Reflection #3: Audre Lorde
Summary of the book
“The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” is a collection of five essays by Audre Lorde, including and named for her piece that we read a few weeks ago. The other four essays in the volume explore the expression of feeling in Poetry Is Not a Luxury, sexuality and power in Uses of the Erotic, rage and the dangers of white feminism in Uses of Anger:Women Responding to Racism, and encouraging change in the present in Learning from the 1960s. While each essay has an overarching focus, major themes like womanhood, queerness, blackness, and marginality intertwine in each and play off each other. This represents Lorde herself as a self-proclaimed “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” who believed she could not separate her identities and needed to fight “the pressure to express only one [identity] to the exclusion of all others.” This is also one of the reasons I left this post uncategorized.
The pedagogical use of the book
I think this book could be used in a variety of ways for the language classroom as both a resource and classroom material. Teachers can use this to acquaint themselves with black, feminist, queer writing and educate themselves further in these struggles that some of their students might be facing. While these essays are short and could be accessible to some students, I would hesitate to assign them as reading material unless students were at an advanced level of English. There is a lot of academic vocabulary and the writing style could be challenging. However, I do think that using excerpts to supplement certain themes could enhance student understanding.
For example, I think poetry can be a difficult medium for some students (myself included in either English or Spanish) as they can get caught up in rhymes or meter. In Poetry is Not a Luxury, Lorde describes poetry as a vital step in the formation of ideas, not just the expression of a complete idea or feeling. Reminding students of this process and letting them free write might help loosen creative juices to convey their hopes and dreams that Lorde advocates to be put into action.
Another aspect of the essays that could be useful in class is the discussion around identity and intersectionality. As mentioned before, Lorde refused to separate out her identities and did not prescribe to a single-issue life, which helped introduce intersectionality into the feminist movement. Many times, in the classroom, we tend to silo issues as a way to make them digestible for our students. While this can be a good foundational approach, I think these issues need to be talked about concurrently so students can understand how they influence and interact with each other.
In advanced English classes, I think the individual essays could be assigned to increase knowledge of the history of oppressed groups and affiliated political organizations in US history and to use the essays to analyze the present-day social movements in the US.
Discussion points in the book for your students to reflect on
As mentioned before, these essays delve into a wide variety of issues that can be brought into the classroom. Some discussion questions I thought of while reading are below.
- These could be How does intersectionality relate to identity and justice?
- In what ways do our intersecting identities shape our perspectives and shape the way we experience the world?
- How do power and privilege impact the relationships people have with each other as well as with institutions?
How the book embodies/reflect the core concepts and issues we discussed in the class
Lorde’s work brings a deeply personal perspective to social justice writing about her own experiences with racism, sexism, and homophobia. Something that struck me was that these essays were written between 1977-1982 and everything still rings true today. In Learning from the 1960s, Lorde mentions the mistakes of the era and that while it advanced human and civil rights it also caused internal conflict among oppressed demographics. She says that we should not continue to make these mistakes but recognize that “revolution is not a one-time event” that needs ongoing action. Unfortunately, this essay feels like it could have been written today and I think there is still much to be learned from this work as Lorde says, “there are no new ideas… there are only old and forgotten ones, new combinations, extrapolations and recognitions from within ourselves – along with the renewed courage to try them out.”
Mia, I have not read these series of Lorde’s essays other than the “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” which I agree with you, would only be language appropriate in an advanced class unless grade-shaped. You have brought out many pertinent points that were touched on in our SJ class such as intersectionality. The one point you astutely made that was most interesting to me was that as times change, some attitudes don’t. That could be an activity for any class: analyze a behavior/attitude from years ago and compare it to today.
Mia,
Like Oliver, I am stuck by the closing quote to your reflection and had similar thoughts when reading my own selection: this is just the latest iteration of an age-old issue. Some days it’s harder to feel hopeful than others, but maybe Audre Lorde would be pleased to see that her concept of intersectionality is becoming more widely spoken of.
Wow! What a great reflection Mia! There were several things resonated with me but I think I like the part where you said “This is also one of the reasons I left this post uncategorized.” It is a very simple sentence – linguistics wise – but very powerful at the same time it is in a way showing me how you are actually taking the agency and ownership of your learning while also showing your understanding of the reading. Well done!
Your emphasis on embracing intersectionality in the classroom and the timelessness of Lordes messages about ongoing activism resonates powerfully with the enduring struggles for justice.
Medicare Insurance in Jensen Beach FL
While the essays may be accessible to That’s not my Neighbor some students due to their brevity, it’s essential to provide appropriate support and guidance, particularly for those grappling with complex topics such as racism, sexism, and homophobia.
Paito warna hk lengkap sebagai racikan angka main data hk terbaru malam ini
Paito HK
Paito Warna HK
Paito Hongkong
Paito Warna Hongkong
Data Warna HK
Mau gacor bosskuh ? Silahkan main di BO kesayangan anda
Kijangtoto
Kijang toto
Daftar Kijangtoto
Login Kijangtoto
Link Kijangtoto
Exploring concepts such as intersectionality, power dynamics, and the impact of identity on individuals’ experiences can help students develop a deeper understanding of social justice igrofresh issues and their own perspectives.
Exploring concepts such as intersectionality, power dynamics, and the impact of identity on individuals’ experiences can help students develop a deeper understanding of social justice issues and their own perspectives.
Anyone who can juggle multiple tasks with ease will fit right in with the Papa’s franchise. Your role in the Papa’s Games series is to assist with the management of a restaurant. Stay on top of things, though; orders can add up rapidly. Receive orders, cook the dish, and ensure client satisfaction to earn generous gratuities.