Othering

We are the Other. Walter, 38th & Chicago Bus Stop, South Minneapolis, MN. By Wing Young Huie (2012).

        Upon the examination of this picture it can be noted that the sign the man is holding reads, "Equality for the Undocumented." He is sitting on a bench at what looks to be a bus stop. Most of the time, multiple people can be found at one bus stop at any particular time; however, in this photograph the man is sitting alone. The area around him looks nice and the clothes he wears are normal street attire. When first looking at this picture it can be gathered that the man is alone and he seems upset. After diving deeper into the meaning of the photograph, the audience gathers more about both the person and subject at hand. The way in which the picture was taken communicates an enormous amount. The left side of the picture is open, full of trees and other flora, in the middle there is a pole, and on the right is the man seated between the pole and the end of the frame. The pole symbolizes the divide between the free and the Undocumented. The open space, on the left, represents those who have equality while everything on the right represents those who are fighting for equality. Wing Young Huie immediately draws the audience's attention to the man by placing he and his sign in an area that agrees with the Rule of Thirds. Through the positioning of people and scenery Wing Young Huie communicates that there is a division between undocumented and documented people within the United States.

        Margaret Atwood presents "othering," in The Handmaid's Tale through the use of color while Wing Young Huie communicates "othering," through layout. Atwood uses descriptions of color to convey the differences between the women in society. Specifically, Handmaids are set apart from the other women in Gilead society because of their attire. The Handmaids can be found in all red. Red is a dominate color that stands out in a crowd, therefore, drawing attention to the Handmaids and setting them apart from the other women in society. "Othering," is the idea of believing someone to be different than you and not a member of your group. In reality, however, every individual is unique and each person contributes equally to society. In the Wing Young Huie example the "othering," surrounds undocumented and documented Americans. Regardless of whether or not an individual is a citizen, in most cases, documented and undocumented individuals contribute equally to the community. Wing Young Huie challenges the idea, through a simple photograph, of separating the undocumented citizens from the rest of American society. As mentioned earlier, the way the photo is laid out suggests the divide in society. The solemn look on the man's face further communicates how the actions or words of others can create separations, and the pain that many feel because of this. Atwood and Huie challenge their audiences to think about how opinions, actions, words, and deeds can deeply affect another person.