"Citizen, Part I" Analysis
- Due May 9, 2023 by 10:30am
- Points 4
- Submitting a website url
- Attempts 0
- Allowed Attempts 1
Heads up: What you are about to read is the opening section of Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric, an extended lyrical essay (or collection of related short lyrical essays) about racism. In your reading, you will encounter traumatic narratives and images that may be uncomfortable or triggering for you. The "n-word" appears in the text, and for the purpose of safety, we won't utter the word in its original form if it comes up in our readings/discussions. Rather, we will give the word a pause or use the euphemism "n-word." Please reach out to me before class if you feel the need to express any concerns or if you have questions. Copies of the book are available for anyone who wishes to check one out for optional extended reading—just let me know.
Read Citizen Part I (pdf) Links to an external site.
Open LastName_FirstName-Lyrical Essay Notes. Please submit this file to Canvas again, here, when you have completed the assignment below.
Make a new entry titled "Citizen, Part I" Analysis.
Respond to the following:
1.) After reading Citizen Part I, what is the impression you get about Rankine's purpose and audience (to whom is she speaking, and why)? Why is Rankine relying on the second person as her main narrative perspective, and what effect does that stylistic choice have on you?
2.) Choose one passage of 1-2 pages (one narrative or what could stand as a self-contained lyrical essay) and analyze it according to style. Paying particular attention to figurative language, poetic sound, sensory imagery, and/or narrative technique (characterization, exposition, narrative arc, etc.), explain how Rankine shapes the reader's experience.
3.) On pg. 6 and 19, there are artwork images inserted into the text. Explain what you thought and felt about each image. Why is it there? How did it make you feel? What could it mean in relation to the lyrical essay text surrounding it? Is it in dialogue with the written text in any way? (In other words, how does the artwork connect to the written text?)
4.) Look up at least 3 vocab words, terms, or allusions that are unfamiliar to you. Here are some examples: larynx, inexorable, retroactively, John Henry / John Henryism, physiological, affirmative action, assuage, affable, tenuous, transgression. For each word/term/allusion, provide a definition and an explanation of how it functions in the context of the passage.
5.) What are the top 3 questions or uncertainties you are left with, having read Part I of Citizen?