Problem 1: Even in this brief excerpt, Rankine often returns to ideas of (in)visibility and silence. Reread this excerpt from Citizen, taking care to mark these moments. What does visibility have to do with identity and racism? And how does Rankine see silence functioning in her daily interactions as a black woman? What connections can you make among racism, visibility, and silence?
Problem 2: Rankine intersperses her writing with two photographs - one depicts a neighborhood street and another appears to be an animal with a human face. Consider the placement of these photos. How might you "read" the images? How do they advance Rankine's argument? Why might she have chosen to replace text with pictures?
Problem 3: In our headnote we cite from an interview in which Rankine says of her work in Citizen, "The use of the second person - that 'you' - was meant to say, 'Step in here with me, because there is no me without you inside this dynamic." (p. 500). Choose two or three specific moments from the excerpt where you think Rankine is employing this "you" in an interesting way. What do you think Rankine means by her interview comment, and how do you see that meaning reflected in this work itself?