Throughout my reading of Citizen, I have been exposed to an aspect of society and an emotional state that I myself cannot relate to. The way Rankine refers to “you” makes the reader feel as though the passages are happening to them. This may explain why there is confusion and a more direct connection because it is making you experience it in your head. The issues that Rankine brings up and the effect they have on the mind is something I am aware of but have not experienced nor gone through. I have acquaintances and former friends that have experienced things that go on in the book and I have tried to assist them in what I think is the right way. A good thing this book does is through the “you” in the passages, the reader is able to understand and see into the perspective the writer is trying to show you. It is expanding my understanding of how people think and perceives the world. It can help with how I am able to deal with conflict, how I can avoid conflict, and how I can avoid offending people in the future. I believe that not only is Rankine trying to highlight important issues to the reader but she is trying to provide a window into her, and many other people’s perspectives and how it has impacted them. The art she intersperses throughout also add to the perspective and mindset of the subject, it provokes thought and applies to the reader more personally. The way Rankine includes the physical manifestations of pain like headaches, moaning and, sighs also convey this mindset, for example, “The headaches begin then”(61). This quote shows how people can have physical manifestations of mental and verbal insults/ microaggressions. This is important especially in connecting with the reader.

I think for me, certain kinds of art play a large role in my life and how I go about things. The biggest form of art, with the largest impact, is probably music, for me. Music is something that hypes me up and gets me revved up for a game, day, class, interview or fun moment with my friends. There are a million different genres of music that each fit their own setting or mood. There are different kinds of music with different styles that suit different events and occasions, even the instruments themselves are constructed differently with different looks. Not only does music contain unique song notes and riffs, but it also contains unique lyrics with each singer being different from the next. Some singers may have similar voices, but no two singers are the same. Without music, I would be bored, unmotivated, and sad. Nothing gets me going more than listening to a good song. The question about art, museums, and elitism is an interesting one. I think art has a place for every part of society. The art coveted by Hollywood “elites” may not be coveted by blue-collar hard-working people. Art to a homeless man may differ from the rest. I don’t believe art has set parameters that must be met but rather indisputable works such as the Mona Lisa, or works from Picasso. However, the meaning of these works and the impact they leave will all be different. I used Jstor to research museums and elitism, and a journal article came up. The title of this journal was: American Art Museums: Sanctuary? Or Free-For-All?. A quote that stuck out to me was, “In the process, the nature of the art-viewing experience has changed, as have the definitions of what constitutes art.” This quote stuck out because it was talking about how museums were never “democratic” and that their inception is facilitated by the wealthy. This makes sense because often, art pieces are expensive which only the wealthy can afford. Due to the wealthy being in control of the possession, they can set up their own museums dedicated to collecting and obtaining many different pieces of art. This allows them to set standards for what art can be within their museums and control which kind of people come to view them. As I stated earlier, art doesn’t have a set meaning (other than the dictionary) but I think the definition of art is very fluid and up for debate. At the end of the day, art is for everyone, but those in power (wealthy) do hold the ability to influence which kinds of art and which groups of people can be influenced by it.

What makes me feel rooted is being able to experience life and do things that are exciting and fun with people that I enjoy. Doing things like road trips, hikes, and adventures with a fun and exciting group of people make me feel the most in tune with life. Being away from the city and not having noises that don’t come from nature definitely help with feeling rooted and connected to life. The ocean is another place where I feel the most connected, especially when I am snorkeling or diving with my dad. Being somewhere remote and doing something not many people do, in an area not many people go is another thing that helps me feel connected to the earth, myself, and those with me. I need to be in an environment where I do not feel forced to do things and I am able to make decisions when I choose to. I also need to have people around me who I enjoy and value, people who are on the same wavelength as me in terms of how we want the structure of things to be. I think the company you keep is a big indicator of who you are and how you roll. I feel uprooted when I have too many things that I need to do that I feel are unnecessary. I also feel uprooted when things occur that fundamentally go against my mindset and attitude towards life and success. When it comes to the people around me, I can not stand liars nor can I tolerate excuses. I do not have a lot of patience for people who are given help but don’t take it, especially when the people giving help are taking the time out of their lives to do so. The most uprooted I have been was when all of these things happened simultaneously when I was one of the team captains on my baseball team. It resulted in a lot of drama that started with a bad attitude and mentality that was getting worse and worse. At the end of the day, I would say I usually stay pretty rooted but there are certain things that dig me up.