What is Abbott's name?

The name Abbott isn't exactly a common name. It's quite different and unique and when I was younger I struggled a little with it because it was so different. It wasn't that I didn't like my name, its just that people always found a way to complicate it either with the spelling or the pronunciation. Whenever I told someone my name, they would spell it as 'Abit' or 'Abbit' or something else of that variation. Conversely, whenever I wrote my name down, they would pronounce my name as 'Aboot' or 'Abut.' I always wished for a nickname so that I could avoid this complication, but the closest I got to one was Abbott the rabbit or Ab-Lounger (the 30 minute ab workout). 

 I don't have a remarkable story about how I got my name, I was simply named after one of my dad's closest friends (by the way his name was Abbott). I've never thought much about the definition of my name, which means the head of a religious community of monks living in a monastery, because I don't really that definition is important. I don't really think my name defines me; I believe my morals, actions and character are what represent who I am, and my name is just what all these things are attributed to. I believe that how I am perceived or remembered isn't by my name, rather by the things I've done or the way I've acted towards a certain person. 

The "two" Abbott are the Abbott at school and the Abbott out of school. The Abbott out of school is extremely goofy and funny. I mean you probably couldn't hold a conversation with me without both of us laughing in tears. This is because I've known my out of school folks for a looong time, and I'm comfortable with looking crazy in front of them. However, the Abbott in school is passive, not as funny (but still pretty funny), and a lot more serious. Frankly, I don't know why I have these two different sides, I guess it's just that I don't want to overwhelm people when I first meet them. I like to keep things "normal," until I get to know someone well. The biggest dilemma that comes from these two sides is when my school friends meet my out of school friends and I don't know which side to use in the conversation. Usually when this happens, I try to separate both friends, and talk with them individually, and if that doesn't work, I just slowly and kindly walk away from the conversation. 

Wing Young Huie & Margaret Atwood

Image Properties: 

• Author- Wing Young Huie
• Date of Publication- 2012
• Place of Publication- Minneapolis, MN

What do we see from just looking at it? 

At first glance, the viewer is drawn by the bright/intense red jackets of the individuals that contrasts with the lighter colors of the background. This background involves a store or supermarket, that sells both food and clothing.  The next "attention grabber" in the scene would be the signs that these individuals are holding. More than likely, the viewer would be drawn to the sign on the left because the text is larger and more legible. Interestingly, as the viewer scans the sign, either during or after, they'll probably look at faces of the individuals, as well as their current location (the supermarket). At this point, the viewer then begins to conceive ideas about the message of the image. Stereotyping and victim blaming, are the explicit messages stated through the text on the signs. "People Think I'm In A Gang"- refers to a misconception or stereotype of black males.  "Stay out of the wrong place" and "Be more careful" refer to the victim blaming of individuals when found in bad situations and wrongly accused. 

What do we see when we look deeper?

Looking deeper, the viewer can further interpret the theme of stereotyping and how it fits into this scene.The most recognizable connection to stereotyping can be made through the red jackets worn by both individuals. Red is a color that is associated with the Bloods, which are a notorious gang in the U.S. that is composed primarily of African Americans. Making the connection between the red color and the sign that reads "People think im in a gang...", gives the viewer insight on the author's message that how people dress or look doesn't or shouldn't affect the way they are perceived by others. A deeper analysis of the image also unveils an implied message to the viewer- ignorance. Ignorance can be defined as a lack of knowledge or facts about a situation or subject. This ignorance refers to the ignorance of society, and by using the sign that says "People think im in a gang [but] im in college" the author is implicitly saying that society fails to understand the actuality of the situation of this racial group, yet they ignorantly and falsely make claims about these individuals based on the way they look.

How do Margaret Atwood and Wing Young Huie present othering?

Atwood and Huie both present othering with the use of color. In The Handmaids Tale, the social classes within the women are separated by many things, and one of these is the color of the clothes they wear. The Handmaids are forced to wear red, the Wives wear blue, and the Marthas wear brown. The use of the color red is to show the Handmaids' inferiority to the other classes, in which they are still excepted, but looked down on as separate or alien from the society. Huie presents this same idea by dressing both individuals in red.Both the young man and woman are wearing red jackets and headwear (hat and hoodie), that contrasts with the background of their location. This contrast in color along with the lack of presence of any other people, creates a visual isolation of these two individuals. Along with this, the signs indicate that these individuals are misjudged and looked down upon by others. Similar to Atwood, Huie does this to express that although they are accepted in the society, they are still somewhat excluded or segregated because that are viewed different and negatively by other groups within their society.