After reading Citizen I have to admit that,
while I had my doubts before reading the book, at the end of the day I enjoyed
it a lot. As a work of protest, I think the book did a very good job. There were
times when I really felt the frustration of the author, and even found myself looking
at situations in a different way. One of my favorite parts was when the author started
mentioning people like Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Freddie Grey etc. (Rankine,
134). She then really got her point across by finishing with “because white men
can’t police their imagination black men are dying” (Rankine, 135). I think the
book is actually addressing different types of audiences. When Rankine writes
about everyday life, like when she talks about name mix-ups (Rankine, 43), I
feel as though she’s addressing African-Americans in particular. I think it’s
her way of saying that she understands them. However, there are times when she
connects to a broader audience. One example of this is when she talks at length
about Serena Williams, the tennis star (Rankine, 25-36). By talking about a
very popular and well-known figure, she lets a broader audience into the conversation,
and explains to them how race can play a role even in sports. For me, the
reading did raise a question or two for me. Firstly, it made me think about my
own life and how I behave around people. Do I make a comment based on race
without realizing it? Also, are there any perceptions I currently have of
people who are of another race? In conclusion, I think this book did a great
job, not only as a form of protest, but also as a learning tool for those that
may not know or want to know more about race relations in the United States of
America.
Works Cited:
Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Graywolf Press, 2014. Print.
In your response to your experience after reading "Citizen" I'd have to day that the questions you are asking at the end of your analysis are the right ones, or at least the ones the book wants us, the reader, to ask. You quoted something that stuck out to me as well, something that I quoted too, "because white men can't police their imagination black men are dying" and this ties right into what your questions address. The word "imagination" here is the most important part to me because it carries such important connotations. Throughout the book it is the imagination of those around the narrator that create the prejudices which this book tries to make known.Also I do agree with you that Rankine uses her methods across the text to speak to many different types of people. At first I thought the audience was intended to be very narrow. However after our class conversation on the novel I saw just how universal the message was, or at least could be.
ReplyDeleteYou said that how this book used its language was a successful form of protest, and I'd have to agree. In the ways that it gave you enough insight into a world you might not be familiar with, it allowed you to evaluate how much of those situations apply to your life when you might not be aware of them. I had a similar reaction, which leads me to believe for those readers that are not black the intent of the protest is to create the awareness in a non-black audience of the things they might encounter on a day to day basis because of that very fact.
Lastly you brought up how this book is a learning experience about racial relations in the US and although all the accounts in this book aren't strictly American I'd have to agree as well. Although we can agree that racism in all its forms are a worldwide issue, not just a US one, the point that the title says "An American Lyric" signifies that yes it is meant to specifically take on the racial complex we as Americans would find more familiar.