Cultural Dislocation & Pride in The Poems "Fried Bread" by Hinewirangi, "Refugee Blues" by Wh Auden & "Phenomenal Woman & Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

There are many instances where people are not accepted in their own country. This is due to the negative stereotypes given to them by society, they are treated differently and left cut off from the world because they don’t fit society's ideals. There are two main reactions minorities can have in this situation. They could either feel so hated that they would want to change who they are to please others Or they could want to fight back and prove these people wrong. People have been taught that being different is to be feared. Fear that causes you to believe anything you are not familiar with is dangerous. This is caused by ignorance. This is expressed through the following poems, Fried bread by Hinewirangi, Refugee Blues by WH Auden and Phenomenal woman and still I rise by Maya Angelou. These poems are connected by the themes of cultural dislocation and pride. I chose these poems because I liked the way the poets portrayed the differences between living as a minority in this society and how differently one can react to not accepted for being diverse. We live in a world where people who are not white are looked at differently or looked down upon.

There is a mentality that the more you stray from the norm of society's ideals the more you are to be feared. Coloured groups are constantly negatively stereotyped and they can’t do anything about it. This is because they know that society wouldn’t take their side in this war of races. Most of the time they can’t fight back without being labelled as the “Angry black person” these stereotypes are prevalent in modern American society. Naturally, the oppressed groups of individuals such as the Māori, in this case, turned to expressing themselves through another outlet; poetry. Telling their stories so that they can be passed down from generation to generation so that the struggle is never forgotten, lessons are learnt as they are taught. These types of poems always have such strong personal connections to the poet as we can see by the use of the pronoun ‘I’ which overly prominent in this topic of writing. That's what also interested me in exploring this idea of how you can have different reactions to being told you don’t belong. It was the raw personal connection you can have with the poet through their writing that drew me in.

In the poems Fried Bread and Refugee Blues we see the negative effects of this isolation caused by society come into play, and how the poems express their reaction. We also see how they view the situation of society shunning them and how they eventually give up. In the poems Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman we see the positive effects of this kind isolation from society, which in turn evokes this feeling of empowerment and in a way, they ‘fight back’ against society’s negative thoughts. Conforming to society's ideals/ Identity crisis: We can see in Fried Bread the narrative voice is immediately very determined to be someone she is not, she wants to conform and blend in. She is having an identity crisis. This is very plainly evident in the lines “I want to be a pākehā” “I want to be a white woman” it is almost as if she is yelling it out to the world. It comes across as a strong and clear message to the audience expressing her desire to discard her culture for the mainstream notion.

The impact of saying she wants to be ‘white’ in two different languages really shows that she wants to alert both pākehā and Maori that she doesn’t want to be different. She feels a sense of shame in regards to her culture due to the negative stereotypes engulfing her. We can see this in the lines where she wants to switch her ‘fry bread lunches’ for ‘dainty club sandwiches’ and a drink in a ‘plastic bottle’, all items commonly associated with their respective cultures. Having put her feelings in such blunt terms gives the solid impression that she feels she needs to fit into this society that treats not only her heritage but everything that makes up her culture and who she is as taboo. By confirming we are letting society take away what is most important - uniqueness and individuality. When you take those away you lose yourself and your sense of belonging. She's dislocating herself from her own culture due to the pressures to be someone she is not. Hinewirangi has effectively conveyed the feeling of being lost. Being so conspicuous with her language really draws the reader in. She uses very obvious negative connotations to depict this image, of a society not wanting anyone to express individuality. Using these connotations in the very first stanza is very powerful and sets up the readers mindset right from the start, that this girl is clearly wanting to erase any part of herself that challenges the idea of conformity.

As humans, we crave acceptance and when we are deprived of this we want to modify ourselves to fit the perfect stereotype they have pushed onto us, in turn losing who you really are. But in the end, we can ever really lose your race, only your identity. The girl in the poem will forever be that “brown skinned, black haired, brown eyed 'pakeha’ “.My other poem, Refugee Blues by WH Auden has the same theme running through it, and Auden specifically expresses this theme in the line “but there's no place for us my dear, but there's no place for us” this is a result of an exclusive society that demands monoculturalism in order to fit in, in this case, it is Jews we hear this from. We as a society are conditioned to think things that are different are wrong, and when you are told that enough times you start to believe it. Auden's use of repetition with the line “there’s no place for us” makes this idea seem drilled in. A very persistent thought that will follow anyone who is different around like a storm cloud, constantly raining down on you.

There is again a cultural identity crisis similar to that of Fried Bread as they feel like they don’t belong anywhere “We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot go there now.” they once had a country but now they don’t. Again the use of the repetition of the line ‘we cannot go there now’ just emphasizes the fact they have been outcast by society because of their religion. With a pained disposition, they continue to suffer through the torment of being punished for something they can’t change. The story like narrative voice Auden has used makes the poem seem as though it is being read aloud as a bedtime story to a younger generation, Who have yet to go through the same torment. He is insinuating that the problems never really go away as when the narrative voice uses the personal pronoun ‘we’, we all feel a connection to the words because the pronoun is so inclusive. It makes the reader feel as though we have to help them in their battle of having to conform to society's ideals.

