The two characters that really caught my attention in this film was the young Caucasian police officer named Tom Hansen and a young African American man who was a car thief, named Peter Waters. As Tom Hansen was driving down the highway he spots Peter, a stranger to him at the time, walking. He then pulls over to see where Peter was going and offers him a ride. Once Peter gets into Tom's car you can tell first impressions were being made due to stereotypes. The stereotyping against one another is their mistaken beliefs about people; especially in this case about the different race (Sole, 2011).
In the car Tom is listening to country music, which is stereotyped to be what Caucasian people like to listen to and so when Peter snickers and makes mention that the music was good, Tom assumed he was being mocked at. Due to Toms first impression of Peter, later Peter laughed again when he saw Toms Saint Christopher on the dash because he carries one in his pocket but Tom doesn't know this. Tom then really thinks he's being mocked at and ask him angrily to get out of his car. However, Peter really wanted to show him why he was laughing and how they do have a common interest that what stereotype made them out to be. So when he reached into his pocket to show him Tom hasty decision was that Peter was going to pull out a weapon and instead pulled out his gun and shot Peter in what he thought at first was self defense till he saw what was really in Peters hand. After this scene I could not help but wish if only he didn't judge so quickly on Peter.
Predetermining someone can have its negative outcome at times, much like characters Tom and Peter. Just because Peter may or may not have been mocking Tom choice of music, if Tom didn't stereotyped Peter as a black man that maybe a thug off the street, Peters comment about the music would not have been perceived as mockery. If