Unit 2
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The Case of Caster Semenya
Society turns its attention to people once they begin to receive increasing amounts of success. In a way, these ‘celebrities’ become targets of the public as an obsession is created with these individuals. Personal factors about them are exposed as they are pitted against the ‘normals’ in order to be categorized into specific groups. Caster Semenya has been a victim of the fascination of classification after her rise to fame resulting from her talent of running. Rather than being praised for her accomplishments, she was interrogated regarding her own identity and harassed by those ‘investigating’ her. By describing Semenya’s story in ‘Either/Or’, Ariel Levy addresses the implementation of societal constructs, such as classification in regards to gender.
Societies are built as a system of classification, the most obvious being in terms of income and government. This causes categorization to be normal, as labels are seen as one of the most important factors of individuals. But, many question the label of an individual when it does not line up with their idea of who that group is or what that group looks like/should be. Semenya is masculine in appearance and voice, causing “people [to question] whether she was really a woman” (115) instead of accepting the label she gives herself. These people were caught up in what they believed her identity should be rather than what she said it is. She became a study rather than a human, an anomaly rather than a person, they were “scrutinizing a black female body as though it did not contain a human being” (119). Levy describes how Semenya grew up in the classification of a woman and then was suddenly “being told that she is something else” (118) by those who had no right in classifying her. Her story was changed from an accomplished runner to a question for others to solve, a subject to place in a group, in a box.
The societal concept of gender has been normalized as black and white rather than the grey spectrum it actually is. People believe that since Semenya doesn’t fit the mold of feminine then she has to be a man. In reality, as Levy notes, once we begin to question “the ultimate difference between a man and a woman” (123) we realize the “blending there is” (123) between the two, that we cannot classify genders as stereotypes and single ideas, and that genders go beyond man and woman. Semenya “became a hero to many people who ‘don’t fit the sex and gender boxes’” (124) such as transgender and intersex people. She didn’t just give representation to people from South Africa, but also to those a part of the LGBTQI+ community who face similar harassment regarding their labels and other aspects of life. Levy describes Semenya as a deviation from the classification that has attempted to restrict her as a single idea. Her story shows that groups and stereotypes do not define reality, that identity cannot be imposed, and that diversity refutes classification. Semenya is not an exception, she is a normal, just like others who don’t fall into the “should be” mentality of society.
Democracy on the Horizon
Every four years Americans watch a new age begin as a President is inaugurated for their first or second term. This transition, usually peaceful and without struggle, is widely covered by news outlets and media. Being one of those sources, The New Yorker, a biweekly magazine that consists of journalism, essays, satire, and politics, among other genres, has covered the latest transfer of power. For the January 18, 2021 and January 25, 2021 edition of the magazine, the cover entitled “A Weight Lifted” by artist Barry Blitt was used. The image Blitt, famous for his political and cultural illustrations, produced is depicted below.
Barry Blitt conveys the transfer of power between the Trump and Biden administrations through his illustration of the bald eagle carrying away Donald Trump. These two figures are the focus of the piece, with a much less detailed background behind them, as this transfer of power had been the focus of Americans preceding and at the time of the cover’s release. The bald eagle, often symbolizing America, is flying Donald Trump away to the right, a movement that suggests he is leaving - or being forced to leave at the hands of America itself. The transfer of power between administrations is one of the most crucial times in American politics, and all eyes were on Trump as people became concerned as to whether or not he would willingly leave. The election had been decided but the struggle that followed has defined the end of the Trump administration, marked by the timing of this cover’s use.
Trump dangles in the sky with arms crossed and an angry face. He has been known to refuse loss and refuse when he is wrong, as he never endingly has claimed that the election of 2020 was fraudulent and rigged. With his red, white, and blue attire, he looks to be the epitome of America. His supporters have increasingly rallied behind him throughout the fallout of the election, viewing him as their definition of patriotism and America. In this perspective, the eagle carries him away as that patriot, deeming him worthy. Though, when taking into account his facial expression and context, he seems to be swept away against his will. This context being the second impeachment of Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection following his constant remarks as well as rallying an extreme group of supporters to breach the Capitol while Congress was certifying his loss. This along with the fact that the eagle is free to fly and Trump is not, with the wings of the eagle being open while Trump’s arms are crossed, conveys that Trump is not free to do what he wants while the eagle is, calling to the fact that the President is not above the law as seen with his two impeachments
The American system of democracy has prevailed and escorted Trump out, shown by the eagle. To those who celebrated President Biden’s victory this was “A Weight Lifted”, and due to the circumstances of Trump’s presidency, especially the ending of it, were excited to fly him away. The bright sky shows this movement towards a new, better day. In Barry Blitt’s cover, the eagle represents the American patriots who stood by the integrity of their electoral system, as they watched the transition away from the Trump administration. They watched as he no longer fought the inevitable and allowed a new administration to begin their work, as he angrily allowed the electoral process to take him away. The weight that Donald Trump had on the nation has been lifted as a new president has entered office.
