Text

The text is a researched critical analysis paper, written by myself. The essay focuses primarily on the course theme of self and other, and elaborates on the negotiation of interactions. It includes three examples from the course: Chloë Bass’ Wayfinding, Yuri Herrera’s Signs Preceding the End of the World, and Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric. 

Author

I, Lilah Webb, am the author of the critical analysis essay. I am a freshman at City College, who is currently majoring in English. Wayfinding, Signs Preceding the End of the World, and Citizen were an assigned readings and an art exhibit that mainly revolved around identity and the changes undertaken when exposed to other people. 

Audience

While anyone can read the essay, younger audiences will may have a harder time understanding the concepts discussed in it. The essay is primarily meant for the professors who assigned the essay. 

Purpose

The immediate purpose of the essay is to evaluate the three pieces introduced in class and two outside sources. The essay examines identity and the ways it is altered when confronted with third parties, as presented by Wayfinding, Signs Preceding the End of the World, and Citizen: An American Lyric.

Setting

The critical analysis essay was written in various places. It was mainly written in at home and in the library as I listened to music or spoke to my friend. I also wrote the essay in different classes while my professors taught. 

People cannot be integrated into society, and with one another, without altering themselves in someway. Chloe Bass’ Wayfinding, Yuri Herrera’s Signs Preceding the End of the World, and Claudia Rankine’s Citizen examine identity and the ways it is altered when confronted with third parties. 

Chloë Bass’ Wayfinding is an art exhibit located in St. Nicholas Park in Harlem. The exhibit utilizes different sized signs that decorate different areas of the park. The signs mainly revolve around Bass’ main idea of the negotiations of interactions. An interaction entails negotiation when opposing sides try to find middle ground. One of the three larger signs in the exhibit states, “How much of life is coping?” A smaller sign in a different part of the park reads, “The unsettling sympathy and grace of someone who hands you the thing you need the second before you remember its name.” Bass’ larger signs highlight larger and more open ended ideas, seeing as they are the only signs that pose questions for the onlooker. She, with these signs, bridges the connection between internal and external dialogue, and prompts discussion. These signs are also reflective, prompting the onlooker to read her words while also seeing an image of themselves as they do so. The large sign tells the onlooker that life revolves around coping, and that it is impossible to navigate through life without compromising parts of their identity. Bass’ smallest signs have the most words on them, and are less open ended, and in turn, more specific. The smaller sign perpetuates Bass’ main idea about the negotiation of interaction by introducing the new idea of vulnerability; with increased vulnerability, people find parts of themselves, as well as the things they need, in other people. Bass’ artist’s statement, for example, highlight her intentions. She writes, “My work investigates the potential of the everyday as a catalyst for intimacy. I’m captivated by the common denominators of the human experience: the things that people do always. I highlight the seemingly normal as a means of questioning its stability.” Chloe Bass is well aware of her audience: people navigating through life in search of their identity. Wayfinding forces its viewers to consider Bass’ statements and images on a surface level, as well as a deeper level with undertones of intimacy, desire, and loss. 

Signs Preceding the End of the World, written by Yuri Herrera, tells the story of Makina, a girl who leaves her home in Mexico, and ventures toward the United States. In the story, Herrera explores the mental and linguistic transitions people undertake as they move from one country to another. Throughout the book, Makina speaks an Amerindian language, Spanish, and English, as she not only makes her journey from Mexico to the United States, but also navigates through borderlands between the living and dead. The fifth chapter of the book directly contrasts the end of the fourth; as the fourth ends, Makina is left alone, and as the fifth begins, she is surrounded by other Mexicans that she can relate to and identify with. The Mexicans she encounters are described as “homegrown and anglo and both things with rabid intensity.” Here, readers begin to understand Herrera’s depiction of the Mexican-Americans in her novel; they are not just a duplexity of two differing nationalities and traditions, and they are not a mix. Instead, the shared experience of immigration brings them together to form a new group with a new culture, language, and view. Although the entire book revolves around change, the beginning of the chapter is a new and refreshing take on it; Makina finally finds a community in a new country and with it, a new way to be herself. Similar to the fifth chapter, the ninth and final chapter entails more change for Makina. As the chapter begins, Makina reaches a door with a long spiral staircase behind it, as she descends, it becomes clear that she has experienced a loss of language. This is yet another sign that Makina is different than she was at the beginning of the novel, and has completely transformed into something new. After going down the stairs, Makina encounters a second door with a “Verse” sign above it, however, she soon realizes that she cannot remember any translations in the language she once spoke. Makina, in this scene of the chapter, experiences a change as she walks through the door, and has to leave in order to leave her past self behind. As she goes back home, she has a new Mexican-American identity. 

Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric a group of essays, anecdotes, and images that analyze and depict racism and micro aggressions in American society. The first section of the book begins as Rankine paints a picture of a black student in school who allows a white student to look over her shoulder as they take a test, and they are never caught by their teacher. This micro aggression communicates that racism knows no age, and that the journey of an American black person is that of a long and hard one. The younger white girl who finds herself dependent on someone she views as inferior, feeds the black girl a negative compliment, saying that she has white features, that only ultimately serves herself. A separate section of Citizen focuses on the notion of a black person’s body never exclusively being their own, and always subject to comments and scrutiny. Rankine uses Serena Williams as an example, and highlights one’s choice to take on racism head on or to ignore it. In this section, she incorporates a short story about one of Serena WIlliams’ matches, where she faces racism both from her opponent and an unjust umpire. Here, she notes that Serena Williams was able to put the racism she faced at the game behind her, and move forward. Though there is always a choice, there are detriments to confronting racism, just as there are detriments for ignoring it. Whether a person ignores or confronts their situation, Rankine and the reader know that the cycle will continue, and the black body and soul will never be able to stand on its own, free of outside judgement and racist comments. The overall themes of the book connect to the theme of The Self and Others in Literature. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen delves into the way the modern black American is seen, both in their own eyes and through the eyes of others. Rankine writes that black people are often introduced to racially charged incidents and micro aggressions at a young age, and that these incidents will persist through their lives. Similarly, she writes that they are not exclusive to a certain kind of black person, as she writes about ordinary people and famous people, alike. 

Wayfinding, Signs Preceding the End of the World, and Citizen share a common theme of identity and the ways in which it is affected by others. While they are not all the same types of art, with two being books and the other being an art exhibit, they convey the same message: that one cannot coexist with others without adjusting their identity. Wayfinding’s focal point is the negotiation of interactions, and illustrates the subject’s self-compromise in relationships, society, and within themselves. Moreover, Signs Preceding the End of the World revolves around a main character’s journey of self discovery, and the creation of a new identity overall. Citizen, however, evaluates the identities of black Americans without creating a new identity, separate from the whole. It, instead, assesses the struggles they face and the ways in which they address and cope with them. Signs Preceding the End of the World also focuses on one character as a symbol for an entire group, while Citizen explores several anecdotes from different people, and Wayfinding is meant to connect directly to the observer. 

The most compelling part of the art is the common central and universal theme. There is no experiencing life without experiencing it with others, and it is impossible to go through life without changing, both for the sake of yourself and the sake of others. The differences between the art and their separate audiences show that anyone can find themselves in and relate to the familiar theme of self and other, and the ways people adapt when considering the people around them. Similar to other course texts from the semester, the commonalities between Wayfinding, Signs Preceding the End of the World, and Citizen show that although people have different backgrounds, outlooks, and personalities, they find common ground when evaluating who they are. 

Interactions between people always entails negotiation. While the negotiation may be subconscious, like in Signs Preceding the End of the World, they may also be a conscious decision, as seen in Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric. These books, as well as Wayfinding, evaluate the ways people compromise through their romantic, platonic, and other kinds of relationships with people. 

Text

The text is an exploratory essay written by myself. The essay focuses primarily on Claudia Rankine’s book, Citizen. It also mainly discusses different examples of racism and evaluates the micro aggressions Rankine wrote about. 

Author

I, Lilah Webb, am the author of the exploratory essay. I am a freshman at City College, who is currently majoring in English. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen was an assigned reading that tackled the topic of racism and the people it affects, and the way in which it affects them. I was touched while reading the book, and was met with a feeling of gratitude as I read the words of someone who finally understood how the small, and often seen as lesser forms of racism, felt. 

Audience

While anyone can read the exploratory essay, younger audiences will may have a harder time understanding the concepts discussed in it. The essay is primarily meant for the professors who assigned the essay. 

Purpose

The immediate purpose of the exploratory essay is to evaluate Claudia Rankine’s Citizen. The essay touches upon the different ways black people are seen and the way Rankine writes about them, as well as the examples she uses. 

Setting

The exploratory essay was written in various places. It was mainly written in my apartment, as I sat in my bed and listened to music or spoke on the phone. I also wrote the essay in different classes while my professors taught their lessons. Citizen had several settings, as well, including made up restaurants and homes of the narrator. 

Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric is a group of essays, anecdotes, and images that analyze and depict racism and micro aggressions in American society. The book includes stories of both everyday citizens and famous people who find themselves in racist situations. Rankine’s book include stories written in second person, examples of Serena Williams, a famous female tennis player, and the deeper meaning behind one’s voice and body.

The book discusses racism, both discreet and blatant, faced by black people everyday. The book is broken into seven parts, each having different focuses and anecdotes, while maintaining the central idea of the types of racism black people face. She writes about the micro aggressions she has faced, along with her friends as well as public figures, showing that not only are ordinary people affected by these issues, but celebrities and public figures as well.  Rankine acknowledges the fact that the cycle of racism persists because of a lack of recognition of the past.  She highlights the importance of history and daily encounters by drawing the reader into these discussions and encounters and posing questions about race, racism, and identity directly to the reader.

The first section of the book combines numerous racially charged interactions into a single chapter. Stories and memories are told in second person point of view, ultimately allowing the reader to completely submerge themselves in the place of the narrator. The section begins as Rankine paints a picture of a black student in school. She allows a white student to look over her shoulder as they take a test, and they are never caught by their teacher. In a separate anecdote, the narrator is called by another black person’s name, and is presented with the choice to either ignore it or confront it. She decides to leave it, and the situation seems to figure itself out as the mistake is eventually corrected without acknowledgement. Similarly, further in the chapter, the police are called on the narrator’s friend as he walks around the house. When these are considered isolated incidents, they can be considered harmless. However, strung together, they form a narrative of a much larger and more serious problem. As the section continues, the instances are deemed negative. In the last story, for example, the narrator realizes that the circumstances she finds herself in are actually micro aggressions that are driven by racism. When the cops are called on the narrator’s friend later on in the chapter, she advises her friend to be weary and make phone calls in the backyard, to which he resists. The narrator then agrees. At this point, the narrator, or “you,” as Rankine writes, can no longer abide by the micro aggressions she faces, because she finally understands them. 

The second section of Rankine’s book focuses primarily on the public view of the black body. She uses Serena Williams as an example for the angry and/or insane trope used against black people. When faced with unfair calls, umpires, and line judges, Williams reacted angrily and emotionally, the way any person would. However, her skin color made her anger, Black Anger, and her emotions, Black Emotions, prompting onlookers and her peers to persist in their racist and unnecessary comments. Similar to Serena Williams’ success in a predominately white sport, Zora Neale Hurston once said she felt most colored when “thrown against a sharp white background.” Continually, Williams’ body was also said to be in the way of an umpire who made several bad calls against her in one game, followed by a picture of a person bent over and covered completely in flowers. Hennessy Youngman, a popular YouTuber, goes on to note that black artists cannot create anything without it being related to slavery and past oppressions faced by black people. The forced connection then creates another dynamic between the viewer and the oppression, nearly completely cutting out the black artist. Here, Rankine depicts another example of the lack of empathy everyone seems to have for black people, and the ways they can be reacted to. 

Rankine begins the fifth section with a description of the human body and its different functions; she writes about pulsating necks, hand movements, and blinks. As the chapter continues, the way bodies are described begins to become more complex and abstract; bodies that once had shifting hands and subconsciously blinking eyes is now given a blue light, and can be used as a flashlight. The narrator then contemplates their voice, a symbol for themselves as a whole. The black body is depicted as problematic, just as it was in Rankine’s  earlier example of Serena Williams being mocked by her opponent, who stuffed clothes in her bra and bottom. This section incorporates the narratives of black people being openly disregarded in public, while also including a short story of the narrator being recognized for her blackness solely. This section of the book relates to the internal struggle of the black community of deciding to ignore or challenge race-based injustices, and whether their struggle should be seen or not.  

Although Serena Williams has proved to be one of the best tennis players of today, she faces racism heavily. Rankine ends ends her book with the words, “It wasn’t a match. It was a lesson.” Matches can be won, and lessons cannot. The metaphor drawn by Rankine tells the story of persistence and endurance when it comes to racism. Overcoming one feat does not equate to the end of the “game.” There is no end, and people can only continue to fight, play, and overcome. Society’s constant ignorance and lack of recognition of its racist past only prove to create more racism, as it does not learn from itself and will continue to make the same mistakes.

