Blog Post 1 - From The Archive

The photograph above is titled From the Archive. This photograph was taken by Wing Young Huie between the years of 1997-2000 in Lake Street, USA. This black and white photo shows five men standing in a line in which four of these men are Caucasian, the fifth being Asian. These men are standing at a crosswalk in front of Gap in what seems to be a big shopping area. Looking deeper into this picture, we realize that the Asian man and is mimicking the posture and gestures of the fourth, Caucasian, man by putting his hands on his hips. This shows how white men are considered higher than others and how the “others” want to be in control or be considered to have just as much power as a white man.  In The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, “othering” is presented in a similar way as displayed in the picture. Atwood displays Offred as a character that struggles to fit in with society since women are valued much less than men, just like Asians are compared to whites.  Some readers might relate to Offred by feeling like a stranger to their community, while others could feel detached from her because of their dedication to the fit in with the culture displayed in their surrounding environment.