April 7, 2025 - English Studies

“In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop: A Critical Analysis

“In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop first appeared in her 1976 Pulitzer Prize-winning collection Geography III.

Introduction: “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

“In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop first appeared in her 1976 Pulitzer Prize-winning collection Geography III. Set in Worcester, Massachusetts, during a visit to the dentist with her Aunt Consuelo, the poem captures a moment of sudden, unsettling self-awareness experienced by a young girl who realizes her connection to the adult world. Its popularity stems from Bishop’s vivid imagery and psychological depth, as she masterfully intertwines personal identity, childhood consciousness, and the overwhelming sense of shared humanity. The speaker, just shy of her seventh birthday, reads National Geographic and is confronted with unfamiliar images—“black, naked women with necks / wound round and round with wire”—which trigger a cascading awareness of mortality, gender, and selfhood. The pivotal moment comes when she hears her aunt’s cry and feels that “it was me: / my voice, in my mouth.” This merging of identities—“I—we—were falling”—underscores the poem’s central theme: the disorienting realization of being part of a larger, inexplicable human collective. Bishop’s subtle yet profound handling of these existential revelations is what cements the poem’s enduring relevance and critical acclaim.

Text: “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

In Worcester, Massachusetts,
I went with Aunt Consuelo
to keep her dentist’s appointment
and sat and waited for her
in the dentist’s waiting room.
It was winter. It got dark
early. The waiting room
was full of grown-up people,
arctics and overcoats,
lamps and magazines.
My aunt was inside
what seemed like a long time
and while I waited I read
the National Geographic
(I could read) and carefully
studied the photographs:
the inside of a volcano,
black, and full of ashes;
then it was spilling over
in rivulets of fire.
Osa and Martin Johnson
dressed in riding breeches,
laced boots, and pith helmets.
A dead man slung on a pole
—“Long Pig,” the caption said.
Babies with pointed heads
wound round and round with string;
black, naked women with necks
wound round and round with wire
like the necks of light bulbs.
Their breasts were horrifying.
I read it right straight through.
I was too shy to stop.
And then I looked at the cover:
the yellow margins, the date.
Suddenly, from inside,
came an oh! of pain
—Aunt Consuelo’s voice—
not very loud or long.
I wasn’t at all surprised;
even then I knew she was
a foolish, timid woman.
I might have been embarrassed,
but wasn’t. What took me
completely by surprise
was that it was me:
my voice, in my mouth.
Without thinking at all
I was my foolish aunt,
I—we—were falling, falling,
our eyes glued to the cover
of the National Geographic,
February, 1918.

I said to myself: three days
and you’ll be seven years old.
I was saying it to stop
the sensation of falling off
the round, turning world.
into cold, blue-black space.
But I felt: you are an I,
you are an Elizabeth,
you are one of them.
Why should you be one, too?
I scarcely dared to look
to see what it was I was.
I gave a sidelong glance
—I couldn’t look any higher—
at shadowy gray knees,
trousers and skirts and boots
and different pairs of hands
lying under the lamps.
I knew that nothing stranger
had ever happened, that nothing
stranger could ever happen.

Why should I be my aunt,
or me, or anyone?
What similarities—
boots, hands, the family voice
I felt in my throat, or even
the National Geographic
and those awful hanging breasts—
held us all together
or made us all just one?
How—I didn’t know any
word for it—how “unlikely”. . .
How had I come to be here,
like them, and overhear
a cry of pain that could have
got loud and worse but hadn’t?

The waiting room was bright
and too hot. It was sliding
beneath a big black wave,
another, and another.

Then I was back in it.
The War was on. Outside,
in Worcester, Massachusetts,
were night and slush and cold,
and it was still the fifth
of February, 1918.

Annotations: “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

Line	Explanation (Simple English)	Literary Device
In Worcester, Massachusetts,	Sets the scene in a real town, grounding the memory.	Setting
I went with Aunt Consuelo	Introduces the family relationship.	First-person narrative
to keep her dentist’s appointment	Explains the reason for the outing; mundane setting.	Narrative detail
and sat and waited for her	Highlights waiting; builds tension.	Foreshadowing
in the dentist’s waiting room.	Reinforces the place of reflection.	Setting
It was winter. It got dark	Suggests mood and time; cold and early darkness.	Imagery
early. The waiting room	Emphasizes the quiet tension of waiting.	Repetition
was full of grown-up people,	Child’s observation of the adult world.	Contrast / Perspective
arctics and overcoats,	Shows details of winter attire; creates mood.	Visual Imagery
lamps and magazines.	Objects in the room build realistic atmosphere.	Imagery
My aunt was inside	Begins the passage of subjective time.	Time perception
what seemed like a long time	Shows child’s distortion of time.	Hyperbole
and while I waited I read	Child engages with reading to pass time.	Narrative flow
the National Geographic	Introduces the trigger for deeper reflection.	Symbolism
(I could read) and carefully	Reveals pride and growing awareness.	Parenthesis / Character insight
studied the photographs:	Indicates detailed and attentive observation.	Visual Imagery
the inside of a volcano,	Begins strange, foreign imagery.	Symbolism / Imagery
black, and full of ashes;	Suggests danger, death, or destruction.	Dark Imagery
then it was spilling over	Volcano becomes a metaphor for emotional eruption.	Metaphor
in rivulets of fire.	Vivid and frightening imagery.	Visual Imagery
Osa and Martin Johnson	Names famous explorers; connects to exoticism.	Allusion
dressed in riding breeches,	Describes their appearance; part of foreignness.	Historical detail
laced boots, and pith helmets.	Reinforces colonial exploration theme.	Symbolism
A dead man slung on a pole	Shocking image; early exposure to death.	Graphic Imagery
—“Long Pig,” the caption said.	Introduces cultural strangeness and violence.	Irony / Juxtaposition
Babies with pointed heads	Displays unfamiliar customs.	Cultural imagery
wound round and round with string;	Depicts exotic practices with tension.	Visual Imagery
black, naked women with necks	Presents bodies as strange and disturbing.	Contrast / Objectification
wound round and round with wire	Repetition emphasizes shock and strangeness.	Repetition / Visual Imagery
like the necks of light bulbs.	Childlike comparison; shows discomfort.	Simile
Their breasts were horrifying.	Expresses fear and confusion about the body.	Tone / Innocence vs Experience
I read it right straight through.	Child is engrossed despite discomfort.	Stream of consciousness
I was too shy to stop.	Reflects innocence and social fear.	Characterization
And then I looked at the cover:	Marks return from disturbing content.	Shift in focus
the yellow margins, the date.	Fixes the moment in history.	Symbolism / Time marker
Suddenly, from inside,	A sudden interruption breaks the child’s focus.	Juxtaposition
came an oh! of pain	A physical cry introduces emotional realization.	Auditory imagery
—Aunt Consuelo’s voice—	Recognition of a familiar voice connects inner and outer world.	Identity
not very loud or long.	Downplays the cry, making the emotional impact more subtle.	Understatement
I wasn’t at all surprised;	Reveals emotional maturity or numbness.	Tone
even then I knew she was	Shows reflective awareness at a young age.	Character Insight
a foolish, timid woman.	Child’s judgment of her aunt’s personality.	Irony
I might have been embarrassed,	Expected social reaction is introduced.	Social commentary
but wasn’t. What took me	Defies expectations—child experiences deeper realization.	Epiphany
completely by surprise	Signals the start of psychological transformation.	Tone Shift
was that it was me:	Startling identity confusion begins.	Symbolism
my voice, in my mouth.	Identity blurs with her aunt’s—an existential moment.	Metaphor
Without thinking at all	Instinctive reaction signals depth of feeling.	Stream of consciousness
I was my foolish aunt,	Suggests merging of identities and roles.	Surrealism
I—we—were falling, falling,	Repetition mimics emotional and existential descent.	Repetition / Symbolism
our eyes glued to the cover	Attempt to hold onto reality or grounding point.	Symbolism
of the National Geographic,	The trigger of the experience is ever-present.	Symbol / Frame device
February, 1918.	Anchors the moment in historical time.	Time marker
I said to myself: three days	Self-talk shows awareness of time and self.	Inner monologue
and you’ll be seven years old.	Milestone indicates coming of age.	Symbolism
I was saying it to stop	Conscious effort to fight overwhelming realization.	Conflict
the sensation of falling off	Loss of control over one’s self and place in the world.	Metaphor
the round, turning world.	Emphasizes the vastness and uncertainty of existence.	Cosmic Imagery
into cold, blue-black space.	Evokes fear, isolation, and alienation.	Visual Imagery
But I felt: you are an I,	Begins the existential revelation of individuality.	Philosophical reflection
you are an Elizabeth,	Naming herself affirms her identity.	Identity
you are one of them.	Connects her to the larger human community.	Universalism
Why should you be one, too?	Begins deep questioning of existence.	Rhetorical Question
I scarcely dared to look	Hesitation indicates fear of self-recognition.	Suspense
to see what it was I was.	Exploration of self and perception.	Existentialism
I gave a sidelong glance	She attempts a partial look—suggests fear or restraint.	Symbolism
—I couldn’t look any higher—	Avoidance of full truth or recognition.	Visual limitation
at shadowy gray knees,	Concrete imagery anchors vague fears.	Imagery
trousers and skirts and boots	Represents the anonymous adult world.	Synecdoche
and different pairs of hands	Humanity shown through common features.	Symbolism
lying under the lamps.	Suggests artificial clarity or exposure.	Imagery
I knew that nothing stranger	Realization of the surreal nature of the moment.	Irony
had ever happened, that nothing	Heightens significance of personal awakening.	Hyperbole
stranger could ever happen.	Declares the climax of her awareness.	Epiphany
Why should I be my aunt,	Deep philosophical identity question.	Rhetorical Question
or me, or anyone?	Further confusion of selfhood and being.	Existentialism
What similarities—	Begins analysis of connection between humans.	Reflection
boots, hands, the family voice	Physical and vocal features create unity.	Synecdoche
I felt in my throat, or even	Shared voice shows deep familial or human link.	Symbolism
the National Geographic	Continues to frame entire event as book-triggered.	Motif
and those awful hanging breasts—	Image persists, tying personal horror to universality.	Shock Imagery
held us all together	Points to universal human connection.	Theme
or made us all just one?	Questions individuality vs. unity.	Philosophical Question
How—I didn’t know any	Acknowledges limited vocabulary for complex feelings.	Irony
word for it—how “unlikely”. . .	Mystery and improbability of identity realization.	Ambiguity
How had I come to be here,	Questions fate and personal history.	Reflection
like them, and overhear	Suggests merging into the adult world.	Identity loss
a cry of pain that could have	Points to potential suffering in all lives.	Symbolism
got loud and worse but hadn’t?	Hints at suppressed or avoided emotional pain.	Understatement
The waiting room was bright	Shift back to external world; heightened awareness.	Imagery
and too hot. It was sliding	Discomfort mirrors emotional intensity.	Atmosphere
beneath a big black wave,	Metaphor for emotional overwhelm.	Symbolism
another, and another.	Suggests repetition of these moments in life.	Repetition
Then I was back in it.	Returns from a trance-like state.	Transition
The War was on. Outside,	Historical context anchors the moment.	Allusion
in Worcester, Massachusetts,	Repeats opening line to bring closure.	Circular Structure
were night and slush and cold,	Harsh physical world contrasts inner storm.	Imagery
and it was still the fifth	Returns to calendar moment.	Time marker
of February, 1918.	Reinforces historical context and personal moment.	Closure