Cameras Ready
Alone and alienated while everything around you seems to be a cloud of chaos. Everything has gone wrong but you find someone, or something, that understands you, and you fight alongside one another. Taylor Swift is known for her carefully articulated lyrics that are able to tell a story, able to allow listeners to connect in their own unique ways; lyrics with many different meanings, causing her songs to mean something different to every single listener. During the midterm elections of 2018, she finally broke her political silence, endorsing the “blue wave” as well as advocating for the same in her home state of Tennessee. She announced her opposition to Marsha Blackburn and her beliefs, but despite Swift’s effort, she watched as Blackburn was re-elected. Soon after, she wrote “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince”, released with her seventh-studio album (and first that she owns) Lover. The song takes place in a metaphorical high school, where many can feel left out, and uses parallels between high school sports and political elections; with examples such as ‘scoreboard’, ‘blue’, ‘voted’, ‘american stories’ and, ‘american glory’. The title of the song is used as the title of Swift’s documentary, Miss Americana where events such as her political journey is explained. She has begun to use her large influence to speak out rather than stay silent on matters that have an effect on topics and fans that she cares for. Through this, Swift has made a large impact on voter registration, especially prior to the 2020 election. In the politically polarized society of today, it’s important for those who have a large platform to advocate for what is right and to advocate for the well-being of that base and of others. They have an opportunity to push for change, and their voices can be enough to succeed. Being a fan of hers for almost thirteen years now, even if I may have assumed her political affiliations prior to this, it was refreshing and empowering to hear her finally speak out, and this song has grown to have a large significance for me. For me, this song is a political anthem that I hold close to me, and listen to when I feel lost among all of the noise. It has been one of the songs I relate to most of hers, and she’s been in the industry since 2006. It has encouraged me to put my feelings regarding political situations into words, with poems and essays being written while listening to it on repeat. In this cloud of chaos, this song has been there and helped me use my words to fight.
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On Unit 2...
Evolutionary Thought in Evolutionary Writing
Understanding beyond the surface meaning. Analysis strengthens writing and thinking, as you’re taught to address further than summary. Making connections, exploring ideas, and creating meaningful conclusions. Throughout this unit, analysis has shifted from explaining the importance of what the author is saying, to using the author’s craft in my own writing. In creating a bigger meaning I’ve used my own perspective as well as the author’s. From American activism to understanding and acting on political circumstances in America.
Contextualizing a piece allows you to place how connections are made. In a society where social issues are present and politics are overwhelming, an Op-Doc discussing American activism, an article regarding gender in sports, and a magazine cover depicting the transfer of power, among other works become prevalent. I found that context became a driving factor in both the format of my analyses and in the pieces I analyzed.
Paying close attention to keywords and repeated ideas gives a foundation for an analysis. The concepts of gender, of speaking over others in attempted activism, and departing from American nationalism. Something meaningful is signified when it is constantly mentioned, alerting the audience. Repetition paired with context sets up an analysis and narrows focus in order to frame thinking. Thinking that turns into writing. Writing like you read, like how you understand an author’s craft. Authors do not limit themselves to the words of another, they explore ideas. During this unit, I learned how to expand my writing rather than restricting my piece to a standard singular thesis statement.
Analyses now go beyond connecting back to an introduction in each paragraph when a static reasoning is used. Better, more effective analyses expand and evolve as they continue. This creates a more complex analysis that has a larger meaning where you build off of ideas rather than limiting yourself to the same idea throughout. I went from commentating on gender in relation to an article on Caster Semenya, to analyzing a New York Times cover based upon context, to using my analysis of a Taylor Swift song in order to evolve my thinking. For the first time I showed the evolution of my thinking rather than the result of it. My writing process became my thinking process, shown in my evolving thesis. I attempted to write in a manner that was like a piece I would analyze rather than the traditional analysis I would have written. Swift’s lyrics became supporting pieces that I used to guide my thinking, not control it. Context, connections, and thinking all coming together in addition to a political anthem. Thinking shown in writing that led to a complex understanding.
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