There are many cases where people are not accepted in their own Village. 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 do not fit society's ideals. There are two main reactions that minorities can have in this situation. They may feel so hated that they want to change who they are to please others, or they may want to fight back and prove these people wrong. People have been taught that being different is to be feared. Fear that makes you believe something you are not familiar with is dangerous. This is caused by ignorance. This is expressed through the following poems, Fry Bread by Hinewirangi, Refugee Blues by WH Auden and Phenomenal woman and still I rise by Maya Angelou. These poems are linked by themes of cultural dislocation and pride. I chose these poems because I liked how the poets represented the differences between living as a minority in this society and how differently one can react to not being accepted because they are different. We live in a world where people who are not white are looked at differently or looked down upon. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There is a mentality that the more you deviate from the norm of society's ideals, the more you are to be feared. Colored groups are constantly negatively stereotyped and can't do anything about it. This is because they know that society will not take their side in this race war. Most of the time they can't react without being labeled the "angry black person." These stereotypes are prevalent in modern American society. Of course, oppressed groups of individuals such as the Maori, in this case, have turned to expressing themselves through another medium; poetry. By telling their stories so they can be passed down from generation to generation so that the struggle is never forgotten, lessons are learned as they are taught. These types of poems always have strong personal ties to the poet, as we can see from the use of the pronoun "I" which is overly prominent in this writing topic. That's what also interested me in exploring the 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 his writing that attracted me. 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 see the situation where society shuns them and how they finally give up. In the poems Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman we see the positive effects of this kind of isolation from society, which in turn evokes this feeling of empowerment and, in a sense, "reacts" against society's negative thoughts. Conformity to society's ideals/Identity crisis: We can see in Fried Bread the narrator is immediately very determined to be someone he is not, he wants to conform and blend in. He's going through an identity crisis. This is clearly evident in the lines “I want to be a pākehā” “I want to be a white woman”, it's almost as if she is screaming it to the world. It presents itself as a loud and clear message to the public expressing their desire to discard their culture for the traditional concept. The impact of saying she wants to be "white" in two different languages ​​really shows that she wants to alert both Pākehā and Māori that she doesn't want to be different. It makes senseof shame towards his culture due to the negative stereotypes that overwhelm it. We can see this in the lines where he wants to replace his "fried bread lunches" with "delicate club sandwiches" and a drink in a "plastic bottle", all of which are commonly associated with their respective cultures. Having expressed her feelings in such frank terms gives the solid impression that she feels she needs to adapt to this society that treats not only her heritage but everything that makes up her culture and who she is as taboo. By confirming, we let society take away what is most important: uniqueness and individuality. When you take them away you lose yourself and your sense of belonging. She is distancing herself from her own culture because of the pressures on her to be someone she is not. Hinewirangi effectively conveyed the feeling of being lost. Being so obvious with his language really draws the reader in. He uses very obvious negative connotations to describe this image, of a society that doesn't want anyone to express their individuality. Using these connotations in the very first verse is very powerful and drives home the reader's mindset right from the start, that this girl clearly wants to erase any part of herself that challenges the idea of ​​conformity. As human beings, we crave acceptance and when we are deprived of it, we want to change ourselves to fit the perfect stereotype they have imposed on us, in turn losing who we truly are. But in the end, we may indeed lose your race, just your identity. The girl in the poem will forever be the dark-skinned, black-haired, brown-eyed “pakeha.” My other poem, W. H. Auden's Refugee Blues, 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 the result of an exclusive society that requires monoculturalism to fit in, in this case, it is from Jews that we hear about this We as a society are conditioned to think that different things are wrong, and when you are told enough times you start to believe it. The use of repetition gives part of Auden with the phrase "there is no place for us" makes this idea seem like a very persistent thought that will follow anyone who is different like a storm cloud, constantly raining down on you There is still a similar cultural identity crisis to that of the Fried Bread because they feel like they don't belong anywhere "We can't go there now, my dear, we can't go there now." they once had a country, but now they don't have it anymore repetition of the phrase “we can't go there now” simply highlights the fact that they have been marginalized by society because of their religion. With a painful character, they continue to suffer the torment of being punished for something they cannot change. The story as a narrative voice used by Auden makes the poem seem as if it were read aloud as a bedtime story for a younger generation, who are yet to face the same torment. He is implying that the problems never truly go away because when the narrator uses the personal pronoun “we,” we all feel a connection to the words because the pronoun is so inclusive. It makes the reader feel like we have to help them in their battle to conform to society's ideals. Auden shows that it is easy to lose your identity when there is a strong force oppressing you. This force referred to in the poem would be the Nazis. It is well known that the Nazis abused their power, targeting Jews as they were killed because of their faith. Refugee Blues is really about the danger for Jews and how hard it was for them, not having a place in theworld would eventually force them to conform to stay safe. It shows how precisely because they were Jews they were denied basic rights. Indifference proved to be the main focus of this poem to show cruel behavior. Both of these poems show how society can bring you down and denounce you if you let them get to you. They show the real difficulties of being different in a monocultural society and how easy it is to fall into the trap of peer pressure and shame. It's human nature to not want to miss out on anything, so people will conform just to feel included in something. Feeling part of something bigger is their goal. As superficial as it may seem, it is essential to their survival. Fighting Back: A 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 cheeky undertone in the narrative and it openly celebrates the fact that even when society puts you down you don't have to conform, and how you can feel strong when everyone discriminates against you. This is very evident in the phrase "Does my shamelessness trouble 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 who has wronged her. It directly addresses society and its negative opinions. The use of this rhetorical question in this context almost makes the reader feel as if they are watching over the narrator's shoulders as he speaks to "society." It gives a voyeuristic effect that makes the reader feel like we are fighting for their rights alongside them. Angelou perpetually demonstrates that no matter what cruel strategies society uses against them, the victim will rise up, the outsider will overcome all prejudice. It's important to stay true to who you are and what you stand for, staying in touch with who you are and not letting society change you is so important. Not just for individuals, but to keep your legacy alive. Fighting against society's ideal can actually 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 once again bring that sense of voyeurism. His clear distaste for society's ideals is shown through the way he reacts "I am a black ocean, wide and leaping, I bear the tide that rises and swells." He adopts this tsunami persona that reflects his strong will to show you how powerful and rich black culture can be through the use of metaphor. The use of the words "welling" and "swelling" simply shows how well black people can adapt to change, they can mold themselves to it like a changing tide and the ending "I carry in the tide" shows how she is strong enough to resist any force that comes towards it. Another poem that embodies this power is Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou. Once again he uses a similar technique with a very similar narrative tone. This poem is about fighting back, but through successes in his life. “Beautiful women wonder where my secret lies. I am not pretty or made to fit a model size” the use of the words beautiful women refers to women who are conventionally “pretty” because they have conformed to society. She contrasts it with the image of herself. He shows that others are jealous as he says "who knows where my secret lies", they wonder how he is happy even not being a part of what society wants him to be. She is focusing on improving herself instead of worrying about what others think. It also continues.