Literary And Poetic Devices: “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

Device	Definition	Example from Poem	Explanation (Simple English)
Allusion	Reference to a well-known person, place, or event	Osa and Martin Johnson	Refers to real-life explorers, adding realism and context.
Ambiguity	Language with unclear or multiple meanings	how “unlikely”…	Expresses confusion about identity and existence.
Anaphora	Repetition of a word or phrase at the start of lines	you are an I, you are an Elizabeth, you are one of them	Emphasizes her realization of belonging and identity.
Atmosphere	The emotional tone or mood of a scene	The waiting room was bright and too hot	Creates an uncomfortable, tense emotional setting.
Auditory Imagery	Words that appeal to the sense of sound	came an oh! of pain	Helps readers imagine the cry she hears.
Contrast	Difference between two opposing ideas/images	grown-up people vs. a child narrator	Highlights the gap between childhood and adulthood.
Epiphany	A sudden, deep realization or insight	I—we—were falling, falling	Shows a moment of shocking self-awareness and identity crisis.
Existentialism	Concern with existence, identity, and meaning	Why should I be my aunt, or me, or anyone?	Raises big questions about who we are and why we exist.
Imagery (Visual)	Descriptive language that appeals to sight	black, naked women with necks wound round and round with wire	Helps visualize the shocking, unfamiliar magazine pictures.
Irony	A surprising contrast between expectation and reality	I wasn’t at all surprised (by the scream)	It’s unexpected that she doesn’t react like a typical child.
Juxtaposition	Placing two things side-by-side to show contrast	the National Geographic vs. the cry of pain	Puts disturbing images next to personal experience.
Metaphor	A direct comparison without using “like” or “as”	falling off / the round, turning world	Represents the emotional disorientation she feels.
Motif	A recurring element or idea in a work	the National Geographic magazine	Keeps appearing and serves as the trigger for reflection.
Narrative Voice	The voice telling the story (often the speaker)	I went with Aunt Consuelo	Told from a first-person child perspective, shaping our understanding.
Perspective (Child’s)	The world seen through a child’s understanding	I could read… I was too shy to stop	Shows limited, innocent view that becomes complex.
Realism	Writing that closely reflects real life	Worcester, Massachusetts… dentist’s waiting room	Sets a believable, ordinary scene.
Repetition	Using the same words or phrases multiple times	falling, falling	Reflects confusion and emotional descent.
Symbolism	An object or image that represents a bigger idea	National Geographic	Symbolizes the bridge between childhood and adult knowledge.
Tone	The speaker’s attitude or emotional expression	Their breasts were horrifying.	Conveys a mix of fear, confusion, and judgment.
Time Marker	Specific time reference that grounds the narrative	February, 1918	Gives historical context and a sense of personal memory.

Themes: “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

1. Identity and Self-Awareness

In “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop, one of the central themes is the sudden awakening of personal identity. The child speaker experiences a profound realization that she is not just a passive observer but a distinct individual—“you are an I, you are an Elizabeth, you are one of them”. This startling self-recognition occurs when she hears her aunt cry out in pain and feels that “it was me: my voice, in my mouth.” The merging of voices triggers a moment of existential awareness, highlighting the thin boundary between self and others. The speaker’s question—“Why should I be my aunt, or me, or anyone?”—reveals the shock of realizing that individual identity is both inherited and shared, marking a child’s transition into the adult world of consciousness.

2. The Universality of Human Experience

Elizabeth Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room” explores the idea that all human beings are connected through shared experiences, sensations, and bodies. As the young narrator examines the pages of National Geographic, she is overwhelmed by images of people from other cultures—“black, naked women with necks wound round and round with wire”—and is startled not just by their physical appearance but by the realization that she, too, is a body, a person like them. This dawning awareness culminates in the question: “What similarities—boots, hands, the family voice… held us all together or made us all just one?” Through these lines, Bishop reflects on the unifying aspects of humanity—physicality, language, suffering—despite cultural or geographical difference.

3. The Loss of Innocence

The theme of losing childhood innocence is central to “In the Waiting Room”, as Elizabeth Bishop describes a pivotal moment when the speaker is confronted with the harsh realities of the adult world. The magazine’s shocking photographs—“A dead man slung on a pole,” and “those awful hanging breasts”—serve as early exposures to death, violence, and sexuality. These images contrast sharply with the child’s earlier innocence and comfort. Her experience in the waiting room becomes a metaphor for the psychological space between childhood and adulthood. This is a moment of irreversible understanding, where the child realizes she is part of a broader, sometimes terrifying human reality.

4. Time and Historical Consciousness

“In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop also meditates on time and historical presence. The poem is rooted in a specific historical moment—“February, 1918”—and alludes to “The War” (World War I), anchoring the personal experience in a wider social and historical reality. The young speaker becomes aware not just of herself, but of the world outside the dentist’s office—“The War was on. Outside, in Worcester, Massachusetts, were night and slush and cold.” This juxtaposition of private epiphany and public history creates a layered sense of time, where personal growth and global events unfold in parallel. The awareness that “it was still the fifth of February, 1918” symbolizes a moment frozen in memory—both ordinary and momentous.

Literary Theories and “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

Theory	Definition	Example from Poem	Application/Explanation
Psychoanalytic Theory	Focuses on unconscious desires, identity, and childhood experiences.	“I—we—were falling, falling… you are an I, you are an Elizabeth…”	The speaker’s inner conflict and sudden identity crisis reflect Freud’s ideas of ego formation and the fragmentation of self. The merging of voices (hers and her aunt’s) suggests subconscious confusion between self and other.
Postcolonial Theory	Examines power, race, and representation of the “Other.”	“black, naked women with necks wound round and round with wire”	The poem critiques exotic representations of non-Western bodies in National Geographic. The child’s discomfort reflects the Western gaze and the problematic portrayal of racialized subjects.
Coming-of-Age (Bildungsroman) Approach	Analyzes a young character’s psychological and moral development.	“I said to myself: three days / and you’ll be seven years old.”	The poem portrays a pivotal moment of transition from childhood innocence to self-awareness. The confrontation with mortality, identity, and belonging marks a rite of passage.
New Historicism	Analyzes literature in relation to historical and cultural contexts.	“The War was on… February, 1918.”	The personal moment is anchored in global events. The poem reflects how individual identity and trauma are shaped by historical forces like WWI, colonialism, and gender roles of the time.

Critical Questions about “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

1. How does “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop portray the sudden emergence of self-identity?

In Elizabeth Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room”, the speaker experiences a jarring moment of self-awareness that marks her psychological development. This awakening is triggered by hearing her Aunt Consuelo’s cry—“an oh! of pain”—which unexpectedly echoes within the speaker: “What took me completely by surprise / was that it was me: / my voice, in my mouth.” This uncanny doubling blurs the boundary between child and adult, self and other, suggesting an early, almost traumatic confrontation with the concept of individuality. The repeated phrase “falling, falling” emphasizes her loss of stability as she realizes “you are an I, you are an Elizabeth, you are one of them.” Through this episode, the poem encapsulates the frightening beauty of becoming aware of one’s existence.

2. How does “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop explore the connection between individual identity and collective humanity?

In “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop, the young speaker grapples with her place in a vast and strange human world. While flipping through National Geographic, she encounters images of women and cultural practices that deeply unsettle her: “black, naked women with necks / wound round and round with wire / like the necks of light bulbs.” Though at first alien and disturbing, these images spark a realization that she shares something essential with them. Her reflections—“What similarities… held us all together or made us all just one?”—point to the poem’s theme of shared humanity. Bishop suggests that despite surface-level differences, there is a universal physical and emotional connection that binds us across cultures and ages.

3. What role does trauma or discomfort play in shaping awareness in “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop?

Elizabeth Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room” hinges on the emotional disturbance caused by discomfort, which acts as the catalyst for the speaker’s existential transformation. The images in National Geographic—“a dead man slung on a pole” and “those awful hanging breasts”—expose the child to concepts of death, pain, and physicality. These foreign yet viscerally real images unsettle her protected worldview. The physical setting adds to this discomfort—“The waiting room was bright and too hot”—mirroring her emotional unease. Bishop uses discomfort not as a passing feeling but as the essential condition under which deep awareness is born. It’s through this overwhelming tension that the child steps into a new, more conscious phase of life.

4. How does “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop reflect on time and historical awareness through personal memory?

In “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop, time operates both as a backdrop and as a theme that shapes the child’s perception of self. The narrator repeatedly anchors her experience in historical detail—“February, 1918… The War was on.” This precise timestamp gives weight to what might otherwise seem like an ordinary memory. The personal and historical intersect as the child’s realization of her identity unfolds within a world shaped by global conflict and adult concerns. The repetition of “it was still the fifth of February, 1918” at the poem’s close suggests that the memory has frozen in time, permanently etched into the speaker’s consciousness. Bishop uses time not merely as setting but as a lens through which personal experience gains significance and permanence.

Literary Works Similar to “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot
Similarity: Like Bishop’s poem, this work delves into the inner psyche and self-consciousness of the speaker, exploring isolation and identity through introspective monologue.
“The Applicant” by Sylvia Plath
Similarity: This poem shares Bishop’s critical tone on societal expectations and human conformity, using surreal and disturbing imagery to highlight personal and collective identity.

“Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas
Similarity: Thomas reflects on childhood and the passage of time, much like Bishop’s speaker does during her transition from innocence to awareness.
“Digging” by Seamus Heaney
Similarity: Both poems use vivid memory and physical detail to explore the shaping of identity, bridging personal history with broader cultural or familial ties.

Representative Quotations of “In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop

Quotation with Symbol	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“In Worcester, Massachusetts,”	Opens the poem with a grounded, specific location. Establishes realism and personal memory.	New Historicism
“I went with Aunt Consuelo”	Introduces the speaker’s close familial connection and dependency.	Feminist / Psychoanalytic
“the inside of a volcano, black, and full of ashes”	Describes a vivid and frightening image in the National Geographic; represents chaos.	Postcolonial / Symbolism
“came an oh! of pain — Aunt Consuelo’s voice —”	This ordinary cry initiates the speaker’s existential unraveling.	Psychoanalytic
“What took me completely by surprise was that it was me: my voice, in my mouth.”	Speaker identifies herself in the cry, blurring self/other boundary.	Psychoanalytic / Existentialism
“I—we—were falling, falling,”	The speaker enters a psychological and emotional free-fall.	Stream of Consciousness / Psychoanalytic
“you are an I, you are an Elizabeth, you are one of them.”	The moment of personal and human recognition.	Existentialism / Identity Theory
“Why should I be my aunt, or me, or anyone?”	Raises questions about identity, agency, and existence.	Existentialism / Psychoanalytic
“What similarities—boots, hands, the family voice… held us all together or made us all just one?”	Suggests a collective human identity beyond the individual.	Postcolonial / Humanism
“February, 1918.”	Marks the moment historically, tying personal awakening to a global context.	New Historicism

“Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa: A Critical Analysis

“Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa first appeared in Magic City (1992), a poetry collection that explores the complexities of childhood, race, memory, and the American South.

