Rankine writes in a half prose, half free form format, where she explores the delicate topic of racism and prejudice that’s widespread and pretty common in the so-called post racial America. She explores the long-term patterns of racism and its historical context. In a way that makes it different but not “new” in a way whereby she seems not to be trying too hard instead using a new form in a way that is easily decipherable. She outlines the inconsistency between aggressions and microaggressions, invisibility and hypervisibility, these factors that blacks continue to face which therefore continuously categories them as the “other” regardless. Rankine shines light on the fact that racism persisted and still persists, she addresses this same topic that several other writers have explored but in a slightly different way that makes one curious. The use of the second person “you” in the novel is noteworthy as she uses that to allow the reader to feel a personal connection and I’ll believe to ultimately understand the psychological toll of black citizenship in a country that’s built upon historical exploitation of blacks.
Rankine makes it clear that this unfairness is relentless and takes places even in organizations that are meant to present hope in the face of racial ignorance e.g. places of higher education. This book is a carefully put together documentation of modern history of everyday violence’s that is easily overlooked as its against black Americans, instances of racism such as Trayvon Martin’s death etc. She forces the reader to learn the names of these victims and if the reader is unaware be forced to look it up and understand the depth of the racial violence. These societal issues are very relatable and Rankine certainly proves that there isn’t just one way to channel or express the trauma. The causal uses of some of the phrases disclose the cruel and hopeless ways blacks are treated in USA. For instance, the stop and frisk policing is typically used in a way that’s misleading. “And you are not the guy and still you fit the description because there is only one guy who is always the guy fitting the description” (105) This is scary, imagine the fear and panic people face just to explain they aren’t the one they are looking for and that same panic is what gets them killed.
The message in this novel is profound and tragic as it shows what’s happening in the society but in reality, this is the nightmare some people face daily.
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