The Other in White Hegemonic Society

Grace Ghazzawi

Introduction to Graduate Literary Theory

Dr. Larry Lyons

November 22, 2010

The Representation of “The Other” in White Hegemonic Society

Representation of “the other” in an established society emerges as a topic of comparison between Gloria Anzaldua’s excerpts from Borderlands and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In Anzaldua’s various essays, portrayal of a person of mixed ancestry into the world of white hegemonic rule is detailed. These ideas, then, of the entrance of an “other” into the dominant white society are paralleled in Shelley’s Frankenstein. Both authors challenge the manner in which society views outsiders, and the notion that, in attempts to create an identity of their own, “the other” must transcend the borders and boundaries that are oppressing their development. However, problems undoubtedly arise, in that through challenging the patriarchal white conventions (Anzeldua, 2099), it is difficult to accomplish anything other than an increasing sense of animosity between these two, different factions. It is because of this sense of entrapment, due to their inability to be visible in society, and the coinciding difficulty in advancing the status and acceptance of “the other” that the respective experiences of such othered individuals become exceedingly important. Both Anzaldua’s works in Borderlands and Mary Shelley’s commentary in Frankenstein, depict the harsh realities of living as “the other” in society, and moreover, the manner in which the constraint of such factions by the dominant class alters the sense of self of these individuals, ultimately making them feel invisible in the society they are attempting to assimilate into.

Anzaldua relates, in an essay entitled “La Encrucijada” the experience of existence in the midst of numerous crossroads. This notion then, introduces the idea that as “the other,” one has no place to really exist, no true characteristics to call one’s own. She states, “As a mestiza I have no country…I have no race. I am cultureless because…I challenge the collective” (2101). Anzaldua, being a mestiza, a person of mixed race, is unable to relate to any of the societal structures that bind individuals to one another and to a larger group. In her inability to find a country to call her own, a race that she can identify with, or a culture of which she is a member, Anzaldua finds herself in a sort of solitary confinement in the midst of society. Regardless of the vastness of the society in which she lives, without others to whom she can relate, she will be alone, othered, by those around her. Such, is also the experience of the creation in Frankenstein. As he is the only creature created in such an image, it becomes impossible for him to find the kinship that humanity thrives on. Furthermore, Frankenstein denies him a companion after he tells him he will create one, even furthering his desolation. In the same manner in which Anzaldua discusses that as a person of mixed lineage, she “suffers from excessive humility and self effacement, shame of self and self depreciation” (2103), the creation becomes self loathing due to his loneliness and his lack of acceptance from the society that he is thrust into. This notion then, that the manner in which an individual is treated by society affects their developmental psychology is a concept that can be attributed to the behavioral patterns of both Anzaldua’s mestiza/o and the creature created by Frankenstein. Due to the lack of acceptance, and their inability to exist anywhere but at the crossroads of society, these individuals are unable to develop an actual sense of self, knowing that, even in the chance that they do overcome their self depreciation, they will ultimately never be taken in by society.

In Frankenstein, the reader is shown, through the telling of the creature’s attempts to assimilate into society, the experience of “the other” in a white hegemonic society. The creature is not welcomed by anyone because of his immense differences that challenge the status quo. The differences of the creation force society to internalize the possibility of change, something which it clearly does not want to do. In a society that is wary of anything that will disrupt its balance, the creature becomes the manifestation of instability, the face of societal transformation, that it undoubtedly unwelcome. The creature is, as Anzaldua so eloquently relates, “an act of kneading, of uniting and joining that not only has produced both a creature of darkness and a creature of light, but also a creature that questions the definitions of light and dark and gives them new meaning” (2101). In the worlds presented in the works, where change is discouraged, and difference is viewed as the root of all evil, Frankenstein’s creation forces society to question these beliefs, in that, through his formation, he gives a new meaning to the concept of existence.

The emergence of “the other” in society challenges the way that said society functions, forcing it to reconsider the morals that it was built on. However, in societies like the ones examined in both Anzaldua’s works and Frankenstein, that preach their morality and humanity, it is interesting to note the lack of these qualities in their treatment of “the other.” Through their mistreatment of these factions in society, the truth behind the white hegemonic power is uncovered, solidifying the fact that their ideal society is one of inclusivity. This inclusivity forces all who are not part of the dominant social class into the borderlands, the outskirts of society, where they are forced into invisibility. Such mistreatment, shown in both Anzaldua’s works and Frankenstein, depicts how the dominant white culture is ultimately destroying “the other” by taking away their self determination and making them “weak and empty” (2105). However, if society welcomes instead of rejects “the other,” it will not only be adhering to the morals and standards of humanity that it alleges it attains, but it will allow for the creation of a new consciousness which would transcend the existing, destructive power structures in society, and instead, replace them with a culture who’s foundation is based on the acceptance of all, which would thus diminish the faction of “the other.”

Works Cited

Anzaldua, Gloria. “From Borderlands.” The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Peter

Sullivan. Norton: 2010. 2098-2109.

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed J. Paul Hunter. New York: Norton, 1996.