Citizen, by Claudia Rankine focuses on being a woman of color through the author’s personal experiences and through the author’s eyes. Throughout this lyric, the author speaks about different accounts of when people of color were treated differently as well as her personal accounts when she was treated differently. She uses the second-person pronoun, you, to keep the main protagonist nameless. This draws us in as readers and brings us to be a part of the story. This protagonist is presumably black. We assume this because the lyric brings together stories, poems, and photographs to show the struggle of being a person of color. Rankine brings up society, also known as the “world” in many forms in her lyric.
One example she uses to show how society or the “world” believes people should think is through memories. Society believes that we should not remember the past and that we should just move on. Rankine states, “ You like to think memory goes far back though remembering was never recommended. Forget all that, the world says. The world’s had a lot of practice” (Rankine 61). Rankine is saying that society believes that we should not remember the past and that we should only hold onto some memories. These memories should be happy and not be the bad things that happened in the past. One of the bad things that has happened in the past and present that the world does not want to be remembered is the treatment of people of color. Another example of how she shows that society believes people should think is through metaphors. The main metaphor Rankine uses is that “the past is a life sentence, a blunt instrument aimed at tomorrow” (Rankine 72). She uses this metaphor to show that society believes that the past can take control of people’s lives if dwelled upon for too long. She also says that if you “drag that first person out of the social death of history” then you are family (Rankine 72). This goes to show that society believes that the people should not look back at the past and just continue onto the future. This way society can put the past behind them in hopes that others will not bring up some of the horrible things that have happened in the past. Society or the world is telling you to “move on. Let it go. Come on” (Rankine 66). Society, also known as the “world,” is telling the people of color to move on from what happened in the past as if it is not relevant in today’s life.
The world is wrong. Society is wrong. People should not just “move on” from the past (Rankine 66). People of color and all people in general should fight to change this injustice that has happened in the past and still is happening today. Rankine is saying in her lyric that people need to remember the past and the memories in order to help the future and in order to help people thrive. You may notice the movements that went down in history and still are happening today. Both the Black Lives Matter Movement and the Women’s Rights Movement shows that these issues are still around today. Rankine says as an example, “you wait at the bar of the restaurant for a friend, and a man, wanting to make conversation, nursing something, takes out his phone to show you a picture of his wife. You say, bridge that she is, that she is beautiful. She is, he says, beautiful and black like you” (Rankine 78). This goes to show that people are still seeing other people for the color of their skin. It may not be deemed racist or wrong in many people’s eyes, but it is still very apparent in everyday life. These encounters affect people of color throughout their everyday life to this present day. Rankine continues with that example, “Appetite won’t attach you to anything no matter how depleted you feel… you do go to the gym and run in place, an entire hour running, just you and your body running off each undesired desired encounter” (Rankine 79). People of color who have these unsavory encounters will continue on with their day as usual, but these encounters can easily taint their every move. This concluding memory that Rankine uses exemplifies how people of color feel when encounters that make them feel different happen.
Discussion Questions:
- In the example on page 77, is Rankine’s main protagonist right for giving the person the benefit of the doubt? Why or why not? If you were in Rankine’s main protagonist’s position, what would you have done? Why?
- Do you believe that people should forget about the past or should the past be brought up in present times? Why or why not? If you were in society’s position, would you want your mistakes to be brought up in the present to help the future? Why or why not?
Works Cited:
Rankine, Claudia, 1963-author. Citizen : An American Lyric. Minneapolis, Minnesota : Graywolf Press, 2014.
