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Textual analysis of "In My Country" (1993) by Jackie Kay....

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Textual analysis of “In My Country” (1993) by Jackie Kay.

Jackie Kay’s “In My Country” tackles the issue of accepting one’s own identity in a society where it might feel rejected, or not accepted. Kay uses language in the poem to show the relationship between the narrator and their own identity, and the oppressor. This essay will explore the important of Kay’s poem and her approach to the concept of identity in a social setting. Kay’s identity as a black, Scottish woman is an important factor in her motivation for creating the poem. “In My Country” is a poem about how even in her own country, Scotland, she found that her identity was questioned by those around her, as a result of her also being black. However, the tone of the poem is not an angry one. The poet’s persona in the poem remains unaffected by the experience with the second character, this shows that the narrator has become used to being harassed by others and no longer feels hurt by it. “In My Country” is a poem in two stanzas with no identifiable rhyme scheme, the lack of rhyme scheme portrays the narrator’s laissez-faire attitude towards the people that want to question the validity of her identity. Kay uses no additional effort to implement a rhyme scheme, in the same way that the narrator does not put in any extra effort to legitimize her identity to the “woman” who represents the oppressor in the poem. The way that the poet personifies the natural elements of the poem in the first stanza to show the contrast between the peaceful, harmonious relationship between the “river [who] shakes hands with the sea”, and the relationship between the narrator and their oppressor. The relationship between the narrator and the second character is one that conveys oppression and non-acceptance and disunity.

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The woman stalks the narrator in “a slow watchful circle,” Kay uses this language specifically to convey the way that the oppressor appears to be similar to a predator stalking its prey. This comparison can be drawn by paying attention to the idea that the second character in the poem most likely sees herself as socially, and morally superior. Tajfel talks about how identity in a social context can be split into “in groups” and “out groups,” Tajfel’s research showed that those considered to be part of the “in groups” often attached negative characteristics to the other. Similarly, Kay explores the fear of “the Other” in her poem. The unnamed narrator talks about how the woman looks at her is if she “were a superstition of the worst degree”, in this line, Kay creates an image of fear and lack of comprehension which links back to the idea that Kay’s identity as being both Scottish and a black woman has been questioned through her life. The poem also speaks on a larger cultural level to those who have found their personal identity and place in society questioned. Mammen, in her essay, talks about how the speaker in the poem does not take on the tone of an “aggressive defendant” but rather that of an “affirmative individual”. This shows that the narrator has found and strongly accepts their own identity. The narrator’s sense of identity achievement is reinforced by the imagery of the woman’s word “splic[ing] into bars of an old wheel.” This shows that the words that could have potentially hurt the narrator in the past now disintegrate into nothing. The words are referred to as a “segment of air” This poem explores the idea of achieving identity. The poem has a calm, confident tone, which is achieved by the simple format, two simple, equally sized stanzas, as well as the soft, natural imagery that makes the poem feel physically comforting to read, despite it tackling issues which might not always be comfortable to discuss.

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Works Cited Cavallaro, Dani. Critical And Cultural Theory: Thematic Variations. London and New Brunswick, NJ: The Athlone Press, 2001. Print.

Hácová, Pavlína. The Poet as Cultural Dentist: Ethnicity in the Poetry of Jackie Kay (2005): n. pag. Phil.muni.cz. Palacky University, 2005. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

Kurien, Meryl Mammen. "The Theme of Identity in Jackie Kay's "Black Bottom", "Pride" and "In My Country"" Academia.edu. Stella Maris College, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

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