In order to understand the significance of “matter” in Rankine’s vignettes and Lee’s film we must identify the term 's actual definition. Matter is defined as, “an affair, etc., of concern to the person or persons specified; (one 's) cause, concern, or affair. Here we can see how “matter” can relate to an individual or an event .
Another way “matter” can be defined is in legal context of the Judicial …show more content…
In the book, The Alchemy of Race and Rights by Patricia J. Williams describes the usage of of words as floating signifiers in legal language as, “a model of inductive empiricism, borrowed from-and parodying-systems analysis, in order to enliven thought about a complex social problem” (7). To enliven is to decrease that matters importance or lighten the gravity of the crime/offense that an individual has committed. An example of complex social problem Williams may be referring to could include