Citizen: An American Lyric Presentation PDF

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Summary

A full breakdown of Claudia Rankine's 'Citizen', beginning broadly with themes then delving into full chapter summaries....

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Citizen: An American Lyric American professor, Claudia Rankine, was born on the 1st January 1963 in Kingston, Jamaica. She is 54 years old and has won 4 awards for this novel. She is a poet, essayist, playwright and editor. She’s also written 5 volumes of poetry, 2 plays & numerous essays. It’s a hybrid text consisting of:     

Poetry Prose Essays Transcripts Visual Aids

Reviews “…It’s easy to presume the ‘you’ is always black and the ‘she’ or ‘he’ is always white, but within a few pages Rankine begins muddying the personas and pronouns in a way that forces us to work a little harder.” “Without titles to separate and ground them, her poetic texts and images function as fragments of memory, coming into sharp focus, then blurring.” -The New York Times “But what is wonderful about Rankine’s writing is that it works like an out-of-body

experience: she encounters her subject full-on and rises above it. And she never loses her wide-angle reach. Above all, she shows how racism itself gets relegated.” -The Guardian

Historical Context (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/9generic3.shtml)

 1444 / First slaves brought to Portugal. From there the Portuguese began ‘discovering’ different regions of Africa.    

1518 / First direct shipment of slaves from Africa to the Americas. 1740-1810 / Peak years of slave trade, Africa providing over 60,000 captives per year. Countries slowly began abolishing or outlawing slavery over decades. 1865 / After American Civil War, slavery was abolished in America, due to the 13th Amendment.  Many countries followed. Unfortunately, it still exists in the world, though not on the same scale.  More than 250 African Americans were killed by police, in 2016 alone.

Present Day Ramifications

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Situation Videos, in collaboration with John Lucas: Pages 89 to 134. August 29, 2005 / Hurricane Katrina February 26, 2012 / In Memory of Trayvon Martin

 Public Lynching

From the Hulton Archives

June 26, 2011 / In Memory of James Craig Anderson December 4, 2006 / Jena Six Stop-and-Frisk August 4, 2011 / In Memory of Mark Duggan October 10, 2006 / World Cup July 29-August 18, 2014 / Making Room

Themes  Racism Where contact is made, active prejudices follow. Institutional Racism: racial discrimination that has become established as normal behaviour within a society or organization. Racial Microaggressions: verbal or non- verbal, everyday slights that are experienced as hostile or derogatory towards target persons of marginalized communities. Internalized Racism: where societal influence begins to hinder thoughts of self worth.  History Battle of ‘self self’ and ‘historical self’ (pg.14). “Though your joined personal histories are supposed to save you from misunderstandings, they usually cause you to understand all too well what is meant.” o

Self Vs Others

 Judgement Minorities as being Fetishized (pg. 78), Stereotyped (pg. 18) and Dehumanized (pg. 17). Idea of ‘self’ in constant battle with outer environment.

 Identity Where lines blur and ‘I’ becomes ‘we’, the collective identity becoming more visible than the individual identity. But also, the idea of American identity, and why that looks different depending on race.

 Power Via. Sports An individual’s talent taking a backseat to more superficial aspects, such as race. As seen in Rankine’s essay about Serena Williams or the extreme views taken towards Rutgers University Women’s Basketball Team (pg. 41).

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Serena Williams, American professional tennis player. Follows her career in the world of professional sports, where she has encountered varying degrees of racism. Despite being ranked #1 by the tennis world on eight separate occasions, she still faces bigotry on and off the court. Rankine explores the rise and fall of her career as an outside viewer, one who has grown up watching her – like many of us.  Tennis-Brazil-Wozniacki-Exhibition  “What does a victorious or defeated black woman’s body in a historically white space look like?” (pg. 25) The paragraph goes on to mention Zora Neale Hurston’s “I feel most coloured when I am thrown against a stark white background.”  Four Etchings By Glenn Ligon Zinedine Zidane, retired French-Algerian footballer.  “Everyday I think about where I came from and I am still proud to be who I am…”  “Do you think two minutes from the end of a World Cup final, two minutes from the end of my career, I wanted to do that?”  ‘What he said “touched the deepest part of me.”’ (pgs. 123-128) Resulting from the ongoing tensions between Italy and France, who colonised Algeria.

Sections The story is split in to seven parts. Using a mix of prose poetry, essays and visual images to explore what it means to be black in a ‘post-racial’ society. Section 1 o Book heralded as a success in its mission to drop the reader into the everyday life of a Black American - we are instantly dropped into the middle the narrator's life through the form of micro-aggressions (5) o Narrator is unnamed and ambiguous (remains this way for majority of book) – referring to them as ‘you’ – as if the narrator is talking directly to the reader, making them both a witness and a participant o Instantly painting quite a bleak atmosphere/ tone through the language used / imagery created – "Alone, empty, dark , too tired, rain, dead leaves" o (8) "Bad egg in your mouth …."

