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A Habit Of Waste By Nalo Hopkinson Summary

530 Words3 Pages

Nalo Hopkinson’s story “A Habit of Waste” takes place in a society where bodies are interchangeable, the main character is Cynthia, a Caribbean woman who discards her body for the figure of a white woman. When analyzing this fictional tale from a post-colonial lens, it is clear that the author is focusing on giving a voice to the experiences of those born after colonization and the history that was crushed along with it. The author uses an emotional appeal to express the struggles people of colour, specifically Caribbeans, face post-colonization. Cynthia's desire to belong outweighs any logic or ethics, and as a result of white supremacy, this sense of belonging comes in the form of internalized racism. Living in a society filled with racist ideologies often leads to internalized racism, as shown in this short story. Cynthia …show more content…

The effects of colonialism are intergenerational, this story exposes the raw feelings of victims of colonization and the internalization of racist ideologies that often occurs as a result of Caribbean history being wrongly painted. Conforming to the standards of society is often easier than bearing the challenges associated with being an outlier; however, conformity leads to resentment and hatred. Cynthia chooses to conform to society's standards of white supremacy, which results in her discarding her own body for the figure of a white woman. Unfortunately, Cynthia begins to form a deep hatred for herself and her culture which her parents and strangers are subjected to. After switching bodies, Cynthia sees her old body in the use of someone else and projects her hate onto the woman in possession of it by saying: “She had a lot of nerve, too, wrapping that behind in a flower print sarong mini skirt. Sort of like making your ass into a billboard. When it was my body, I always covered its butt

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