Mimetic Contagion as Seen in The Cross and the Lynching Tree Ally Schrieber College

René Girard’s theory of mimetic contagion can be seen the public, extralegal execution of innocent Black victims, lynching, starting in the 1880’s. Girard claims that humans are mimetic, meaning they have a habit to want what others desire. As humans continue to want what others wish this is called a mimetic contagion. Mimetic contagion leads to mimetic rivalry because if every human craves the same as each other eventually there will no longer be enough goods, or objects of desire, to suffice the demands. This “imitative desire leads to conflict over [the] scarce goods” resulting in mimetic violence (class notes). At this stage in mimesis, imitation, the involved community chooses a scapegoat to receive the violence of anger over scarce goods. James Cone’s book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, presents mimetic violence as an explanation of the lynching of African Americans during the post-reconstruction era of America.

Cone writes that “without slavery to control blacks” white supremacists believed “a new means had to be devised” (Cone 7). After the end of slavery, many whites felt the need to assert their supposed dominance over the black race in other means that were not illegal. Lynching became the controlling factor that...