The two articles gave two different views on how the author came to terms with his identity. In Little Boxes, the author, at first, has a hard time figuring out how he should identify himself. He first cannot decide what to tick for his ethnicity, and cannot put himself in a category. With a biracial mother and a white father, he has three ethnicities he could choose. On the other hand, he finds that he lacks the boxes for what he sees himself as, and wishes to choose other, so that he can explain how he views himself. At first, he wanted to fit in, but over time he realized that he was who he was, he couldn't really be put in a category. Wright views the little boxes as ways to fit stereotypes to people, judging them before even meeting them, and decides that his voice is the Other option. By ticking that box, he can put down the way that he wants to be seen, as opposed to the stereotypes that might occur otherwise.
In the second article, the author finds his voice in an unlikely place, not unlike Wright. He finds it in a 17th century book of haiku. When he was growing up, segregation was at, likely, the worst time post-slavery. He used books to escape, but had never found a way to speak out against the system, which could be particularly traumatic to a child.
Having a voice is the basis of change. When we see injustice, it is easy to ignore it, or find escape. Truly, the only way to combat injustice is through actions and speech, and to do those effectively, you need your own voice. Whether it be through poetry, describing yourself, or some other means, having a voice is the best way to define yourself as a person.
The two articles gave two different views on how the author came to terms with his identity. In Little Boxes, the author, at first, has a hard time figuring out how he should identify himself. He first cannot decide what to tick for his ethnicity, and cannot put himself in a category. With a biracial mother and a white father, he has three ethnicities he could choose. On the other hand, he finds that he lacks the boxes for what he sees himself as, and wishes to choose other, so that he can explain how he views himself. At first, he wanted to fit in, but over time he realized that he was who he was, he couldn't really be put in a category. Wright views the little boxes as ways to fit stereotypes to people, judging them before even meeting them, and decides that his voice is the Other option. By ticking that box, he can put down the way that he wants to be seen, as opposed to the stereotypes that might occur otherwise.
ReplyDeleteIn the second article, the author finds his voice in an unlikely place, not unlike Wright. He finds it in a 17th century book of haiku. When he was growing up, segregation was at, likely, the worst time post-slavery. He used books to escape, but had never found a way to speak out against the system, which could be particularly traumatic to a child.
Having a voice is the basis of change. When we see injustice, it is easy to ignore it, or find escape. Truly, the only way to combat injustice is through actions and speech, and to do those effectively, you need your own voice. Whether it be through poetry, describing yourself, or some other means, having a voice is the best way to define yourself as a person.