Introduction: “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

“Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa first appeared in Magic City (1992), a poetry collection that explores the complexities of childhood, race, memory, and the American South. This poignant and richly textured poem recounts a young boy’s experience of picking blackberries, weaving together themes of innocence, economic hardship, and racial consciousness. The poem’s popularity lies in its evocative sensory imagery—”terrestrial sweetness,” “mud frogs in rich blackness”—and its layered symbolism, where blackberries represent both natural abundance and societal tension. The boy’s dual act of eating and collecting berries mirrors his liminal state, “limboed between worlds,” between childhood joy and social awareness. The smirking children in the back seat of the “big blue car” and the poet’s sudden recollection of “fingers burning with thorns” underscore a moment of racialized class divide and internalized shame. Komunyakaa’s compelling juxtaposition of beauty and pain, innocence and awareness, makes this poem enduringly powerful.

Text: “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

They left my hands like a printer’s
Or thief’s before a police blotter
& pulled me into early morning’s
Terrestrial sweetness, so thick
The damp ground was consecrated
Where they fell among a garland of thorns.

Although I could smell old lime-covered
History, at ten I’d still hold out my hands
& berries fell into them. Eating from one
& filling a half gallon with the other,
I ate the mythology & dreamt
Of pies & cobbler, almost

Needful as forgiveness. My bird dog Spot
Eyed blue jays & thrashers. The mud frogs
In rich blackness, hid from daylight.
An hour later, beside City Limits Road
I balanced a gleaming can in each hand,
Limboed between worlds, repeating one dollar.

The big blue car made me sweat.
Wintertime crawled out of the windows.
When I leaned closer I saw the boy
& girl my age, in the wide back seat
Smirking, & it was then I remembered my fingers
Burning with thorns among berries too ripe to touch.

Annotations: “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

Line from Poem	Simple Explanation	Literary Devices
They left my hands like a printer’s / Or thief’s before a police blotter	His hands were stained, showing either honest work or guilt.	Simile, Imagery
& pulled me into early morning’s / Terrestrial sweetness, so thick	The berries’ scent and taste pulled him into nature’s richness.	Imagery, Personification
The damp ground was consecrated / Where they fell among a garland of thorns.	The earth felt sacred, even with painful thorns.	Religious Allusion, Contrast
Although I could smell old lime-covered / History, at ten I’d still hold out my hands	Even though he sensed a dark history, he still picked berries.	Sensory Imagery, Symbolism
& berries fell into them. Eating from one / & filling a half gallon with the other,	He ate and worked at the same time—pleasure and necessity.	Parallelism
I ate the mythology & dreamt / Of pies & cobbler, almost / Needful as forgiveness.	He dreamed of comforting food, which felt like emotional healing.	Metaphor, Allusion
My bird dog Spot / Eyed blue jays & thrashers.	His dog watched birds, adding to the quiet rural atmosphere.	Personification
The mud frogs / In rich blackness, hid from daylight.	Frogs stayed hidden in dark soil—mysterious or shy.	Imagery, Symbolism
An hour later, beside City Limits Road / I balanced a gleaming can in each hand,	After picking, he stood near town boundaries with full cans.	Symbolism, Imagery
Limboed between worlds, repeating one dollar.	He felt stuck between different social roles while selling berries.	Metaphor
The big blue car made me sweat.	A fancy car made him feel anxious or uncomfortable.	Symbolism
Wintertime crawled out of the windows.	The coldness from the car felt emotionally distant.	Personification, Metaphor
When I leaned closer I saw the boy / & girl my age, in the wide back seat / Smirking,	Children in the car mocked him, showing social or racial tension.	Irony, Juxtaposition
& it was then I remembered my fingers / Burning with thorns among berries too ripe to touch.	He recalled the pain and sharpness of picking—symbolic of deeper wounds.	Flashback, Imagery

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

Device	Definition	Example from Poem	Explanation
Allusion	A reference to history, myth, religion, or culture	“I ate the mythology & dreamt”	Suggests deeper ancestral or cultural meanings in the act of eating
Assonance	Repetition of vowel sounds in close words	“Eating from one / & filling a half gallon with the other”	Soft vowel repetition adds musical flow and rhythm
Contrast	Opposing images or ideas placed together	“Consecrated / Where they fell among a garland of thorns”	Pairs sacredness with pain to emphasize complex beauty
Enjambment	Continuation of a sentence beyond line breaks	Throughout poem: lines flow into the next without punctuation	Mimics memory or breathless movement of thought
Flashback	A sudden return to a past moment	“I remembered my fingers / Burning with thorns”	Sudden shift reveals emotional weight of a past experience
Hyperbole	Intentional exaggeration for effect	“So thick / The damp ground was consecrated”	Amplifies the spiritual feel of the moment picking berries
Imagery	Language that appeals to the senses	“Burning with thorns,” “mud frogs in rich blackness”	Creates a vivid, tactile world that the reader can feel and see
Irony	A contrast between appearance and reality	“Smirking” kids who should relate mock him instead	Shows class divide and hidden cruelty among equals
Juxtaposition	Side-by-side placement for contrast	“like a printer’s / Or thief’s”	Labor vs. crime—same result (stained hands), different meanings
Metaphor	Implied comparison (no “like” or “as”)	“Wintertime crawled out of the windows”	Emotionally cold atmosphere likened to literal winter air
Mood	Emotional atmosphere or feeling of the piece	Moves from joyful to shameful	Reflects tension between childhood innocence and social realities
Parallelism	Repetition of grammatical structure	“Eating from one / & filling…with the other”	Emphasizes balance between pleasure and survival
Personification	Giving human traits to non-human things	“Wintertime crawled out of the windows”	Cold becomes an almost threatening presence, not just weather
Sensory Imagery	Appeals directly to smell, taste, etc.	“I could smell old lime-covered / History”	Evokes deeper historical trauma through smell
Simile	Comparison using “like” or “as”	“like a printer’s / Or thief’s”	Shows complexity of his role: worker or outsider?
Social Commentary	Critique of societal issues	“repeating one dollar,” “the big blue car”	Exposes racial/class divide subtly but clearly
Symbolism	One thing represents another meaning	“berries,” “thorns,” “city limits”	Berries = growth & burden; thorns = pain; limits = division
Synecdoche	A part represents the whole	“fingers burning with thorns”	Part (fingers) stands in for the full, painful experience
Tone	The poet’s attitude toward the subject	From warm nostalgia to unease	Reflects growing awareness and discomfort in the speaker
Voice	The unique personality or style in the poem	First-person, vivid, honest	Komunyakaa’s voice is rich in memory and social awareness

Themes: “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

1. Innocence and Childhood Memory

“Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa tenderly reflects on the speaker’s childhood, capturing moments of simplicity, wonder, and sensory pleasure. The early lines—“Eating from one / & filling a half gallon with the other”—evoke a boy immersed in both enjoyment and small responsibility, highlighting the balance between play and purpose. The act of berry-picking symbolizes a pure interaction with nature, unburdened by adult concerns. The dreamy longing in “I ate the mythology & dreamt / Of pies & cobbler, almost / Needful as forgiveness” portrays a child’s imagination blending hunger, tradition, and emotional desire. Through this nostalgic tone, the poem invites readers into a sacred, earthy ritual that is both personal and universal.

2. Racial and Social Awareness

“Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa gradually shifts from innocence to a deeper awareness of racial and social hierarchies. This transition becomes especially clear in the scene near “City Limits Road,” where the speaker stands with berries to sell, “Limboed between worlds, repeating one dollar.” This moment represents a liminal space—not only between physical boundaries, but between racial identities and social classes. The “big blue car” and the “boy & girl…smirking” from the back seat symbolize privilege and disdain, as the speaker becomes suddenly self-conscious of his stained hands, “burning with thorns among berries too ripe to touch.” These thorns metaphorically represent the sharp realization of social exclusion and racial difference, cutting through the boy’s innocence.

3. Pain and Sacrifice

“Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa also explores the theme of hidden labor and the physical and emotional toll it takes, even on a child. The poem repeatedly contrasts beauty with subtle violence: “The damp ground was consecrated / Where they fell among a garland of thorns.” While berries symbolize nourishment and sweetness, the thorns remind readers that such rewards come with suffering. The line “my fingers / Burning with thorns among berries too ripe to touch” marks a turning point—it’s no longer just about fruit, but about labor, hurt, and experiences that are inaccessible or damaging. This theme resonates with broader stories of survival and sacrifice, especially in marginalized communities where pleasure is often intertwined with pain.

4. Nature and Its Duality

“Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa is deeply rooted in the natural world, presenting it as both nurturing and harsh. The poem opens with the tactile richness of early morning: “Terrestrial sweetness, so thick / The damp ground was consecrated.” Nature is sacred and generous—providing food, beauty, and spiritual grounding. Yet it is also dangerous, as seen in “a garland of thorns” and the hidden frogs “in rich blackness, hid from daylight.” These images suggest that nature mirrors human life: full of both comfort and conflict, sweetness and sting. This duality reinforces the idea that growth (both in fruit and in people) comes through navigating both bounty and barriers.

Literary Theories and “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

Literary Theory Applications: “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

Theory	Description	Application to the Poem (with references)
Psychoanalytic Theory	Focuses on unconscious desires, memory, trauma, and emotional development	The speaker’s childhood memory is rich in unconscious meaning. The shift from joy to discomfort—“Smirking” children, “fingers burning with thorns”—reveals buried feelings of shame and identity conflict. His dream of pies and cobbler hints at emotional longing and perhaps unmet needs.
Marxist Theory	Analyzes power, class struggle, labor, and economics in literature	The poem’s contrast between the boy and the “big blue car” speaks to class divide. The child selling berries “repeating one dollar” reflects the commodification of his labor and his position in an unequal economy. The “City Limits Road” marks both a physical and class boundary.
Postcolonial Theory	Explores identity, race, cultural history, and effects of colonization	Komunyakaa subtly critiques racial and historical oppression, with “lime-covered / history” alluding to buried trauma, possibly slavery or racial violence. The speaker’s stained hands and unease reflect internalized racial consciousness, and the mockery from others highlights ongoing societal marginalization.
Ecocriticism	Studies the relationship between literature and the natural world	Nature is portrayed as both nurturing and punishing: “terrestrial sweetness” vs. “a garland of thorns.” The natural world mirrors the speaker’s inner life and social reality—fruitful but painful, beautiful yet bound by danger. Frogs hiding in “rich blackness” add to nature’s mysterious, shadowy role.