The overall themes of the book connect to the theme of The Self and Others in Literature. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen delve into the way the modern black American is seen, both in their own eyes and through the eyes of others. Rankine writes that black people are often introduced to racially charged incidents and micro aggressions at a young age, and that these incidents will persist through their lives. Similarly, she writes that they are not exclusive to a certain kind of black person, as she writes about ordinary people and famous people, alike. Rankine writes, as a young girl in school who sits idly as a white girl cheats off of her, “You never really speak except for the time she makes her request and later when she tells you you smell good and have features more like a white person. You assume she thinks she is thanking you for letting her cheat and feels better cheating from an almost white person.” The first micro aggression of the book start with a young girl, showing that racism knows no age, and that the journey of an American black person is that of a long and hard one. The younger white girl who finds herself dependent on someone she views as inferior, feeds the black girl a negative compliment that only ultimately serves herself. The second part of Citizen shows that a black person’s body is never exclusively their own, and are always commented on and scrutinized. She uses Serena Williams as an example, and highlights one’s choice to take on racism head on or to ignore it. Rankine writes, “And though you felt outrage for Serena after that 2004 US Open, as the years go by, she seems to put Alves, and a lengthening list of other curious calls and oversights, against both her and her sister, behind her as they happen.” Here, she notes that Serena Williams was able to put the racism she faced at the game behind her, and move forward. Though there is always choice, there are detriments to confronting racism, just as there are detriments for ignoring it. Whether a person ignores or confronts their situation, Rankine and the reader know that the cycle will continue, and the black body and soul will never be able to stand on its own, free of outside judgement and racist comments. Rankine’s second to last section discusses the struggles of being seen. She writes, “Oh my God, I didn’t see you. You must be in a hurry, you offer. No, no, no, I really didn’t see you.” While most people fear not being understood and accepted, the narrator’s fears are taken a step further when she is completely disregarded and invisible. 

Claudia Rankine’s Citizen examines the micro aggressions black people find themselves face to face with daily. She uses personal anecdotes that allow the reader to put themselves in the narrator’s shoes, examples of ordinary and famous people, and the human body itself to carefully illustrate the narrative of a black person. Black people, as written by Rankine and as they are in society, are rarely given the opportunity to be the people they are. 

Text

The text is a personal narrative written by myself. The essay focuses on my relationships with people and my growth over the years.

Author

I, Lilah Webb, am the author of the personal essay. I am a freshman at City College, who is currently majoring in English. I have always been proud of my relationships with people, and was happy to be able to write them.

Audience

While anyone can read the exploratory essay, younger audiences may have a harder time understanding it. The essay is primarily meant for the professors who assigned the essay. 

Purpose

The immediate purpose of the personal essay is to write about a topic that shaped me heavily, and convey it to my professor.

Setting

The narrative was written in various places. It was mainly written in my apartment, as I sat in my bed and listened to music or spoke on the phone. I also wrote the essay in different classes while my professors taught their lessons, as well as the library.

Walking up the flights of stairs this late at night is never easy. Of course, I’ve done harder and more tedious tasks in my life, almost none meaning as much as this one. Above the sixth floor of my building, is my roof; equipped with different rocks with different sizes, textures, and colors. Each one tells a story, I know, just like the people I surround myself with everyday. 

I began to feel unconditional and undeniable love when I started high school: platonic, romantic, and all other kinds I could surround myself with. I fell in love with each of my friends when we started talking, and when I saw parts of them I knew were for me only. I fall in love with my city and my neighborhood everyday, and sometimes it feels like I have so much love in me that I’ll burst, combust, or die. But love does not wait, and love does not care. 

I moved to New York City permanently after years of moving back and forth between here and Jersey City, between my mother and father. After years of moving around and changing personalities while I did so, I finally had a sense of stability in one of the most hectic and busy cities on the planet. Along with a new household and city, I attended a new school, where I met the people I’d love for the rest of my life. 

I spent my freshman year hiding behind anyone I could, afraid that if anyone saw me, they’d somehow also see through. A year later, I’d grown used to the people I saw everyday, and began to make friends with the people I’d eventually grow closer to the next year. Again, my senior year, my need to hide and change dwindled as I found a home in the people who cared for me. 

The last day of high school might have been one of the hardest days in my short life. Sure, I’ve had hard times, but nothing compares to leaving people behind, or being the person left behind. I signed my friends’ yearbooks with tears in my eyes and shaky breaths, etching my final goodbyes on pages I knew would only be opened again in times of lonely reminiscence. One of my favorite messages, written to a friend I wasn’t as close to by the end of the year, read “I love you. I know it is hard to let go when someone understands and relates to you in ways you can only hope for. I didn’t have to hope! I had you! You gave me comfort in a small forever, so how could I be mad when you’re finally getting the same?” 

