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| We are the Other- 38th Street & Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN. By Wing Young Huie (2012)
In the first examination of this photograph by Wing Young Huie, it features a run down street corner in Minneapolis. There is an old restaurant that sold wings & something else that is illegible because the yellow restaurant sign is torn, and on the left corner of this sign there is a buck-toothed Chinese man. The small restaurant has no customers, and also has graffiti on the front window. This abandoned restaurant matches the overall scenery of this town in Minneapolis because the small shops across the street also appear to be old, weathered, and with no visible customers. There is also only one woman standing by the curb waiting for a bus.
However, by looking deeper into this photograph we can discover the real meanings behind symbols such as the buck-toothed Chinese man, and the restaurant in general. The cartoon Chinese man that is shown on the front sign of the restaurant is the stereotypical way that people used to view the Chinese. This view is now seen as offensive and often goes unused. And also, based upon the appearance of the small restaurant and this street corner as a whole, it can be assumed that this small town has few inhabitants and is most likely home to people with lower incomes. This photo by Wing Young Hui can be connected to Margaret Atwood's book The Handmaid's Tale because both present the concept of "othering". In Wing Young Hui's photograph he presents this concept within the buck-toothed Chinese man. The angles of his picture cause the viewer the immediately look at the cartoon man, and it is drawn in an old stereotypical way that represented the Chinese. In Margaret Atwood's writing she used language in a way that formed different social classes that had different roles in society, and also the use of colors in her book- such as red for the handmaids- further enhanced the differences between the people in that society. |
Sunday, September 7, 2014
We are the Other
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Good post!! I didn't see this picture on Wing Young Hui's website, but I like it! I like how you brought attention to the illustration of the stereotypical Chinese man - it's a great example of "othering". When I typically think of Chinese man, I imagine a man with semi-closed eyes and a grass hat. I realize that this is stereotyping, but hey, what can I say? Haha. I agree that Margaret Atwood portrays "othering" by the use of language used in each social class in Gilead. When the Handmaid's greet each other in the street, I find it unusual that they are the only ones that use the phrases "Praise be" and "Blessed be the fruit". Overall - great analysis and connection!
ReplyDeleteI was happy to see that you mentioned the angles and perspective of the photographer and how they contribute to the audience's perception and interpretation of the image- many forget that the photographer is composing the text in the same way an author outlines hers.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Sasha's comment about the language used contributing to the othering in the novel; I liked her point that the Handmaids are the only ones to respond to one another this way (I do think the Aunts might as well). It brings them together, which demonstrates how others are not necessarily alone or isolated.
I liked your post in the sense that you pointed out the stereotypical way that people view the Chinese man as. It seems as if Huie uses this picture to show "othering" through social class. This can be related to the Handmaid's Tale by presenting Offred as a Handmaid who is neglected in society vs The Commander who is superior and is allowed to have anything he wants. I also agree with Sasha in using the example of language to show "othering" in social class. Great observations!
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