Nikki Giovanni wrote the poem “Choices” about how society can be affected by this otherness. Giovanni recognised the problem’s pervasiveness and tried to remedy it by showing how and what the consequences are for the people impacted. The poem’s persona shows the struggles of trying to live her own life while being subject to other parties, who try to exert major control. In the poem she expresses sorrow at not living the life she wanted. She explains how, despite disagreements with these conditions, she has to accept them. It is a long poem in which the main character complains about how society ignores each variation and dictates to her what she should do. Giovanni’s “Choices,” therefore, demonstrates how society doesn’t recognize different viewpoints and forces its members into a certain way, making the population reluctantly complacent, despite all the institutional failures.
People have different interests and methods of achieving their goals, and social and interpersonal pressures can lead to them not pursuing their goals. Although the charactera depicts her experience with a limited society, it is not unusual for many cultures to have strict regulations regarding the conduct of different groups. Societies interpret the norms according to their social identity, which can be identified by gender, age and color. This persona shows how society hinders her pursuit of the career and professions that she cares about. Her culture dictates the types of jobs that she can pursue. She says “If I don’t want to do what it takes, then I won’t be able to do it.” In the opposite, some communities and organisations discriminate against specific genders (e.g., non-binary) when it comes down to training and employment. Gender-based stereotypes in work are common across most cultures, even the United States (Rattan and Dweck 676). The goal is to be happy with what you have. She demonstrates the humiliation that people feel when conforming to social stereotypes about otherness.
Giovanni uses her poetry to express the theme of “otherness” in society. Her explanation of how society treats people with different views, talents and interests is a way to discriminate against them. However, she also explains the stereotypical attitude towards certain groups. Certain groups feel entitled by these systems, which give them an advantage over others that society considers minorities. Giovanni steers her audience away from these stereotypes, pointing out that many victims feel dissatisfied by conforming. Giovanni also emphasizes to victims that they are capable of challenging social norms and following their instincts.
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