The Perils of Otherness in Society

Categories: House And Home

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Otherness is the act of one group or individual viewing another as inferior due to the fact that of evident differences, typically to bestow sensations of self-importance on themselves. Otherness can be found in a variety of kinds. The individual or group identified as "other" may be different race, faith, social class, etc

. Claude McKay's poem "White Home" is a clear example of otherness. The poem portrays an African American male, or the African American population as a whole as political castaways.

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McKay establishes his perspective of the outsider by speaking from the first person's perspective. He portrays himself as an outsider by placing ownership of the house (White House) and its laws with another. McKay describes these items in his poem as "theirs". McKay clearly exhibits estrangement and marginalization by speaking as an outsider searching in, as opposed to being a part of the political procedure.

McKay believes the only method to overcoming this feeling of inferiority is to become more educated.

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In his poem he states, “Oh I must search for wisdom every hour”. Claude McKay also believes that he must maintain a pure heart to combat the hate he feels from the government, “Oh, I must keep my heart inviolate”. McKay is identified as the “other” in the literary work as he uses words to identify himself like me, my, and I. Claude McKay’s poem “White House” depicts a 20th century American government as the force that views him and the African American population as “other”.