"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.