Lacy Johnson’s White trash Primer tells the story of her childhood and teens. It is fascinating, yet heartbreaking. It is written in second person, as the lady telling the story. This allows the reader to understand her life and to see the difficulties she faced. It conveys the severity of the situation well by using the second person. This encourages reflection about the women’s experiences in light of their surroundings and her relationships to others.
Prejudice and discrimination in our current culture are persistent obstacles that prevent some people from being promoted or supported. Stigmatizations are inaccurate conclusions about the character and preferences of an individual based only on the actions of one person. For example, white trash is used to denigrate Caucasian Southerners, who are often seen as reactionary and extreme. The term also refers to the depressed southern Caucasian population. Lacy Johnson wanted to show how her preconceptions affected her ability to make ends meet by using the second-person pronoun. This book encourages you to see yourself as an disadvantaged member of society.
In addition to removing the communication barrier between reader and author, the use of the term ‘you’ was also eliminated. Narratives seem to function as a conversation between the writer and the reader. The reader is encouraged and expected to react emotionally. Direct encounters expose and make the reader responsible for his or her prejudices about the poor and their perceptions. Lacy Johnson contrasts people’s perceptions of life with their own experiences in the tale (Hacker). It is intended to help people examine other’s experiences before they make judgments about them.