Although all of Claudia Rankine's pieces of work in Citizen were compelling, her Situation Video titled "Hurricane Katrina" was especially powerful to me. In particular, I was struck by the line of the script that reads, "He said, I don't know what the water wanted. It wanted to show you no one would come" (85). The first part of this line is repeated multiple times in the script. The line personifies the hurricane as a individual who had desires and is interacting with other people. This description of a hurricane as an malicious entity who targeted a community was disturbing.
In addition to that section of text, I found the last line of the "Hurricane Katrina" script equally powerful. The last line poses the question, "Did you see their faces?" (86). On the following page is an illustration of a black man with colors scattered on his face looking upwards. The man's face is tilted upwards but his eyes are staring straight out of the page, directly at the reader. The juxtaposition of the last line of the script with the image is very powerful and I believe very purposeful. Every page of Citizen is constructed for a reason, so I believe that the image following "Hurricane Katrina" was placed there to enhance the message of the script.
What you pointed out about the image that goes along with the last line was very powerful. I think that image is daring the reader to quite literally "see their faces". You made very good observations regarding that.
ReplyDeleteThe first line you discuss was one of my favorites in the entire book. I think it really highlights the contrast between the natural and the created. It calls into question what nature wanted to happen, and what the creation of what came next made happen. I think the use of personification enhances the juxtaposition in a disturbing manner that is so beautiful. Because if nature is everywhere and it is so malicious, we are all at stake.
ReplyDeleteI loved the image following ¨Hurricane Katrina.¨ It adds a beautiful yet haunting final image to the story that allows the information to almost sizzle with the reader. The image uses a mix of color and darkness at the same time and the glossed over eyes of the man make it that more impactful.
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