Both highly acclaimed authors Margaret Atwood and
Wing Young Huie present the idea of “othering” to deliver a new perspective to
their audiences. In Huie’s interpretation of “othering,” Huie presents this in
a positive connotation, through his photograph from his blog post “Death Metal
Girl.” He shows the happiness that comes with being different. On the other
hand, Atwood uses her portrayal of “othering” in a negative connotation to
demonstrate the implications of having a totalitarian government, resulting in
her audience feeling the need to prevent this from occurring.
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| Huie, Wing Young. Death Metal Girl. Digital image. (k)now: A Blog by Wing Young Huie. Tumblr, 29 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2015. <http://know.wingyounghuie.com/post/18533911040>. |
Denotative
Examination: In
Huie’s photograph entitled “Death Metal Girl,” Death Metal Girl is seen with a full
face of makeup resembling a stereotypical gothic/emo girl. She is wearing a
long sleeve black shirt and long dark grey pants. This look is also accompanied
with a nose ring and her hair tied back. She is also barefoot. She appears to
live in a small area that does not look very developed. There is a little girl
riding a bike behind her.
Connotative
Examination: The
Death Metal Girl appears to wear a gradient of one solid color while the other
girl appears to have a more varied color of outfit. This automatically makes
you notice the Death Metal Girl because she is so different. She is also
looking at the camera in a very stern way while the little girl’s back is
facing towards her. The little girl is also seen getting off of her bike appearing to try and get away from
Throughout the remainder of the post Huie stresses how different Death Metal Girl really is from society. She expresses her love of "death, black, [and] speed metal." She even compares it to African voodoo dances and connects it to the words "harmonious" and"aggressive." In doing so it shows the extremities of her likes and shows the reader how it allows her to a spectrum not only through her makeup, but in her personality as well. She shows how her mask of makeup makes her who she is and that it does not hide how she feels, but actually adds to who she is as a person which is completely different from how Atwood presents masks. At the end Death Metal Girl concludes her description of her life by stating, "I don't regret it [her decisions] at all" (Huie).
Through both interpretations of the texts, it is apparent that the "others" have a purpose in society. In Huie's interpretation, Death Metal Girl showed that being different is the perfect demonstration of the amazing impact freedom of expression allows. Conversely, Atwood demonstrates the negative impacts of being different from the conventions of society and how in doing so, it endangers the lives of not only herself but of the people she discreetly loves. Because Offred is denied the right of freedom of expression, she boarders the the line of insanity as the novel progresses. Overall showing the need and desire for this freedom. This insights fear into her viewers because like many people, especially people like Death Metal Girl, this is a right that is given to everyone in the United States and is something that is very much enjoyed. By posing the implications of having such a controlling government, it strays readers away from having this kind of government. Therefore, this shows that both authors value the right of expression and urge their viewers to value this right and make sure it continues to be kept and expressed.