Section 2 o Jayson Musson (AKA – Hennessy Youngman) talks about commodification of black aggression – using anger as a tool to be heard.

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o Idea of the historical self and the self-self-introduced- art used as a way of understanding the self through past depictions that help us define our position within society as a whole. o Narrator explains about expectation of commodified anger – people begin to expect/associate black artists with aggressive image o Serena Williams (24) 2009 women's U.s open final. o “I feel most black, when thrown against a sharp white background” – Zora Neale Hurston quote used as framing device o “Black body getting in the way of Alves sightline…” (27) o Sports used as a metaphor for society – black people not welcome in the heavily white sport of tennis, much like American society where they are also not wanted. o Uses art to comment again on the idea of the self, vs the historical self – talking about how Art and the historical representations of our cultural selves, help to inform our modern-day notions of identity. o We come to find at the end of the section that the narrator has no answers which becomes a common theme throughout the rest of the book. o Never Claudia's intention to answer any of the questions posed, she is merely laying out the facts and figures and letting them speak for themselves – to answer the questions would be to in some way to justify them, which she clearly can’t and won't do.

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Section 3 Recurring theme of the micro-aggressions explored again through this section Micro-aggressions reactions introduced - “What did you say?” bringing about a and frustrating catharsis (even though the narrators are now challenging the aggressors and taking back a modicum of the power they already possess, they aren’t met with any responses which gives the reader more insight into the day to day ‘black experience’ of America) - reactions fly in comparison to section 1 where reader is expected to realise/notice the injustice Switch back to a more poetic lyrical prose which adds pace and brings about an intensity and rhythm – combination of short and long sentences Section gives way to theme of addressability and the use of, and reaction language whether addressing a person either directly or indirectly and the racist terms used every both intentionally or unintentionally (49) Bleak tone of resignation and sadness continued – further helping to cement in the reader in the shoes of narrator (43) “still in the end so what” Growing feeling of discomfort – unanswered questions, hanging dead air on the other end of the query adding to the sense of alienation and un-comfortability Only the listener is made uncomfortable ( if you’re not this book isn’t for you) we are sucked into the narrators headache Bleak tone continued to climax of section – narrator seeming unchanged, to the injustices. (55) “Reject the world” …… “just getting along shouldn’t be an ambition” sobering realisation/declaration – exhibiting growth of narrator who’s gaining awareness of situation

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o o o o o o o

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Section 4 Shift to the poetically abstract – short sharp sentences. Ramp up intensity. Much more questioning/probing. Section focused on society and the acceptance in regards to out pouring’s of emotion. Idea of the sigh vs moan. sighs seen as upsetting and rude – sighs met with “stop that” (59) whereas moaning is humorous and entertaining (Motown, jazz, blues). Ideas of repression, confusion, apathy, frustration, anger, pain, resignation – all lead to idea of a person/persons being created / constructing an identity based on memory rather than feeling. They’re being kept as prisoners in a past they didn’t ask for and cannot leave behind. (63) Eventually the sighing leaves too, cementing initial emotions of apathy and listlessness, instilling a sense/ feeling of numbness & detachment (64-65) watching tennis on mute Shortest of the sections – explores idea of body and identity through the senses helping to connect empathetically with the narrator – affects the body on the body and the growing sense of tiredness/ wearing down of narrators will Moaning, sighing, “sooth eyes” (63) Technology – at start she’s got them all turned off (5) Been worn down by even this Ideas of data and information – what’s being shown and talked about / misinformation/ fake news era Information age – constant barrage of biased news

Section 5 o Focus on voice (71) – reference to body – how the narrator is perceived by society o Discovery of the self – exploring the voice as a symbol for the capacity for speech, and the idea of having your voice heard- individuality. o Still continuing poetic structure – abstract imagery of blue light recurring -colour blue representative of the sadness, despair, hopelessness of the struggle – light at the end of the tunnel, literally tinged with blues – bleak.

o The body – specifically the black body and how it has become problematic to the American ideals. ‘despite everything the body remains’ (69) o Addressability / code switches /Micro-aggressions o Racial fetishizing (78) ‘black and beautiful’ o Literal ‘Black blindness’ where they “didn’t see you there”

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o Black people become like ‘wallpaper’ (73) -symbolic of how the black body has become like the wallpaper in the home, only noticed the first time you see it , then becomes background – not really noticed again. Highlights theme of invisibility/hypervisibility (84-86) of the black person in the public eye.

