Comparison of "Othering" Utilized by Margaret Atwood and Wing Young Huie


Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. 1985.
Huie, Wingyoung. Untitled
https://www.wingyounghuie.com/p538617479
Untitled, part of Inside the Springs (2007) by Wingyoung Huie displays a cultural concept across the world. Upon first examination you see a group of older people doing a type of water aerobics. There is a wide range of both men and women actively participating in exercises utilizing noodles. In the picture all of the people are old and white, displaying a stereotype that only elderly people participate in water aerobics. Through connotative examination, the discovery is made that the image is meant to portray a message on stereotypes. It is stereotypical for the elderly to be limited to few activities, which are commonly categorized as low-intensity sports. These sports are then generalized as "elderly sports", stereotyping them even further. specifically water aerobics are seen as a typical elderly activity that is designed for the elderly and no one else. This generalization only further displays the common misconception that the elderly are a feeble and limited population. Both Wing Young Huie and Margaret Atwood incorporate the concept of "othering" through use of symbolism and imagery. In Untitled from Wing Young Huie's Inside the Springs (2007) collection, there is thorough use of symbolism. The older people in the image represent the older generation who are constantly grouped into the "elderly". This generalization is a common form of othering in the way that the age group is grouped based on their age rather than their abilities. The visual of the old people performing pool exercises is a symbol for the concept of breaking out of the social norms placed on the elder portion of the United States. In The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, Offred, the main character, is established as an exterior part of society. Offred silently acts against the societal rules and rebels without action in every way she can. Society has been altered and strict laws have been set in place to guide the society to run smoothly, but Offred is one of few that choose to act against these laws.

Comments

  1. Danielle HarrisSeptember 30, 2018 at 6:43 PM

    I really liked your analysis of Huie's photograph. You dug deep into the meaning and explained it well. You did a good job comparing Huie's art to Atwood's novel, however when describing how Atwood incorporated the concept of othering, you didn't explain the technique that she used. Overall though, it was a good blog(:

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  2. Elena RehbergSeptember 30, 2018 at 7:48 PM

    I enjoyed reading this a lot. It explained Huie's picture really well without having to see it and had a good analysis about its underlaying message and the culture. When you discussed "othering" it was very clear what you meant in both Huie's and Atwood's contexts and did a good job tying them together. I was kind of sad that the actual picture wasn't displayed, but overall, I thought it was good!

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