The Analysis The Birdcage Metaphor - 980 Words

The birdcage metaphor explains how â€Å"the large number of wires arranged in a specific way, and connect to one another, serve to enclose the bird and to ensure that it cannot escape.† This is commonly used to describe systemic racism that plagues today’s institution, whether on purpose or subconsciously. With this metaphor, each wire of the cage represents a system in society that traps minorities in a lower position compared to the dominant group. For Both Hands Tied, Unequal Times, and The New Jim Crow, these wires represent the welfare system, managerial power over worker’s time, and mass incarceration, respectively, which Dr. McGriff understands and thus tries to align his behaviors to what is racially expected of him. In Both Hand Tied, the migration from a primarily male-dominated industrial-based economy to a more female-dominated service-based economy marked the beginning of the new system that would trap low-income minorities below the poverty line. Because low-wage women had replaced high-income men, this pushed some of these unemployed men to commit questionable actions that often lead to incarceration, leaving single mothers to fend for themselves and take care of the children. This often would lead to these mothers to take a leave or seek a new job, which would initiate the grueling cycle that was the welfare system. Facing the dueling role of breadwinner and the mother, these women would have to take up low-income occupations where they commonly facedShow MoreRelatedBeauty And The Beast Of Advertisement1542 Words   |  7 Pagesinclude her example of men opening doors for women, and metaphors that link oppression with birdcage social structures. â€Å"Men opening doors for women, birdca ge-like social structures, and advertisement are highly tied to the meaning of oppression because they distract women from learning and from understanding the world around them, making them unfit members of society† (Frye, 2017). Females are chained to a false reality. In her careful analysis of oppression, Frye argues that members of oppressed groupsRead MoreSusan Glaspell s Trifles 3309 Words   |  14 Pagessewing basket filled with quilt pieces from old silken rags and notice something strange: a sudden row of badly sewn stitches. â€Å"What do you suppose she was so -- nervous about?† asks Mrs. Hale (559). Later, Mrs. Peters finds another clue, an empty birdcage with a broken door, suggesting it has been handled roughly. Under the silken rags, tenderly wrapped in the best finery, is a lifeless dead canary. Both women draw conclusions from these items and speculate on their importance. Surely they think theseRead More Audience Perception of the Stereotypical Blac k Image on Television2820 Words   |  12 Pagesissues of racism, even when they will be neatly resolved in a thirty minute time slot, television producers and audiences generally prefer humorous venues for discussion (Ford 272). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Herman Gray performs an extensive analysis of the 1990’s hit FOX comedy show In Living Color in his book Watching Race. Tamara Rawitt, the show’s producer, comments on the role of humor in portraying racial issues: â€Å"The humor can work on a very subliminal level, and it’s saying a lot of unsayable