Lack of specificity in regards to the narrator/characters highlights the idea of anonymity. It is representative of the social/communal conflicts – no one wants to be addressed or address o In regards to not only addressing in a personal manner, but also in the address of social injustice

Section 6 Longest section comprised of series of collaborative scripts with John Lucas Sharp snap back to reality after interlude in the poetic Grounding the reader back into the harsh realities of the world Presenting facts. (faced criticism from people who disagreed with Rankine's attempt to combine the analytics of facts that are the bases of politics with the emotionality of poetry) o Shift to 2nd person again helping to ground us in the fact that “you” are always involved/always a part of the story – it’s always ongoing/never going away (131-132) o Zinedine Zidane – Headbutt at 2006 world cup (125-126) cultural shift of subject helping to highlight that racism is rampant across the globe – even in countries that are considered “post racial” (like America) language can still be manipulated to marginalise minorities that are supposedly integrated into the society, through the historical constructs that encompass all citizens. o Final unnamed poems seemingly stand in protest of the events and stories listed before them

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Section 7 Drops into more traditional poetic structure rather than the prosaic style we have become used to in previous sections Idea of identity explored (139) the idea of who “you” is. Bleak tone continues until diner scene (148) (Rankine's confessed at reading at Harvard that this is the only section of the book that had a joyful moment in it) Even joy is tinged with massive sense of irony – everyone laughs together not knowing the laughter initially stemmed from a racially charged micro-aggression The moment helps to open up the question on how to encourage positivity whilst also

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addressing the issues.

o Idea of “What is” (152) – state of things as they currently stand within society o What is, what is? o Ending on a reference to sport and the notion of the black body against the white black ground – sports becomes a metaphor for the perseverance in the face of adversity – Serena becomes symbol of struggle o (159) closing page – highlights the notion that we must all continue to learn and grow – never stop the fight for equality and justice – turn up, keep playing, you’re expected on court.

Language Repetition  Frequent use of repetition enforces imagery presented. Explores cycle of violence: violent acts committed again and again while justice is ever-elusive.  The re-iteration of similar sentences with minor changes. “They will never forget our way through, these brothers, each brother, my brother, dear brother, my dearest brothers, dear heart –” (pg. 89)

“And still you are not the guy and still you fit the description because there is only one guy who is always the guy fitting the description.” “Each time it begins in the same way, it doesn’t begin the same way, each time it begins it’s the same.” (pg.105-109) “In Memory of…” (pg. 134) o

The shift in language opens up new avenues of exploration.

Metaphors, Similes and Irony “Soon we are willing to coexist with dust in our eyes.” (pg. 155) “The wrong words enter your day like a bad egg in your mouth…” (pg. 8)

“To live through the days sometimes you moan like deer. Sometimes you sigh…” (pg. 59) “Like thunder they drown you, no, like lightning they strike you across the larynx.” (pg. 7) “You’ve grown into it. Some call it aging- an internalized liquid smoke…” (pg. 151) “He’s met your friend and this isn’t that nice young man.” (pg. 15) “The new therapist specializes in trauma counselling…- I am so so sorry.” (pg. 18)

Narrator

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*Constant switching between pronouns, that are arguably unspecified in gender. Thus, it can also be argued that the reader is also the speaker (“ I they he she we you turn…” pg. 140). *No setting descriptions or dialogue; social commentary more than novel.

“The pronoun barely holding the person together.” (pg. 71)  1st Person “You said ‘I’ has so much power; it’s insane.” (pg. 71) “Drag that first person out of the social death of history, then we’re kin.” (pg. 72)  2nd Person Heavy use of ‘you’ throughout text, that is both personal, yet removed.  3rd Person

Structure & Form Poetic sections provide pace and rhythm, introducing a lyrical, bittersweet melody of vibrant and striking images, told through memories that help ground it in reality making for a very visceral experience. The prosaic sections allow for a more clinical approach, stating the unavoidable facts and figures. Whilst it slows the pace down it drops us straight back into the action using the prose style to layer the story and make it rich in detail and emotion which adds to the books ability to produce empathy from its readers.

Art  Jim Crow Rd.  Soundsuits

By Michael David Murphy By Nick Cave

Two of four soft ground etchings, aquatint, spitbite, and sugarlift aquatint in black on Rives BFK paper.  VOLUME X No. 5 Black Angel By Mel Chin  The Slave Ship  Detail of Fish Attacking Slave from The Slave Ship By Joseph Mallord William Turner Oil on canvas

Discussion Points How effective do you find the text? What were your reactions to the form of the text? Do you think her use of second person narration or structural decisions aided or hindered the overall effect? What were your impressions of the picture on page 91, of the Jim Crow lynching?

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