How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?

Standing alone on my roof, when the sun sets, and when it’s long gone and the only things left are the moon and faded clouds, I acceede those who mean the world to me. On the steps I take back to the stairs, I attest the people I do not yet know, the people I will love, and will love me. On my way down the stairs, itching closer to my apartment, I move forward, refusing to look back at the light that dances on the rocks behind me. 

Text

The text is an origin story written by myself. The origin story focuses primarily on Blake, an avid swimmer and aquaphile, who is killed by his brother and transformed into a hero by the power of the moon and water. The story will focus on Blake’s adventures and journey to self discovery, just as many stories about heroes do.

Author

I, Lilah Webb, am the author of the origin story. I am a freshman at City College, who is currently majoring in English. I gained interest in the topic of the origin stories of heroes through an assignment, as well as my love for superheroes.

Audience

While anyone can read Blake’s origin story, the main audience for the story is that of young adults and teenagers. The story appeals to a variety of audiences because it is the story of a hero.

Purposes

The immediate purpose of the origin story is to entertain readers. Blake can be seen as a relatable character, and one that can be sympathized with as his story continues. Audiences may also be able to relate to other characters, as well, furthering the story’s purpose of entertaining readers and keeping them interested.

Setting

While it is never explicitly stated where the story takes place, it is in New York City. The city is an important component to the storyline because of the amount of crime that will take place, ultimately prompting the main character to want to make a difference in his community. His
community will also serve to build his character and shape who he is. When writing the origin story, I was home. I was on the phone with my friend, who had already written his story, and focused on the silence and breaths between his words as he spoke. The story was easy to write after a first discarded draft, as the words seemed to flow onto the page.

He hadn’t known how he got here. Cameras and phones alike surrounded him as he towered above the people, small droplets hitting their heads. He looked down in horror, and up in acceptance. Where were his legs when he needed them?

Blake loved the water. More than he would admit he loved anything else. Whenever he felt life life was too much to handle, and he needed a break from everything, he escaped into any body of water he could find. Beaches were his favorite, there was something about salt water and the sun on the horizon that felt like home to Blake. He learned to swim when he was 3 years old, when his father and brothers took a trip to their old beach house following the death of his mother. Ever since, he and the water seemed inseparable. 

Nineteen years after the day he learned to swim, Blake was doing what he loved.

“Are you coming out anytime soon?” his brother Melvin, asked. 

Blake’s head broke the barrier between his home and the air above it, “Yeah, give me a sec,” he smiled at his older brother. Within a few minutes, he was out of the water and drying himself off with a cheap towel. 

He walked over to where his brothers, Melvin and Austin, were. They sat, talked, ate until their father came around. 

“Austin and Melvin,” he said, his hand holding onto the bridge of his nose, “leave your brother alone so he can practice for his meet next week.” 

The brothers looked at their younger sibling and then to each other. They mumbled something about having something better to do, and needing to take care of something, before they walked away, sand kicking up behind their steps. 

Blake soon found himself in the water again, the air only meeting his skin when he felt he needed to breathe, and even then he wanted to stay in the water. He had often felt out of place in his home, with his brothers being closer to each other and his father working around the clock to support them all. This left him with nothing else besides the beach by their home and the pool in their backyard. Where could Blake turn if not the water? He hadn’t known. 

Thoughts of the past and his family filled his head as he heard his name being called from above the water. He swam closer to the shore and saw his brother’s figure above head. He made his way to the sand and stood face to face with his brother. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do this,” he heard before he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and fell to the sand. 

His eyes remained closed as he felt his body roll away. What happened? Was he being pushed? 

It wasn’t long before he felt his body hit water, and the pain in his body began to subside and he began to relax. 

The reflection of the full moon danced over Blake’s body as he laid face down in the ocean that once gave him life. For the first time since before he found his haven in water, he was scared. The thoughts in Blake’s head became clouded as his life slipped, and he began to give up. 

It was then that he felt a tingling sensation and light surround him. The moon above him shone directly on his body, giving him the strength he was drained of. The water around his face seemed to turn to air as he inhaled and exhaled, and he flipped over to reveal the bright light from the moon and an empty beach. 

He crawled out of the water and onto land as he blinked feverishly. His eyes traveled over his surroundings and then over to himself when he gasped. He nearly fainted as he saw his skin turn to water and his bones disappear. 

Blake looked back, between the moon and the ocean, and did the only thing he knew how to. He took small steps towards the water until it consumed him, and he almost felt as home as he did hours before.