Health and Career Education
English 9
Daniel
Option 2: “Birds on a Wire,” created by Banksy
This image’s major message, in my opinion, is largely about inclusion. On the left, there are five grey birds, and on the right, there is a single green bird. But there’s a lot more to it. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the grey birds are carrying placards that say things like “return to Africa” and other such phrases. The grey birds, in my opinion, are discriminating against the green bird simply because he is a different colour and appears differently from them. The grey birds, I believe, represent white people, whereas the green bird depicts a black guy, demonstrating how they are being racist to him just because he isn’t white. I also noted that the line they’re all standing on abruptly ends, indicating that the green bird isn’t a member of the group. This makes me feel bad because I could imagine getting bullied for my cultural background and wouldn’t be a good feeling. The green bird appears to be angry, and because he’s smaller than the other birds, he’s probably worried that he won’t be able to defend himself. This is completely unacceptable; no one should ever be made to feel inferior or abused because of their skin colour, religion, or other factors. I believe the author is attempting to convey to us that, in the end, we are all people and equal. Finally, you should never treat someone differently simply because they are different from you in some manner, and you should always include everyone, regardless of their differences.