Danzy Senna’s Admission is a short story that involves racial and class dynamics, and follows the plight of Cassie, a black upper-middle class mother who struggles with her desire to have her son attend a highly coveted institution.
The story begins with Cassie and her husband, Duncan, receiving an invitation for an interview at the Institute for Early Childhood Development, which throughout the story, is portrayed as elusive and glorified by many of the upper-class mothers around Cassie. While she had originally applied to the school for a tour in order to reap some inspiration for a play that she is writing, Cassie soon becomes charmed by the institution's acclaim. However, Duncan ridicules the notion of their son, Cody, attending the school, …show more content…
When Cassie and Duncan are being interviewed, Cassie observes that there is a photo of Obama on Penny’s table. While she is temporarily impressed by this, Duncan claims that Obama is the “new Mickey Mouse.” Duncan’s retort is perceptive, because Obama most likely has no reason to be affiliated with the school. Rather, it appears that his identity as a distinguished African American is being used in order to appeal to the parents that are being interviewed, as well as to create a veneer of diversity. By introducing this observation in the story, Senna is emphasizing the fabricated identity that the Institution creates in order to prove their diversity and might imply that they generally lack knowledge in minority issues or …show more content…
Cassie recalls that in her childhood, her classmates were all flawed in some way. In contrast, when Cassie had visited the Institution, everything seemed to be perfect. Cassie especially remembers her experiences with Tasha, who her friends and her ridiculed for her wig and second-hand clothes. As an adult, she partially felt guilty for alienating Tasha and this may have contributed to her rejection of the Institution. While she scorns her experience in public school, Cassie may have also come to the realization that by sending Cody to this school, she is reinforcing the class differences between him and students that attend public school, thus implying a future where he behaves similarly to the way that Cassie had treated Tasha. Admission considers various racial and class dynamics for a middle-class black family that are not often reflected upon. The story especially emphasizes the ignorance of the Institution, which may be similarly applied to many corporations or individuals that claim to uphold diversity but fails to actually understand or research minority
The story begins with Cassie and her husband, Duncan, receiving an invitation for an interview at the Institute for Early Childhood Development, which throughout the story, is portrayed as elusive and glorified by many of the upper-class mothers around Cassie. While she had originally applied to the school for a tour in order to reap some inspiration for a play that she is writing, Cassie soon becomes charmed by the institution's acclaim. However, Duncan ridicules the notion of their son, Cody, attending the school, …show more content…
When Cassie and Duncan are being interviewed, Cassie observes that there is a photo of Obama on Penny’s table. While she is temporarily impressed by this, Duncan claims that Obama is the “new Mickey Mouse.” Duncan’s retort is perceptive, because Obama most likely has no reason to be affiliated with the school. Rather, it appears that his identity as a distinguished African American is being used in order to appeal to the parents that are being interviewed, as well as to create a veneer of diversity. By introducing this observation in the story, Senna is emphasizing the fabricated identity that the Institution creates in order to prove their diversity and might imply that they generally lack knowledge in minority issues or …show more content…
Cassie recalls that in her childhood, her classmates were all flawed in some way. In contrast, when Cassie had visited the Institution, everything seemed to be perfect. Cassie especially remembers her experiences with Tasha, who her friends and her ridiculed for her wig and second-hand clothes. As an adult, she partially felt guilty for alienating Tasha and this may have contributed to her rejection of the Institution. While she scorns her experience in public school, Cassie may have also come to the realization that by sending Cody to this school, she is reinforcing the class differences between him and students that attend public school, thus implying a future where he behaves similarly to the way that Cassie had treated Tasha. Admission considers various racial and class dynamics for a middle-class black family that are not often reflected upon. The story especially emphasizes the ignorance of the Institution, which may be similarly applied to many corporations or individuals that claim to uphold diversity but fails to actually understand or research minority