
Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste provides an intriguing outlook on the structure of American society. Throughout the book she uses personal examples to enhance her argument, showing the real world effects of the caste system. Furthermore she uses comparisons to Nazi German, one of the harshest caste systems in history, and to India who has long been famous for the presence of a caste. Caste essentially gives the reader a new perspective on American society. These connections become even more crucial with the upcoming 2024 presidential elections. Whereas Donald Trump once faced off against Hillary Clinton, he will now be facing off against Joe Biden. These current elections have the potential to shape America’s future. If Trump were to win reelection we could see a potential rise in violence and a strengthened caste system. The elections would essentially be a survey on the current thoughts of American citizens. Would we see more Americans willing to protect their position in the caste at the expense of democracy? Or has the uprising from the dominant caste been a short term effect that has now been neutralized? The former is more likely to be true as Trump still commands enormous influence over the Republican party with a loyal fanbase of voters. America today is at an extremely important point with these elections having the potential to change our entire future.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I believe that this book offers a fresh perspective on American society and its organization. With the upcoming presidential elections this book is a great one to read as it can easily add depth to your arguments. I would recommend this book to anyone focusing on DX as it offers a new perspective on American politics.