In Citizen, Claudia Rankine provides political commentary through real-life anecdotes and poems on the modern day treatment of African-Americans. We know from the text and from current events that race is a heated topic of debate, and by including both everyday instances and overarching stigmas, Rankine is able to illustrate individual African-American experiences. Rankine’s constant shift in the race of the speaker between Caucasian and African-American people greatly influences how we may interpret a given situation. I am focusing on how Rankine utilizes ‘you’ to understand different perspectives, and reinforces the fact that micro-aggressions and outright racism fall under the same problematic umbrella.
Throughout Citizen, Rankine often …show more content…
The therapist immediately makes a snap judgement about the person who came to her door and although ‘you’ and the therapist had “spoken on the phone” she didn’t act harshly prior to meeting this person. When meeting face-to-face and realizing the race of her patient, the therapist’s perception of their relationship changed. No longer was the narrator a patient, but instead they became threatening just because of their race. Unlike when we read the story from the white person’s perspective, we can understand how the victim felt in that situation. They were afraid and undeserving of the outburst; as it said on page 18, it was “as if a wounded Doberman pinscher or a German shepherd [had] gained the power of speech.” The patient was in a state of submission as the therapist yelled at them, and the comparison of the patient to a dog helps to understand how beat down and dejected they must have felt. This is one of many ways that Rankine emphasizes the severity of discrimination; this occurrence is more than just a small micro-aggression, it’s an act of blatant racism. The therapist initially had no shame for yelling at the patient after judging them only on their race; it was more than an accidental biased statement or
Throughout Citizen, Rankine often …show more content…
The therapist immediately makes a snap judgement about the person who came to her door and although ‘you’ and the therapist had “spoken on the phone” she didn’t act harshly prior to meeting this person. When meeting face-to-face and realizing the race of her patient, the therapist’s perception of their relationship changed. No longer was the narrator a patient, but instead they became threatening just because of their race. Unlike when we read the story from the white person’s perspective, we can understand how the victim felt in that situation. They were afraid and undeserving of the outburst; as it said on page 18, it was “as if a wounded Doberman pinscher or a German shepherd [had] gained the power of speech.” The patient was in a state of submission as the therapist yelled at them, and the comparison of the patient to a dog helps to understand how beat down and dejected they must have felt. This is one of many ways that Rankine emphasizes the severity of discrimination; this occurrence is more than just a small micro-aggression, it’s an act of blatant racism. The therapist initially had no shame for yelling at the patient after judging them only on their race; it was more than an accidental biased statement or