What is in a name?

Ashlyn Morgan White

My mother has struggled with her name her entire life, Mary Elizabeth. In school, people would always call her some combination of the two, Mary, Elizabeth, Mary Elizabeth, Mary Beth. She would respond to any of them but did not truly like or identify them. Finally, her mother asked her what she wanted to be called, and my mom responded, "Beth". Since then she has been known as Beth; however, on all legal documents her name is still Mary so she must switch back and forth. 

My father is the same way, Michael Thomas White. Depending on who he is talking to he has a different name. To my mom and his family, he is Tommy. To his coworkers, he is Michael. To his friends, he is Mike. He identifies with all three and has never picked one to unanimously go by.

When I started school, I hated my parents for naming me Ashlyn Morgan. Every time role is called I have to correct the teacher, "I go by Morgan, not Ashlyn". Since both of my parents had the struggle of which name to be called, I could never understand why they would purposely choose to call me by my middle name and make me endure that same fight. 

My parents had originally planned on calling me Ashlyn. However, after I was born, three different nurses called me Ashley rather than Ashlyn, so my parents decided to call me Morgan. Even now, as I type, auto correct is  trying to change Ashlyn to Ashley. 

Now, I am grateful to be a Morgan. If someone calls me Ashyn, often times I will not respond. Not because I am trying to make a statement, but because I simply do not identify with it. On legal documents, I am Ashlyn; however, I am really Morgan.    

My first name is not the only aspect of my name I have had mixed feelings about. My last name is White, like the color. To me, it is probably one of the most common and boring last names to have. However, it does represent my Irish and Scottish heritage, even though the pale skin and red highlights were enough for me! 

The common question comes up of - When I get married should I change or keep my last name? My name is me, and I cannot imagine identifying as anything else. But at the same time, I would want to be identified with my family, as long as my new last name isn't something completely lame. 

The same question of when to identify as an individual versus as a group comes up in music. I play the flute, and often play duets with my teacher, Amy. Usually, I play the melody while Amy plays the counter melody. The melody is the basis of the song, it jumps around but is always there in some form; it is the part people hum all day because it is stuck in their head. However, often times the counter melody is more important. It created the tone, adding unique elements, and allows the melody to shine because of its difference. When playing duets, you have to learn when it is appropriate to shine as an individual or when it is necessary to fall into harmony with a group and allow the composition as a whole to come through. It is this balance of being an individual and being part of a larger group that creates music.

"Othering"

Wang Young Hui Photography

From the University Avenue Project
Wang Young Hui. St. Paul Minnesota. 2010.


This photograph was taken as a part of Wang Young Hui's University Avenue Project. In this picture, there are two girls, probably in college, being displayed with signs that they have written that describe stereotypes that have been applied to them by society. Each of the girls' written stereotypes involve not fitting into the normal image of their race and being compared to an Oreo.  However, neither one of the girls seems pleased at such a comparison because of the sad, defeated looks on their faces.

The use of stereotypes is a common way to enforce "othering" of people who society views as different from its common image. In the case of the girl on the left, she does not fall into the stereotypical image of a "white girl"- preppy and in love with things such as Starbucks and riding boots, for example. Instead of being accepted for one's personality, people often put others into a box, trying to define them, in this case, as an "uh oh Oreo". The same is true for the girl on the right. Since she does not fit into the box that society has created for people from the hood, she is considered an Oreo, black on the outside but white on the inside, for her use of big words. Even though she is from the hood, the system of boxing often alienates individuals.

In this picture, I found it interesting how both of the girls were being displayed to embody the stereotyped that were used to define them; there clothes can be looked at as a symbol of these stereotypes. The girl on the left, the "Uh Oh Oreo", is defined as white on the outside and back on the inside. Notice her outfit; she is wearing all white clothes and carrying a black purse. I interpreted this as a representation of how society views her, showing as white, but carrying characteristics more common to an African American. In contrast, the girl on the right is wearing all black clothes and carrying a white purse. As an "Oreo", she is showing how on the outside she is black but carries the personality of a white girl. In both instances, the purse is a symbol of how society views the inside, or character, of the individual.

Wing Young Hui versus Margaret Atwood

In both works, the picture by Wing Young Hui and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, the methods of "othering" are similar in that both represent the society forcing people to strictly adhere to one group in order to fit in. In the picture, the groups that the girls must follow are their races. Each has a strict guideline of characteristics that define its categorization and when a person does not follow them, they are considered an outsider. The same is true in The Handmaid's Tale.  In the Republic of Gilead, there are social groups, each with its own rules, that must be followed in order to be a part of society. For example, the Handmaids wore red and their sole job was to bear children for the commanders. Another example are the Marthas; they wear green dresses and are expected to cook for the household unit to which they are assigned. Also as in the picture, if they do not fit into the tightly made boxes of society, they are "othered".

 In the picture, "othering" means to be made to feel a like an outcast and to not belong with any certain group. However, Atwood takes this idea of "othering" even further; if an individual did not fall into a box of society, they were shipped away to the colonies, completely removed from the Gilead.  Both cause the person being "othered" to feel like an outsider and possibly wrong for not conforming to society.