Critical Questions about “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

1. What role does nature play in shaping the speaker’s experience?

Answer: In “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa, nature is both a nurturing and humbling force. The speaker is drawn into “terrestrial sweetness, so thick / The damp ground was consecrated,” suggesting that the natural world offers both physical and spiritual richness. Yet this sweetness is not without pain—berries fall “among a garland of thorns,” and his “fingers [burn] with thorns among berries too ripe to touch.” Nature, in this sense, mirrors the complexity of human life: full of beauty and risk. It provides the speaker with sustenance and dreams, but also reminds him of boundaries and the cost of desire.

2. How does the poem explore the tension between innocence and societal awareness?

Answer: In “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa, the speaker begins as a ten-year-old immersed in the wonder of nature and memory—“Eating from one / & filling a half gallon with the other.” This joyful routine suggests innocence and simplicity. However, this is disrupted when he encounters the “big blue car” and the “boy & girl…smirking” from the back seat. This moment introduces the sting of class and social difference, making him feel exposed and ashamed. The line “Limboed between worlds, repeating one dollar” captures his sudden awareness that his childhood activity is also labor, and that others see it differently. This tension reflects a child’s growing realization of the world’s inequalities.

3. What does the phrase “City Limits Road” symbolize in the poem?

Answer: In “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa, “City Limits Road” is more than just a physical boundary—it symbolizes a liminal space between rural innocence and urban judgment, between comfort and discomfort. It’s here that the speaker “balanced a gleaming can in each hand,” showing that he is literally and figuratively carrying the weight of his efforts. The road marks a point where the private joy of berry-picking meets public scrutiny. The “big blue car” and the “smirking” children reflect the tension of crossing into a world where his labor is undervalued and he is not seen as equal. Thus, this road serves as a powerful metaphor for societal barriers.

4. How does memory function in shaping the emotional tone of the poem?

Answer: “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa is deeply rooted in the speaker’s memory, creating a tone that shifts from nostalgic to haunting. The poem begins with a sense of reverence and delight—“I ate the mythology & dreamt / Of pies & cobbler, almost / Needful as forgiveness.” These lines suggest emotional warmth and longing. But memory also brings discomfort. The speaker recalls “my fingers / Burning with thorns,” a painful flashback that contrasts with earlier sweetness. This shift in memory reflects how the past is never one-dimensional; it is filled with both joy and sorrow, especially when filtered through growing awareness of identity, race, and class.

Literary Works Similar to “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

“Blackberry-Picking” by Seamus Heaney
➤ Both poems use blackberries as metaphors for youth, desire, and fleeting sweetness, intertwining sensory imagery with the pains of growing up.
“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden
➤ Explores childhood memory and belated awareness, just like Komunyakaa’s work—blending gratitude, labor, and emotional complexity in reflection.

“The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop
➤ Shares Komunyakaa’s attention to detailed natural imagery and a moment of personal revelation, filtered through close observation.
“Digging” by Seamus Heaney
➤ Like Komunyakaa’s poem, this explores manual labor, heritage, and identity, with a focus on a young narrator observing and reflecting.
“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
➤ While more concise, it similarly deals with youth, societal boundaries, and racial identity, framed through the voice of marginalized experience.

Representative Quotations of “Blackberries” by Yusef Komunyakaa

Quotation	Context in Poem	Theoretical Perspective (Bold)
“They left my hands like a printer’s / Or thief’s before a police blotter.”	Describes the stain left on his hands after picking berries; innocence vs. guilt.	Psychoanalytic Theory – Dual identity, subconscious guilt
“Pulled me into early morning’s / Terrestrial sweetness, so thick…”	Early sensory experience of picking berries, rich with beauty.	Ecocriticism – Nature as immersive and sacred
“The damp ground was consecrated / Where they fell among a garland of thorns.”	Nature’s richness is framed as sacred, though painful.	Religious Symbolism / Postcolonial Theory – Pain woven into cultural memory
“Although I could smell old lime-covered / History…”	Refers to buried past—possibly racial trauma or historical violence.	Postcolonial Theory – Memory and suppressed racial history
“Eating from one / & filling a half gallon with the other.”	He enjoys berries while also collecting them to sell—work and pleasure merge.	Marxist Theory – Labor and commodity in rural life
“I ate the mythology & dreamt / Of pies & cobbler, almost / Needful as forgiveness.”	Berry-eating turns into a deeper emotional and cultural experience.	Psychoanalytic Theory – Desire, memory, healing
“Beside City Limits Road / I balanced a gleaming can in each hand.”	Speaker stands on the edge—socially, racially, and geographically.	Structuralism – Liminal space between two worlds
“Limboed between worlds, repeating one dollar.”	A striking symbol of social and economic marginalization.	Marxist Theory – Repetition as labor, self-valuation
“The big blue car made me sweat.”	Symbol of privilege and alienation; physical and emotional discomfort.	Marxist & Racial Critique – Class anxiety and racial tension
“Fingers burning with thorns among berries too ripe to touch.”	Physical pain as metaphor for social or racial awareness.	Postcolonial Theory – The cost of reaching for sweetness (privilege, access)

“Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess: Summary and Critique

“Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess first appeared in the Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies in 2006 (Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 201–214), and was published online on January 19, 2007, by Routledge.

Introduction: “Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess

“Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess first appeared in the Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies in 2006 (Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 201–214), and was published online on January 19, 2007, by Routledge. As a pivotal contribution to cultural studies and media theory, the article explores how digital storytelling—a form where ordinary people produce short autobiographical films—redefines participation, creativity, and agency in the age of networked media. Burgess critiques celebratory narratives of user empowerment and “creative consumers,” arguing instead for a more grounded approach centered on vernacular creativity: creative practices that emerge from non-elite, everyday cultural contexts. This notion challenges the elitist dichotomy between high art and amateur production and emphasizes the dignity and affective power of ordinary voices. Situating digital storytelling as both a media form and a site of democratic participation, Burgess bridges critical theory with participatory practice, revealing how affective presence, sincerity, and self-representation reshape the politics of voice, access, and cultural legitimacy in new media. Her work continues to resonate in literary theory and cultural studies for its call to “listen” rather than theorize over the everyday stories that lie at the margins of dominant cultural production.

Summary of “Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess

Amplifying the Ordinary Voice: A Cultural Studies Imperative

Jean Burgess opens by affirming that cultural studies must engage seriously with everyday or amateur media production, particularly as digital tools allow ordinary individuals to express themselves (Burgess, 2006, p. 201). She notes that these expressions, often dismissed as marginal or trivial, are deeply political and cultural acts:
“Recent developments in the uses of new media have ethical and methodological implications for cultural studies” (p. 201).

Vernacular Creativity: Redefining Cultural Production

Burgess introduces vernacular creativity as a concept that describes how people remix everyday language and cultural forms into creative expressions rooted in non-elite, lived experience.
She states that it “illuminates creative practices that emerge from highly particular and non-elite social contexts” (p. 206).
Unlike elitist definitions of creativity, this perspective centers on “recombining available cultural resources in ways that are both familiar and innovative” (p. 206).

Cultural Participation vs. Commodification

While the rise of user-generated content and blogging may suggest empowerment, Burgess is cautious. She critiques overly celebratory views that digital tools alone ensure democracy.
She writes, “The mere fact of productivity in itself is not sufficient grounds for celebration… we must also ask ‘who is heard, and to what end?'” (p. 203).
Platforms like lomography and camgirls are explored as aestheticized spaces that may look subversive but often reinforce capitalist structures (p. 204).

Digital Storytelling: Participatory, Personal, Powerful

Burgess explores digital storytelling—short, autobiographical video stories—as an example of vernacular creativity in action. Unlike mainstream media, these stories highlight personal experiences with sincerity and warmth.
She asserts that digital stories allow for “relatively autonomous and worthwhile contributions to public culture” (p. 207).
Their power lies not in technical sophistication, but in how they “prioritize narrative accessibility, warmth, and presence” (p. 207).

‍ Listening to, Not Interpreting Over, Ordinary Voices

Cultural studies, Burgess argues, must stop speaking over people and start listening.
Referring to Jenny’s story—a young mother who found new purpose through education—Burgess writes, “When I stop and look at where my life is today, I know they were wrong” (p. 208), showing how personal narrative can challenge social stigmas.
Burgess critiques theorists who reduce people to symbolic texts: “Too often, ‘the people’ are reduced to ‘the textually delegated, allegorical emblem of the critic’s own activity'” (Morris, 1990, p. 23; cited on p. 209).

Emotional Authenticity: The ‘I-Voice’ of Digital Stories

Digital storytelling emphasizes the voice—literally—as central to authenticity and empathy.
Burgess uses Chion’s concept of the “I-voice”—a voice both deeply internal and universally present—as a metaphor for this form’s affective power (Chion, 1990, p. 79; cited on p. 210).
These stories “recapture the warmth of human intimacy from the imperative of innovation” (p. 210).

Everyday Literacies as Cultural Capital

Digital storytelling is built on vernacular literacies, not formal artistic training.
Participants use intuitive skills like “scrapbooking, storytelling, arranging photos, and layering voiceovers” learned from daily life (p. 209).
These literacies bridge “formal and informal learning”, fostering confidence among marginalized voices (p. 209).

Democratization Without Illusion

Though digital storytelling opens access, Burgess remains aware of its limits. Institutional control and stylistic norms can shape and constrain these stories.
She acknowledges, “Distribution channels… are frequently under the control of the institutions that provided the workshops” (p. 209).
Yet, for many, “without additional support, they may never use a computer at all” (p. 209), underscoring the critical importance of support infrastructures.

Universal Themes, Specific Lives

Burgess concludes that while digital stories may use universal themes—love, hope, loss—their particularity is what makes them powerful.
These stories offer “a means of ‘becoming real’ to others, on the basis of shared experience and affective resonances” (Peters, 1999, p. 225; cited on p. 210).
“If we are working within a politics of participation, we need to learn to listen to these autobiographical narratives” (p. 211).

Final Reflection: A Call for Cultural Empathy

Ultimately, Burgess insists that cultural studies must shift from interpreting to supporting and amplifying the voices of those previously unheard.
“The task for cultural studies is not to speak heroically on behalf of ordinary voices but to find ways to understand and practically engage with the full diversity… in which they are, or are not, being heard” (p. 211).

Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess

Concept / Term	Definition / Explanation	Reference in Article
Vernacular Creativity	Describes creative practices emerging from non-elite, everyday contexts using local, familiar cultural codes. Challenges high-culture notions of creativity.	“Creative practices that emerge from highly particular and non-elite social contexts” (p. 206)
Creative Consumer	A figure associated with the participatory media landscape who not only consumes but also creates, reshaping media culture.	“The figure of the ‘creative consumer’… is seen as both a key to the new economy…” (p. 201)
Digital Storytelling	A participatory media form where ordinary people create short autobiographical films using digital tools.	“A workshop-based process by which ‘ordinary people’ create their own short autobiographical films…” (p. 207)
Democratization of Technology	The idea that access to media tools empowers ordinary users; critiqued for assuming equality where structural barriers still exist.	“We must also ask ‘who is heard, and to what end?'” (p. 203)
Remediation	Transformation of older media or everyday storytelling practices into new media forms like digital storytelling.	“Digital storytelling… works to remediate vernacular creativity…” (p. 209)
I-Voice (Chion)	A cinematic/audiovisual term denoting a voiceover that is intimate and emotionally powerful, representing both the speaker and listener’s inner voice.	“It is both completely internal and invading the entire universe…” (p. 210)
Demoticization (vs. Democratization)	Turner’s critique that increased visibility of ordinary people in media doesn’t shift power, but integrates them into celebrity culture.	“Represents not the ‘democratization’ but the ‘demoticization’ of the media” (p. 203)
Active Audience	A foundational cultural studies idea that audiences are not passive but interpret and even co-create meaning in media consumption.	“The ‘active audience’ is now both a fact and a commercial imperative” (p. 202)
Vernacular Theory (McLaughlin)	Frameworks of knowledge and interpretation emerging from everyday people rather than institutional elites.	“Challenging cultural studies to recognize… knowledges of non-elite cultures” (p. 206)
Empathy in Cultural Studies	A methodological and ethical commitment to listening to and valuing ordinary voices rather than speaking over or analyzing them reductively.	“A commitment to empathy and respect for the ‘ordinary’ or ‘popular’ cultural formations” (p. 206)
Aestheticized Everyday	The idea that even mundane, amateur forms (e.g., lomography) can be stylized and commodified, often losing their radical edge.	“A fetishized and aestheticized version of everyday life” (p. 205)
Cultural Value Chain	The shift in meaning-making from producers to consumers; cultural value now flows through consumer interpretation and remix practices.	“Cultural value… shifted from cultural elites… to cultural consumers” (p. 202)
Narrative Accessibility	A key principle of digital storytelling: stories are structured for emotional clarity and ease of understanding, emphasizing sincerity over complexity.	“Narrative accessibility, warmth, and presence are prioritized” (p. 207)
Institutional Mediation	Recognition that digital storytelling often occurs within structured environments (like workshops), which shape and sometimes limit expression.	“Distribution channels… frequently under the control of the institutions…” (p. 209)

Contribution of “Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess to Literary Theory/Theories

Reader-Response Theory
Contribution: Burgess amplifies the reader’s role as co-creator in the digital age, aligning with reader-response theory’s emphasis on interpretation and subjectivity.
She highlights how “cultural value… has shifted from cultural elites… to cultural consumers” (p. 202), reinforcing the idea that meaning is made in reception, not just in production.
In digital storytelling, the affective power of the voice (“I-voice”) invites identification, making the audience an emotional participant (p. 210).

Narrative Theory / Autobiographical Theory
Contribution: Digital storytelling introduces a new, vernacular form of life writing, expanding the boundaries of autobiographical narrative beyond literary or elite spaces.
“The personal narrative, told in the storyteller’s unique voice, is central… and is given priority” (p. 207).
Stories like Jenny’s reflect not only personal growth but also identity construction through narrative (p. 208).

Poststructuralism & the Death of the Author (Barthes)
Contribution: Burgess complicates Barthes’s notion of the “death of the author” by returning to the affective presence of the speaker, especially through the intimate “I-voice.”
Rather than eliminating the author, digital storytelling repersonalizes authorship in non-elite forms: “the voice the spectator internalises as his or her own” (p. 210).

Cultural Materialism / New Historicism
Contribution: The article ties everyday creativity to social and economic contexts, grounding narrative in material realities (e.g., digital access, community workshops).
“Distribution channels… are frequently under the control of institutions” (p. 209), showing how material conditions shape literary/cultural output.
Minna’s and Jenny’s stories are rooted in socio-historical specificity—WWII and contemporary motherhood—underscoring how life context informs narrative production (pp. 208–210).

Structuralism & Genre Theory
Contribution: Burgess identifies how digital stories remix genre conventions (photo albums, scrapbooking, oral storytelling), forming hybrid narrative structures.
She emphasizes “the recombination of familiar genre conventions and shared knowledges” (p. 206) as central to vernacular creativity.
The narrative economy of digital stories—250-word scripts, 12 images—acts as a structure of constraint and meaning (p. 207).

Affect Theory
Contribution: One of the most important interventions is in showing how affective resonance—not intellectual analysis—is the key to understanding digital storytelling.
Stories are “sincere, warm, and human” (p. 208), and the “I-voice” creates an embodied experience of voice and presence.
“The digital story is a means of ‘becoming real’ to others… based on shared experience and affective resonances” (p. 210).

Feminist Literary Theory
Contribution: Through Jenny’s narrative and Burgess’s refusal to pathologize “ordinary” femininity, the article contributes to feminist concerns of agency, motherhood, and narrative voice.
“Becoming a mother has created opportunities rather than closing them off” (p. 208), challenging dominant scripts around reproduction and female identity.
Burgess resists reducing ordinary women’s stories to ideological critique, aligning with feminist aims of validating lived experiences.

️ Media Theory & Multimodality
Contribution: Burgess bridges literary theory with media theory, showing how multimodal texts (voice, image, music) reshape narrative form.
“Remediation of vernacular creativity through digital tools transforms everyday experience into public culture” (p. 209).
This broadens the field of literary narrative to include hybrid, multimodal expressions.

Summary of Impact
Jean Burgess’s article provides a critical bridge between traditional literary theory and emerging digital storytelling practices, emphasizing:
Empathy and emotion over formal complexity
Non-elite authorship as legitimate cultural production
Everyday narrative as both affective and political

She reconfigures how literary studies can engage with contemporary, multimedia, vernacular forms—not just as texts to analyze but as voices to hear.

Examples of Critiques Through “Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess

Literary Work	Critique Through Burgess’s Lens	Key Concept from Burgess
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker	This epistolary novel, told in Celie’s own voice, aligns with Burgess’s emphasis on affective authenticity and everyday vernacular voice. It privileges the emotional and linguistic world of an ordinary, Black woman in the rural South—what Burgess calls a form of “vernacular creativity” (p. 206). The narrative challenges elitist aesthetics through its sincerity and intimacy.	Vernacular Creativity & I-Voice (pp. 206, 210)
“Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf	Burgess’s idea of remediating everyday life (p. 209) can be used to re-read Woolf’s stream-of-consciousness style as an early literary attempt to give dignity to ordinary voices and interiorities. Clarissa’s walk through London becomes a digital story in prose, capturing affective resonances of the mundane, much like digital storytelling captures lived moments.	Everyday Life as Creative Field (p. 203)
“Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi	As a graphic memoir, Persepolis embodies Burgess’s concept of multimodal vernacular storytelling—blending visuals and personal narrative for public discourse. Like digital stories, it uses accessible aesthetics and personal voice to engage with cultural memory and political identity (p. 207). It challenges elitist literary forms through its emotive directness.	Multimodality & Participatory Authorship (p. 209)
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline	While the novel celebrates user-driven digital culture, Burgess’s critique warns us of conflating interactivity with equality. The novel privileges tech-savvy, nostalgic subcultural capital—limiting who is “heard” in this imagined participatory world (p. 203). It exemplifies how “ordinary creativity” can still replicate exclusivity and commercial logic.	Democratization vs. Demoticization (p. 203)

Summary Insight:

Burgess’s work helps us re-evaluate literature not only by what is said, but who gets to speak, how they are heard, and under what technological and cultural conditions. From Persepolis to Mrs. Dalloway, her ideas reposition emotional storytelling, non-elite narratives, and affective presence as central literary values, not peripheral ones.

Criticism Against “Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess

Romanticization of the “Ordinary”
Burgess risks idealizing vernacular expression, potentially overlooking how “ordinary voices” can also perpetuate dominant ideologies, prejudices, or stereotypes.

Even though she critiques celebratory populism, her framing often valorizes sincerity and emotion without always questioning content or ideology (p. 208).

️ Institutional Mediation is Underplayed
While she acknowledges the role of institutions (e.g., BBC, QUT), critics may argue that she underestimates how institutional contexts shape and limit “authentic” storytelling.

The curated nature of digital storytelling workshops may normalize certain narrative templates, leading to homogeneity (p. 209).

Limited Structural Critique of Power
Burgess focuses on representation and affect, but critics from Marxist or critical theory backgrounds might say she offers an insufficient critique of material inequality or systemic barriers.

Who gets access to technology, training, or platforms remains a major structural issue underexplored in her celebratory tone.

Under-theorization of Digital Literacy Gaps
The assumption that digital storytelling is “empowering” may ignore deep differences in digital competence due to education, age, language, or socio-economic status.

Even with workshop support, not everyone can meaningfully participate—a fact that complicates the democratic framing (p. 208–209).

Emotional Appeal Over Analytical Depth
By emphasizing “warmth, sincerity, and affect” (p. 208), Burgess may be overlooking narrative complexity or literary experimentation, potentially sidelining stories that don’t conform to her affective model.

Risk of Essentializing “Authentic” Expression
What counts as “authentic” or “vernacular” is culturally coded and potentially exclusionary.

There’s a danger of privileging certain emotional styles (e.g., sentimental storytelling) as more legitimate, silencing others that are ironic, fragmented, or culturally divergent.

Lack of Engagement with Algorithmic Mediation
The piece does not consider how algorithms shape visibility, relevance, or virality of digital content—critical in today’s participatory culture where “being heard” is highly platform-dependent.

Repetition of Cultural Studies Debates
Some may argue that Burgess revisits long-standing cultural studies debates (e.g., agency vs. structure, resistance vs. co-option) without significantly advancing them, even as she brings them into digital context.

Summary Takeaway:

While Jean Burgess’s article is visionary in championing everyday creativity and emotional storytelling, it can be critiqued for idealism, institutional blind spots, and limited engagement with power structures and digital inequalities.

Representative Quotations from “Hearing Ordinary Voices: Cultural Studies, Vernacular Creativity and Digital Storytelling” by Jean Burgess with Explanation

Quotation (with Symbol)	Explanation
“Digital storytelling… aims not only to remediate vernacular creativity but also to legitimate it as a worthwhile contribution to public culture.” (p. 207)	Emphasizes the shift from private, everyday expression to public cultural recognition, a major theme of the article.
“Creativity is the process by which available cultural resources… are recombined in novel ways.” (p. 206)	Redefines creativity in a non-elitist, participatory way, moving beyond traditional, high-art frameworks.
“What we are looking at when we look at a digital story is something that sits uncomfortably with both our celebrations and ideological critiques of ‘popular culture’.” (p. 208)	Shows how digital storytelling resists simplistic categorization, calling for nuanced critical approaches.
“Stories are in general marked by their sincerity, warmth, and humanity.” (p. 208)	Reflects the affective tone of digital stories and their value outside irony or avant-garde formalism.
“The question we ask about ‘democratic’ media participation can no longer be limited to ‘who gets to speak?’ We must also ask ‘who is heard, and to what end?'” (p. 203)	Challenges superficial views of access and participation by emphasizing audibility and impact.
“The personal narrative, told in the storyteller’s unique voice, is central… and is given priority.” (p. 207)	Asserts the centrality of voice and personal experience as valid cultural contributions.
“Cultural studies… has been ‘shaped as a response to the social uptake of communications technologies.'” (p. 202)	Positions cultural studies as inherently reactive and adaptive to technological change, especially in media.
“We now must understand cultural production to be part of everyday life in a much more literal sense.” (p. 202)	Marks a paradigm shift where culture isn’t just consumed—it’s constantly produced by users in daily life.
“Vernacular creativity… includes as part of the contemporary vernacular the experience of commercial popular culture.” (p. 206)	Blurs the line between folk and mass culture, embracing hybrid creative forms.
“The digital story is a means of ‘becoming real’ to others, on the basis of shared experience and affective resonances.” (p. 210)	Underscores the intimate and connective power of storytelling in public digital spaces.

“Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise: Summary and Critique

“Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley and J. Macgregor Wise first appeared in Cultural Studies in 2018 and was published online on September 16th of that year.

Introduction: “Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise

“Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley and J. Macgregor Wise first appeared in Cultural Studies in 2018 and was published online on September 16th of that year. The article is a comprehensive genealogical inquiry into the uptake, influence, and evolving role of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s concepts within the journal Cultural Studies over the past three decades. Rather than simply charting citations, the authors engage in a metatheoretical reflection, treating the journal itself as an actor-network and a discursive node that articulates various historical, institutional, and intellectual trajectories. Central to their inquiry is the notion of theory as a “toolbox,” drawing on Foucault and Deleuze, wherein theoretical concepts are mobilized not for abstraction but for intervention in specific conjunctures. Key Deleuzo-Guattarian concepts such as nomadology, deterritorialization, assemblage, affect, and control are traced across thematic plateaus—from the romanticized “nomad” figure of the 1980s to the ascendant discourse of “assemblage” in the 2010s. Wiley and Wise argue that while concepts like affect and territorialization have shaped much of the field’s analytic grammar, others such as diagram, Body without Organs, and mixed semiotics remain underexplored but ripe for future engagement. Importantly, the authors advocate not merely for borrowing Deleuze and Guattari’s ideas, but for following their method: inventing new concepts adequate to contemporary conditions. Their work contributes significantly to literary theory and cultural studies by demonstrating how Deleuzo-Guattarian thought can be generative for understanding the production of subjectivity, agency, and political transformation within shifting socio-cultural assemblages.

Summary of “Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise

Theory as Toolbox: Cultural Studies and Deleuze–Guattari

Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts are not rigid ideologies but flexible tools, echoing Foucault’s notion of theory as a “toolbox” (Foucault, 1977; Wiley & Wise, 2018, p. 2).
Cultural Studies should return from theory to context — theory is a detour, not a destination (Hall, 1992).

The Journal as Actor-Network

Using Latour’s actor-network theory, the journal Cultural Studies is seen as a node connecting scholars, institutions, translations, and concepts (Latour, 2005, p. 68).
Why Deleuze and Guattari were read often depends on institutional networks, educational access, and editorial translations (Morris & Muecke, 1991, p. 77).

️ Chronology of Conceptual Trends

1980s – Nomadism

“Nomad” emerged as a postmodern subject and metaphor for deterritorialized knowledge (Morris, 1988; Grossberg, 1988).
Critics warned against romanticizing marginality (Muecke, 1992; Wolff, 1993).

️ 1990s – Territory and Deterritorialization

Reflecting the spatial turn, cultural theory engaged territories and flows (Grossberg, 1991).
Music became a metaphor for affective spatial structuring.

2000s – Control and Affect

The “control society” gained traction via Postscript on Control Societies (Deleuze, 1992) and Hardt & Negri’s Empire (2000).
Affect became a lens to study bodies, pedagogy, shame, and everyday life (Massumi, 1995; Probyn, 2004).

2010s – Assemblage

Assemblage (agencement) emerged in response to the “material turn” and offered a model for theorizing non-human agency and complexity (Slack, 2008; Grossberg, 2014).
It emphasized dynamic construction of relations, rather than fixed structures.

Most-Cited Works and Concepts

A Thousand Plateaus tops the citation list, followed by Anti-Oedipus, and What is Philosophy? (Wiley & Wise, 2018, p. 7).
Frequently used concepts:

Affect
Territory

Deterritorialization/Reterritorialization
Assemblage
Becoming

‍ Control

Reimagining Cultural Studies through Deleuze & Guattari

Eight landmark essays redefined cultural studies using Deleuze and Guattari’s frameworks (Seigworth & Wise, 2000; Grossberg, 2014).
Theory must be used creatively, not religiously. Concepts are to be invented, not just applied (Deleuze & Guattari, 1994, p. 27).

️ Doing Cultural Studies with D&G’s Concepts

Articles applied Deleuzoguattarian tools to diverse topics:

Surveillance (Wise, 2004)

Music and politics (Grossberg, 1991)
Pedagogy (Albrecht-Crane, 2005)
Affect and identity (Keeling, 2014; Probyn, 2004)

Underused Concepts & Future Potentials

Despite their richness, some Deleuzoguattarian ideas are underexplored:

Body without Organs

Sense and Sensation
Diagram and Fold
Schizoanalysis and Desire

Guattari’s solo works — The Three Ecologies, Chaosmosis — are beginning to reshape new directions in cultural studies (Grossberg & Behrenshausen, 2016).

Concept Creation as Cultural Practice

Cultural studies must invent new concepts that meet the needs of the moment — echoing D&G’s call to “create concepts for problems that necessarily change” (Deleuze & Guattari, 1994, p. 28).
Instead of following theoretical trends, the field should create new possibilities for thinking and acting.

Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise

Symbol	Concept	Brief Explanation / Use in the Article
	Assemblage	Refers to heterogeneous elements (material, discursive, affective) coming together to form dynamic relations. Dominant in the 2010s (p. 10).
	Becoming	Transformation over time; emphasizes process over stability. A key Deleuzoguattarian idea (p. 6, 14).
	Territorialization / Deterritorialization	Processes that stabilize or destabilize meaning, identity, and space. Central in the 1990s (p. 7).
	Affect	Intensity, emotion, and embodied response. Gained traction in the 2000s and 2010s; connects to politics and everyday life (p. 8).
	Control	Concept from Deleuze’s “Postscript on the Societies of Control”; addresses surveillance and neoliberal governance (p. 8).
	Nomadology	The study of nomadic thought and movement. Prominent in the 1980s as a metaphor for flexible subjectivity (p. 7).
	Haecceity	The individuality of a moment or assemblage. Used to understand cultural formations beyond identity (Slack, 2008; p. 11).
	Actor-Network Theory	Latour’s idea of mapping relationships across material/social networks. Used to understand how D&G ideas traveled into cultural studies (p. 3).
	Toolbox Metaphor	From Foucault/Deleuze: theory as a set of tools used contextually, not dogmatically (p. 2).
	Concept Creation	Core practice of D&G philosophy; emphasized as essential to cultural studies’ future (p. 16).
	Sensation	From Deleuze’s work on art (Francis Bacon); underutilized but vital for aesthetic and affective engagement (p. 15).
	Assemblage/Agencement	Often mistranslated; emphasized as dynamic, political arrangements with trajectory (p. 10).
	Enunciation	From Guattari’s mixed semiotics; focuses on how meaning and expression emerge through interaction (p. 12).
	The Minor	From Kafka: Toward a Minor Literature; denotes marginal, subversive modes of expression (p. 14).
	Diagram	Refers to abstract machine mappings; used in Guattari’s and Deleuze’s theory of power and creativity (mentioned as underused, p. 15).
	Body without Organs (BwO)	A space of potential beyond organization and structure; a rarely cited but key Deleuzian figure (p. 15).
	Machine/Machinic	Not just technical but social/desiring assemblages; frequently misread as mechanical (p. 15, 18).
	Flows	Desires, capital, ideas moving across systems; tied to Anti-Oedipus and theories of capitalism (p. 15).
	Agencement (Original French)	Implies arrangement and agency formation; more active than its English counterpart “assemblage” (p. 10).
	Subjectivation	Process of becoming a subject; central to Guattari’s theories of politics and media (p. 16).

Contribution of “Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise to Literary Theory/Theories

Poststructuralism & Deconstruction

Destabilization of Meaning
Challenges representational and structuralist readings by emphasizing fluidity, assemblages, and deterritorialization.

“The concept of the minor… making this seem like a productive, yet underutilized, concept” (p. 14).
Also emphasized in Difference and Repetition, Logic of Sense, and the anti-representational critique of affect (p. 15–16).

The Rhizome as Anti-Structure
Rhizomatic thinking subverts hierarchical structures in texts, suggesting a non-linear, multiplicities-based model of interpretation.

“Concepts… are not eternal… they bring forth an Event that surveys us…” (Deleuze & Guattari, 1994, pp. 27–28).

Affect Theory

Centering Affect over Representation
Proposes a non-discursive, bodily dimension of meaning, expanding literary critique beyond semiotics.

“Affect should not be understood as a separate, fetishized force… but in its contextual formations” (Grossberg & Behrenshausen, 2016, p. 6).
See also: Boler (1997), Probyn (2004), Seigworth (2000).

Postmodernism

Nomadology and the Fragmented Subject
Applies the Deleuzoguattarian nomad to postmodern identity and critique of grand narratives.

“The 1980s: all we hear about are nomads” (p. 7).
Essays by Grossberg, Morris, Radway, Wolff engage this postmodern figure.

Multiplicity over Identity
Undermines fixed subject positions in literary characters and readers; favors processual becoming.

“What is the philosophical form of the problems of a particular time?” (p. 2, Deleuze & Guattari, 1994).

Spatial Literary Theory / Geocriticism

Territorialization and Reterritorialization
Literature seen as mapping spatial production of meaning; connects with Doreen Massey, Henri Lefebvre.

“Culture as an active agent in the production of places and spaces” (Grossberg, 1992, p. 27).
“Rock, Territorialization and Power” (Grossberg, 1991, p. 364).

The Minor and the Margin
Texts/literatures from marginal cultures conceptualized through Kafka’s minor literature.

“Minor” literature used in works on Yiddish, postcolonialism, and Hong Kong cinema (p. 14).

Cultural Materialism

Theory as Toolbox
Echoes Foucault and Deleuze’s claim that theory should be applied, not revered.

“Theory as a toolbox… What concepts are useful for this particular conjuncture?” (p. 2).

Assemblage as Literary Formation
Texts seen as events or agencements, not static forms, shaped by material and semiotic processes.

“Culture itself should be understood as a production of assembled agency” (Wiley, 2005, p. 11).

New Materialism / Posthumanism

Post-Anthropocentric Literary Analysis
Encourages critiques of texts that move beyond human-centeredness, embracing material agency.

“Bodies do not exist outside discourse, but cannot be reduced to it” (Slack, 2008, p. 11).
Guattari’s Three Ecologies and Schizoanalytic Cartographies mentioned (p. 5, 16).

Semiotics Beyond Language
Guattari’s “mixed semiotics” implies that signification operates across bodily, affective, and machinic registers.

“Shift the ground of argument from affect to the broader question of expression and signs” (Grossberg & Behrenshausen, 2016, p. 19).

