Skip to main content

Can you help me develop a critical appreciation of Amiri Baraka's "Somebody Blew Up America" from the perspective of Postcolonialism?

As you probably know, the postcolonial perspective analyzes the effects of economic and physical control over the native inhabitants and the resources of an area. The poem "Somebody Blew Up America" provides a response to the 9/11/2001 terrorist attack in America. Baraka's speaker takes a stance that terrorism can be a reaction to all the oppression that white men have been handing down for centuries to the rest of the world.


The poem is structured...

As you probably know, the postcolonial perspective analyzes the effects of economic and physical control over the native inhabitants and the resources of an area. The poem "Somebody Blew Up America" provides a response to the 9/11/2001 terrorist attack in America. Baraka's speaker takes a stance that terrorism can be a reaction to all the oppression that white men have been handing down for centuries to the rest of the world.


The poem is structured around the central question of "Who?" In the first stanza the speaker sarcastically remarks that certain white extremist groups, such as the KKK and the Skinheads, could never have done such an evil deed. However, as the poem continues, the speaker continually asks questions which include the following:



Who killed the most niggers 
Who killed the most Jews 
Who killed the most Italians 
Who killed the most Irish 
Who killed the most Africans 
Who killed the most Japanese 
Who killed the most Latinos 


Who got rich from Algeria, Libya, Haiti, 
Iran, Iraq, Saudi, Kuwait, Lebanon, 
Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, 


Who cut off peoples hands in the Congo 
Who invented Aids....



The speaker asks questions so rapidly, due to the omission of most punctuation, that it is plain that he does not expect an answer. Rather he is making a point about American interventions and oppression which may have led, at least in part, to the behaviors of terrorists. The speaker clearly suggests that American imperialism and colonialism created a cloud of hatred and fear that could have given rise to the Twin Tower terrorist attacks. He urges Americans to look at themselves before they attach a label to others.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discuss movements that were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and list one success for each group.

African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change... African-Americans contributed in a very big way during World War II. These contributions were demonstrated at home and on the battlefield. After the war, African-Americans properly felt it was time for them to achieve equality with white Americans. During the 1950's, the modern Civil Rights Movement was born and it had a number of successes (integration of the military and Brown vs. Board of Education as examples.) This success inspired other activists to demand change for their agendas. Two examples of moveme...
Post a Comment
Read more

Follow the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker. They endure over two hundred days of hardship together, but in the end Richard Parker leaves...

When Pi and Richard Parker are at the beginning of their journey, after Pi's family is killed in the shipwreck, Pi fears Richard Parker, but he is forced to find a way to co-exist with him in order to survive.  Over time the two develop a somewhat co-dependent relationship.  Richard Parker depends on Pi to feed him by catching fish, while Pi's will to live is bolstered by Richard Parker's presence.  Richard Parker recognizes that... When Pi and Richard Parker are at the beginning of their journey, after Pi's family is killed in the shipwreck, Pi fears Richard Parker, but he is forced to find a way to co-exist with him in order to survive.  Over time the two develop a somewhat co-dependent relationship.  Richard Parker depends on Pi to feed him by catching fish, while Pi's will to live is bolstered by Richard Parker's presence.  Richard Parker recognizes that he also needs Pi to survive.  At one point in the book, Pi's starvation and thirst reduce him to a st...
Post a Comment
Read more