Auden demonstrates that it is easy to lose your identity when there is a strong force oppressing you. This force that is referred to in the poem would be the Nazis. It is very well known that the Nazis abused their power which affected the jews as they were getting killed because of their faith. Refugee Blues really speaks to the endangerment of the jews and how hard they had it, having no place in the world would have eventually caused them to conform to stay safe. It shows how just because they were Jews they were denied basic rights. Indifference has proven to be the main focus of this poem to showcase the cruel behaviour. Both of these poems show how society can tear you down and denounce you if you let them get to you. They show the real struggles of being different in a monocultural society and how easy it is to fall into their trap of peer pressure and shaming. It is human nature to not want to miss out on anything, therefore, people will conform just to feel included in something. To feel like they are are a part of something bigger is their goal. As shallow as it may sound it is essential for their survival. Fighting back: One poem that offers a truly opposite perspective to the previous theme of cultural dislocation and identity crisis is the poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou.

In this poem, we see a sassy undertone to the narrative and it is openly celebrating the fact that even when society brings you down you don’t have to conform, and how you can feel empowered when everyone is discriminating against you. This is very apparent in the line “Does my sassiness upset you?” the use of the rhetorical question draws the reader in, but the narrator is not talking to the reader, she is, in fact, talking to someone else some who has wronged her. She is speaking directly to society and their negative opinions. The use of this rhetorical question in this context also almost makes the reader feel as if they are watching over the narrator's shoulders as they are speaking to ‘society’. It gives a voyeuristic effect which makes the reader feel like we are fighting for her rights alongside her. Angelou perpurosfully demonstrates that no matter what cruel strategies society uses against them, the victim will rise up, the outsider will overcome any prejudice. It is important to stay true to who you are and what you stand for, staying connected to who you are and not letting society change you is so important. Not just for individuals but for keeping your heritage alive.

Fighting back against society's ideal can really give you a sense of pride, unity and belonging within your own racial group. This poem embodies the resilience reflected in black women and expresses it through direct addresses to the audience with very condescending rhetorical questions that again bring that sense of voyeurism. Her clear distaste for society's ideals is shown through the way she fights back “I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,Welling and swelling I bear in the tide” she adopts this tsunami persona that reflects her strong willingness to show you how powerful and rich black culture can be through the use of metaphor. By using the words ‘welling and ‘swelling’ just shows how well black people can adapt to change they can mould to it like a changing tide and the ending ‘I bear in the tide’ shows how she is strong enough to withstand any force that comes her way.

Another poem that embodies this power is Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou. Again she uses a similar technique with a very similar narrative tone. This poem is about fighting back but through successes in her life. “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size“ the use of the words pretty women are referring to women who are conventionally ‘pretty’ as they have conformed to society. She contrasts this with imagery of herself. She shows that others are jealous as she says ‘wonder where my secret lies’ they wonder how she is even happy not being a part of what society wants her to be. She is focusing on bettering herself instead of worrying about what others think. She also continues by saying she is ‘not cute or built to suit a fashion models size’ this line is the contrasting to the first line as she describes herself as not being ‘pretty’ like those other girls. She is indicating by having this contrast that the others are jealous of her and how liberating it feels to be yourself. She is fighting back in her own way, she has found that empowerment comes from being comfortable in your own skin. Not having to fit in a box that society puts you in. this poem shows that no matter how hard society tries to get you to confirm you know that you are phenomenal despite it all.

Another line that shows this connection is “Men themselves have wondered what they see in me. They try so much but they can’t touch my inner mystery.” this line is again emphasizing the strong will the narrative voice has. She can see that people don’t understand why she would choose to stick out and not be told how to act or dress. It is strange to the ‘men’ she is referring to because it is human nature to want to be a part of something and conforming relieves the pressure of having to accepted or liked. Most people are just scared of breaking out of the mould and doing their own thing but she doesn't care. She knows no one will understand her secret to not wanting to oblige to society as when she says ‘they can’t touch my inner mystery’ she is insinuating how it will always be a mystery to society as to why she fought for her individuality. This behaviour is frowned upon but she is setting a trend, an example. Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise both use tone of voice to convey an important message such as how they will not conform to the pressures of societal ideals. This tone of voice is sassy and very assertive, they are showing you a strong side of them so that you won’t question their motives. Fighting back against stereotypes is their main motive and it is done very effectively throughout these two pieces.

Conclusion

These four poems all expressed cultural differences in contrasting ways but there were main connections between them which highlighted a unity. One of them is that in some cases people find that conforming is the last resort and is the only way they will be able to live in peace. But what they don’t understand is that they are not only letting society win but they also missing an opportunity to educate them on their religion or culture. Therefore the cycle continues with the same people within this society, forcing people who are different to accommodate by blending in. The other connection was the opposite of that. It is important to fight for what you want even if it is at the expense of a reputation/ image. Being unique is empowering and if you need to educate people to get there then so be it. By not conforming to societal ideals we see a true personality shine through. This can serve as an example for others as you are slowly but surely paving the way. It is important for society to see the effects discrimination can have on a minority group. It can cause them to want to hide away and not show their cultures or express their individuality.

These effects can have a big mental impact on these people as they are growing up believing that they have no place in this world. These messages of hate and discrimination can be passed on for generations and this behaviour of always being pushed aside becomes second nature. This is when cultural dislocation is at its peak. But on the flip side of that, we see the opposite response to this negative oppressiveness. People empowering themselves and not listening to what society has to say, defending their cultures, races and rights. They are not scared to go against the norm and prove those stereotypes wrong. They do not grow up in a world where their faith or skin colour are considered setbacks. Just because people will tell you that in this modern society doesn't mean its true. It up to you to decide how you will deal with it. They preach messages of self-love and how you should always be true to oneself.