Literary Pedagogy

Affective Pedagogy and Minor Modes of Teaching
Redefines the classroom as a site of affective assemblages, challenging linear learning.

“Pedagogy as friendship… a model of encounter as affective and multiple” (Albrecht-Crane, 2005, p. 9).

Examples of Critiques Through “Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise

Literary Work	Deleuzo-Guattarian Lens	Critique Focus	Related Concepts from Article
“Ulysses” – James Joyce	Rhizome & Minor Literature	Rhizomatic structure of narrative and the deterritorialized use of language reflect the “minor” mode (Kafkaesque deterritorialization).	“Nomad” and “Minor” concepts applied to literature that deterritorializes language and identity (p. 14).
“Beloved” – Toni Morrison	Affect & Assemblage	Trauma and memory as affective assemblages of personal and historical violence, disrupting linear time and identity.	“Affect… not as separate force but in contextual formations” (p. 6); affect as a political and literary force (p. 8).
“The God of Small Things” – Arundhati Roy	Becoming & Territorialization	The children’s perspectives and broken narrative syntax resist adult authority and cultural fixity—emphasizing becoming-child.	“Deterritorialization” and “Becoming” in cultural critique; critiques of dominant power structures (p. 7–9).
“Frankenstein” – Mary Shelley	Machinic Assemblage & Subjectivation	The creature as a machinic subject, produced through flows of power, science, and social exclusion. Text explores shifting subjectivities.	Guattari’s “mixed semiotics,” subjectivation, and machinic assemblages (p. 15–16); critique of overcoding and identity politics.

Key Theoretical Anchors from the Article

Rhizome: Non-linear, interconnected textual structures (Joyce).
Affect: Non-discursive intensity tied to trauma or embodiment (Morrison).

Deterritorialization: Unsettling of fixed identities, borders, or language (Roy).
Assemblage: Textual formation of human and non-human agents (Shelley).

Criticism Against “Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise

Overemphasis on Citational Presence

While the authors admit the limitations, the method still privileges explicit citation over implicit influence, potentially ignoring nuanced or indirect incorporations of Deleuzian-Guattarian thought.
“Explicit citations in a published journal article are only one kind of trace” (p. 6)

Neglect of Guattari’s Solo Work

The article critiques this itself, but doesn’t deeply address the imbalanced focus on Deleuze or co-authored works over Guattari’s independent theoretical contributions, such as The Three Ecologies or Schizoanalytic Cartographies.
“Guattari’s solo-authored work is cited infrequently” (p. 7)

Conceptual Redundancy in Cultural Studies

Some may argue the frequent use of concepts like assemblage, affect, and territory risks becoming buzzwords rather than truly transformative tools in cultural analysis.
“What this work can do is shift some of the questions we ask” (p. 17) – but do they?

Lack of Engagement with Literary/Cultural Texts

The paper is more meta-theoretical than applied—it maps usage patterns but doesn’t offer in-depth readings of actual cultural or literary texts using Deleuze & Guattari.
The article is focused on Cultural Studies journal discourse, not on practical applications in literary or media criticism.

Archival vs. Analytical Imbalance

The study is strong on archival mapping but weaker on philosophical critique. There’s little interrogation of how Deleuze-Guattari’s ontology challenges or complicates key cultural studies assumptions (e.g., agency, representation).
The philosophical depth is somewhat backgrounded in favor of taxonomy.

Limited Global or Intersectional Scope

While it notes the global spread of Deleuzian ideas, the primary focus remains Anglophone, particularly the U.S. and Australian scenes, with less attention to non-Western or intersectional adaptations.
Brief nods to global circulation (e.g., Japan, Brazil) are not explored substantively (p. 17).

Ambiguous Relation to Politics

Despite emphasizing “intervention” and “assemblage,” the paper offers limited concrete examples of political transformation through D&G’s theories in Cultural Studies praxis.
It critiques theory fetishism but doesn’t show how to fully move from theory to transformative action.

Representative Quotations from “Guattari, Deleuze, and Cultural Studies” by Stephen B. Crofts Wiley & J. Macgregor Wise with Explanation

1. “Theory is a toolbox”
Explanation: Echoing Foucault and Deleuze, theory is not an end in itself but a set of practical tools used to intervene in specific conjunctures.
➤ Highlights cultural studies’ emphasis on utility over abstraction.

2. “Follow the concepts!”
Explanation: A call to trace how Deleuzian and Guattarian concepts evolve across time and texts, adapting to new historical and social problematics.
➤ Encourages genealogical and contextual analysis of theory.

3. “Cultural studies is not driven by theory (or at least it shouldn’t be).”
Explanation: A reminder that theory should serve practice, not dominate it — a Hall-inspired critique of over-theorization.
➤ Reinforces practice-based, politically grounded scholarship.

4. “What concepts are useful for this particular conjuncture?”
Explanation: Emphasizes situational relevance in selecting theoretical tools, mirroring Guattari’s schizoanalytic approach.
➤ Encourages responsiveness to context and specificity.

5. “We see this chronology of concepts, citations, and deployments as notes for a future genealogy.”
Explanation: The authors propose a historical mapping of intellectual influence, not as closure but as an invitation to continue tracing conceptual trajectories.
➤ Promotes open-ended scholarly inquiry.

6. “The journal itself as a node… a relay… a point of articulation.”
Explanation: A Latour-inspired view of the journal as a network hub connecting diverse actors and intellectual exchanges.
➤ Situates academic publishing within dynamic actor-networks.

7. “Cultural studies itself should be understood as a production of ‘assembled agency.’”
Explanation: Applies the Deleuzo-Guattarian concept of assemblage to the academic practice of cultural studies.
➤ Positions scholarship as collaborative, emergent, and political.

8. “The 1980s: all we hear about are nomads… The 2000s: all we hear about is affect and control.”
Explanation: Identifies shifting thematic focuses across decades using Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts as cultural barometers.
➤ Reflects how key concepts reflect broader sociopolitical concerns.

9. “Philosophy often becomes a grazing ground for those seeking theoretical tools.”
Explanation: A caution against superficial or selective use of theory without deep engagement.
➤ Calls for ethical and intellectual responsibility in scholarship.

10. “What this work can do is shift some of the questions we ask…”
Explanation: A humble proposition — not to provide answers, but to redirect thought and inquiry.
➤ Reframes the task of theory as generative, not conclusive.

“Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad: Summary and Critique

“Emergence: Stuart Hall and Cultural Studies Across the World” by M. Madhava Prasad first appeared in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies in 2014, published by Routledge.

Introduction: “Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad

“Emergence: Stuart Hall and Cultural Studies Across the World” by M. Madhava Prasad first appeared in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies in 2014, published by Routledge. In this reflective and semi-autobiographical essay, Prasad underscores the global impact of Stuart Hall’s intellectual legacy and the formation of Cultural Studies as a field uniquely suited to addressing questions of identity, politics, and the transformation of social consciousness. Rooted in the personal narrative of his academic initiation at the University of Pittsburgh during the early 1990s—a time when British academics, including Colin MacCabe, sought refuge in American universities—Prasad weaves his journey of encountering Hall’s work with broader geopolitical and cultural transformations. Central to the article is the idea of emergence: the rise of new political subjectivities and the reconstitution of public discourse through them, a recurring theme in Hall’s work. Prasad critically examines the unique evolution of Cultural Studies in the Indian context, emphasizing how the postcolonial subject, once objectified by colonial knowledge systems, now challenges and reorients those very epistemologies. Drawing from Hall’s insights—particularly concepts like “conjuncture,” “hegemony,” and “common sense”—Prasad situates Cultural Studies as a critical response to both Western objectivism and indigenous elitism. This essay is significant in literary theory and cultural critique for illustrating how theory becomes transformative when tethered to lived histories and collective emergence, especially in contexts where identity and knowledge production are under contestation.

Summary of “Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad

Cultural Studies as an Interdisciplinary Formation

Cultural Studies is not defined by conventional disciplinary boundaries but rather functions as “an interdisciplinary space for asking new questions” across the humanities and social sciences (Prasad, 2014, p. 191).

At the University of Pittsburgh, Cultural Studies operated as a “meeting ground” across departments, reflecting its inherently hybrid and collaborative nature.

Learning from Stuart Hall: Hegemony, Conjuncture, and Social Reading

Prasad credits Stuart Hall for his understanding of “hegemony” and “conjuncture”, concepts that challenge traditional notions of class struggle and encourage reading social realities as texts (Prasad, 2014, p. 191).

Hall’s critique of the Left’s failure in “shaping the culture and educating desire” deeply resonated with India’s own political struggles during its neoliberal shift.

English Literature and Its Cultural Prestige in Postcolonial India

In 1970s India, English Literature promised upward mobility and symbolic capital but masked its political function as a colonial holdover.

Despite the presence of radical professors, there was “little or no consciousness of the political significance of the persistence of English as the ‘queen of the humanities'” (Prasad, 2014, p. 192).

Cultural Studies and Social Shifts in Indian Academia

As students from marginalized backgrounds entered universities, the symbolic and cultural authority of English was “radically redefined” (Prasad, 2014, p. 192).

Cultural Studies offered these students a more inclusive and responsive intellectual space, aligning with Hall’s commitment to emergent political identities.

British vs. Indian Cultural Studies: Sociology vs. Anthropology

British Cultural Studies arose in response to sociology’s objectification of the working class (e.g., Hoggart’s “scholarship boy”), while in India, anthropology played this role.

The story of an Indian student discovering his “own widowed mother” in an anthropological journal epitomizes the postcolonial shock of seeing one’s life objectified by Western academia (Prasad, 2014, p. 192).

Knowledge, Modernity, and the Postcolonial Subject

Prasad argues that the “Indian subject is a stain in the field of knowledge”—an unsettling presence in structures that were meant to objectify the colonized (Prasad, 2014, p. 193).

Postcolonial intellectuals must disrupt the inherited knowledge apparatus rather than “acquiesce in one’s own subjective effacement.”

The Subaltern Elite and Suppression of Indigenous Voices

The Indian ruling class, described as the “subaltern elite” (via Partha Chatterjee), seeks Western approval while suppressing grassroots voices (Prasad, 2014, p. 193).

Cultural Studies in India positions itself “on the side of the indigenous challengers” rather than the postcolonial elite allied with English literary traditions.

Hall’s Legacy: Subjective Experience Without Theoretical Abandonment

Stuart Hall’s method blends autobiography with rigorous theory. His essays, such as “Cultural Studies and Its Theoretical Legacies” and “New Ethnicities”, insist that subjectivity should “not be mistaken for an indifference to theory” (Prasad, 2014, p. 193).

Hall provides a model for how marginalized identities can write themselves into public discourse without reducing intellectual inquiry to confession.

Emergence as Political and Epistemological Transformation

The central concept of emergence refers to the appearance of new political subjectivities and their impact on knowledge and society.

Prasad echoes Hall’s insight that “for the process of emergence to be successful, it must be simultaneously a transformation of the world into which we emerge” (Prasad, 2014, p. 193).

Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad

Term with Symbol	Explanation (as used in the article)
Cultural Studies	Not a fixed discipline but “an interdisciplinary space for asking new questions”, bridging humanities and social sciences to examine culture as a site of power and resistance.
Conjuncture	A term from Hall, signifying the historical moment where different political, economic, and cultural forces converge, demanding new ways of understanding social change.
Hegemony	Borrowed from Gramsci and central to Hall’s thought; refers to the ways dominant ideologies become normalized as “common sense” through cultural, not just economic means.
Common Sense	Another Gramscian term used by Hall to describe the internalization of dominant values; Thatcherism’s success lay in reshaping the nation’s “common sense”.
“Reading” (with quotation marks)	Signifies interpreting cultural and social phenomena like texts. As Prasad notes, Hall taught how to “read something that is not a text, but a piece of social reality.”
Subject-in-Emergence	Describes new political subjects entering public life and knowledge systems—“a subject-in-emergence will necessarily disturb… the apparatuses” of older epistemologies.
Subaltern Elite	From Partha Chatterjee, used to critique postcolonial Indian elites who seek Western validation while silencing domestic, marginalized voices in public discourse.
Autobiographical Method	Hall’s distinctive way of blending personal narrative with theory—“individual autobiography is also the narrative of a collective identity”—as a tool of critical reflection.
Emergence	The article’s central theme: “the advent of new subjectivities” and the idea that their appearance must also lead to structural transformation, not just visibility.

Contribution of “Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad to Literary Theory/Theories

1. Contribution to Postcolonial Theory

Re-centering the Postcolonial Subject: Prasad underscores how formerly colonized subjects struggle to move from being objects of knowledge to subjects of intellectual production. He writes that “the Indian subject is a stain in the field of knowledge. A subject-in-emergence will necessarily disturb and seek to reconstitute the objective apparatuses” (Prasad, 2014, p. 193).
Threading Subjectivity into Postcolonial Critique: Prasad uses the metaphor of emergence to map how the postcolonial subject both inhabits and destabilizes colonial epistemologies—an insight that aligns with and expands the concerns of postcolonial theorists like Gayatri Spivak and Homi Bhabha.

2. Contribution to Cultural Materialism & Marxist Literary Theory

Focus on Cultural Hegemony over Economic Determinism: Influenced by Hall’s reading of Gramsci, Prasad shows how Thatcherism succeeded not economically, but by reshaping “common sense”, i.e., cultural hegemony (Prasad, 2014, p. 191). This shifts focus in literary theory from base/superstructure models to cultural power and meaning.
Literature as Part of Ideological Apparatuses: English literature’s role in Indian academia is examined not just as pedagogy but as ideology. Prasad notes the absence of reflection on “the political significance of the persistence of English as the ‘queen of the humanities’ in independent India” (p. 192).

3. Contribution to Reader-Response and Reception Theory

Social Texts as Objects of Interpretation: Prasad extends the act of “reading” beyond traditional literary texts, echoing Stuart Hall’s insight that we can “read something that is not a text, but a piece of social reality” (p. 191). This broadens interpretive practice to include culture itself as a text, a hallmark of reception theory.
Interpreting Emergence as Reading: The idea of emergence as a collective narrative that demands interpretation aligns with reader-oriented approaches to meaning-making in literature and society.

4. Contribution to Identity Politics & Ethnic Literary Studies

Foregrounding Marginal Subjectivities: Through Hall, Prasad elevates the significance of personal and collective identity in theory, stating that Hall’s autobiography is also “the narrative of a collective identity” (p. 193). This deeply informs ethnic literary criticism and theorizing about voice and representation.
Emergence of New Political Identities: Prasad connects Hall’s ideas of Black British politics with Indian contexts—“it is the emergence of new subjects onto the political stage that is at issue” (p. 193). Such emergence is central to theorizing subaltern and caste-based literature in India.

5. Contribution to Interdisciplinary Theory

Blurring Disciplinary Boundaries: Prasad reinforces that Cultural Studies is inherently interdisciplinary, with “courses co-taught by faculty from different departments” and insights emerging from diverse fields (p. 191). This encourages literary theory to embrace sociology, anthropology, and political theory.
Literary Studies as Cultural Critique: English literature is no longer isolated but embedded in broader cultural, institutional, and political critiques, helping reposition the role of literature within academic inquiry.

6. Contribution to Autobiographical and Narrative Theory

Life-Writing as Political Theory: Drawing from Hall’s “Cultural Studies and Its Theoretical Legacies”, Prasad shows how autobiography becomes a mode of theorization—“individual autobiography is also the narrative of a collective identity” (p. 193).
Personal History as Epistemological Entry Point: This approach affirms narrative theory’s argument that personal stories are central to identity formation, cultural memory, and resistance literature.

7. Contribution to Decolonial Literary Studies

Critique of Imported Theories: Prasad critiques Indian social science for becoming “knowledge as obedience”, simply applying “readymade theories” from the West without questioning their origin or context (p. 193).
Call for Indigenous Theoretical Frameworks: This aligns with decolonial theory’s insistence on knowledge production from within local histories and subjectivities.

Examples of Critiques Through “Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad

Symbol	Literary Work
*1. Untouchable* by Mulk Raj Anand (1935)**	This novel can be read through the lens of emergence, where Bakha, the Dalit protagonist, represents a “subject-in-emergence” who disturbs the colonial and caste-based epistemological order. Like Prasad’s emphasis on new political subjectivities, Bakha’s awareness challenges dominant “common sense” about caste (Prasad, 2014, p. 193).
*2. Wide Sargasso Sea* by Jean Rhys (1966)**	Rhys’s novel rewrites Jane Eyre from the perspective of a Caribbean Creole woman. Through Prasad’s critique of postcolonial knowledge and objectification, Antoinette can be seen as the colonized subject who, like the widowed mother in anthropology journals, is objectified and silenced. The novel enacts the struggle to reconstitute the subject’s voice within dominant Western discourse (Prasad, p. 192).
*3. The God of Small Things* by Arundhati Roy (1997)**	This novel critiques social hierarchies and the persistence of English as cultural capital in postcolonial India. Drawing from Prasad’s observation that English literature remained the “queen of the humanities” (p. 192), Roy’s depiction of caste, family, and language reveals the contested space of cultural knowledge and elitism, aligning with Cultural Studies’ project of deconstructing ideological normalcy.
*4. Native Son* by Richard Wright (1940)**	Wright’s portrayal of Bigger Thomas aligns with Stuart Hall’s theory of Black subjectivity and Prasad’s idea of the “autobiographical narrative as collective identity” (p. 193). The novel embodies the emergence of a racialized subject whose marginalization is shaped by hegemonic structures, and whose violence is both a symptom and critique of social containment.

How This Table Connects to Prasad’s Essay:

Each work illustrates the emergence of marginalized voices into hegemonic discourse, a core concern of the article.

The texts reflect what Prasad calls the “disturbance and reconstitution of objective apparatuses” of knowledge (p. 193).
They show how Cultural Studies as a method enables critiques of both literary form and institutional knowledge, in both the colonial and postcolonial contexts.

Criticism Against “Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad

Potential Criticisms of the Essay

Over-Reliance on Autobiography

While Prasad draws on personal experience to theorize Cultural Studies, critics may argue that the essay leans too heavily on individual narrative without sufficient empirical or comparative analysis of global contexts beyond India and the UK.

Limited Global Scope Despite Global Title

Although titled “Cultural Studies Across the World,” the article primarily focuses on Britain and India, leaving out engagement with Cultural Studies movements in Latin America, East Asia (beyond brief reference), or Africa, thereby narrowing its supposed international scope.

Absence of Deep Engagement with Literary Texts

Despite its implications for literary theory, the essay does not closely analyze any literary texts. This could be seen as a missed opportunity to demonstrate how Cultural Studies can transform literary interpretation in practice.

Lack of Critical Engagement with Stuart Hall

While the essay pays tribute to Hall’s influence, it does not critically interrogate his theories or their limitations. The tone leans toward homage rather than critical dialogue, which might limit its analytical depth.

️ Institutional Critique Without Systematic Evidence

The critique of English departments and Indian social sciences as ideologically compromised is compelling but under-supported. Statements like “knowledge as obedience” (Prasad, 2014, p. 193) would benefit from case studies or institutional data to back the argument.

Complex Language, Dense Expression

The essay’s dense and theoretical language may alienate readers unfamiliar with Hall, Gramsci, or the specific Indian academic context. This makes the text less accessible, especially for undergraduate or interdisciplinary audiences.

Fragmented Structure

The essay moves quickly between personal anecdote, institutional critique, postcolonial theory, and global reflections, which some may find lacks structural cohesion. It reads more like a reflective essay than a rigorous academic article.

Representative Quotations from “Emergence: Stuart Hall And Cultural Studies Across The World” by M. Madhava Parsad with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
1. “Cultural Studies is not a discipline in the conventional sense so much as an interdisciplinary space for asking new questions.”	Highlights how Cultural Studies transcends academic silos, functioning as a dynamic field that interrogates culture, politics, and identity across disciplines.
2. “The Left had failed in ‘shaping the culture and educating desire’: tasks that the Indian Left has never been known to take seriously.”	Refers to Stuart Hall’s critique of the Left’s neglect of cultural work, emphasizing how ideological battles must also be fought at the level of desire and everyday life.
3. “I learnt about the ‘conjuncture,’ learnt what it meant to ‘read’ something that is not a text, but a piece of social reality.”	Introduces key concepts—’conjuncture’ and ‘reading’—that shift analysis from literary texts to social structures as culturally meaningful texts.
4. “Hall, departing from the economism of the established Left, points to the cultural roots of Thatcherism.”	Marks Hall’s major theoretical intervention—his move away from class-only analysis to a more nuanced reading of how culture reinforces political dominance.
5. “There was… little or no consciousness of the political significance of the persistence of English as the ‘queen of the humanities.'”	Critiques the uncritical prestige of English literature in postcolonial India and its role in maintaining cultural hegemony.
6. “The shock of encountering one’s own life thus converted into objective disciplinary knowledge is perhaps a necessary stage in postcolonial self-knowledge.”	Reflects the traumatic realization that postcolonial subjects are often studied rather than heard, captured in disciplines like anthropology.
7. “The Indian subject is a stain in the field of knowledge. A subject-in-emergence will necessarily disturb and seek to reconstitute the objective apparatuses.”	Emphasizes how the marginalized subject’s entry into knowledge disrupts colonial and elite academic structures.
8. “Much of social science in India is nothing but knowledge as obedience, an unquestioning application of readymade theories.”	Critiques intellectual dependency in Indian academia and the blind reproduction of Western theoretical frameworks.
9. “Individual autobiography is also the narrative of a collective identity.”	Shows how Hall’s personal experiences reflect larger cultural and political shifts, positioning biography as a theoretical tool.
10. “For the process of emergence to be successful, it must be simultaneously a transformation of the world into which we emerge.”	Captures the article’s key thesis: true emergence involves not just entering dominant discourse but transforming it from within.