Political narratives and intersectional representation: A critical reading of Michelle Obama's becoming
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Department of English
Abstract
This paper examines political narrative and intersectional representation in
Michelle Obama’s Becoming in the light of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri’s
political theory and Stuart Hall’s notion of representation. The autobiography
encapsulates Obama’s journey from the girl to becoming America’s First Lady.
Highlighting highs and lows of her life, Obama describes how she transfigured her
from becoming ‘me to us’. The memoir also depicts how political power transformed
her identity and she gradually gained the potential to challenge and subvert the
power structures. The research focuses on specifically there questions: What are the
factors that affect Obama’s early life? How does she realize that there is racism
everywhere in the USA? How does she succeed in maintaining her distinct identity
despite the racism and political biasedness prevalent in American society? The paper
embodies Hardt and Negri’s idea of political theory to highlight that by acquiring
political power one can emphasize the role of social movements and gain the
potential to challenge the submissive power structures. Similarly, Hall’s concept of
representation has been adapted to present that representation locates the power as it
is influenced by the dominant ideologies and can reinforce existing hierarchies. This
paper, in this regard, concludes that political power works as a mechanism to bring a
desired change in the nation making the sphere full of opportunities for those
neglected and subordinated.
Keywords: representation, politics, power, identity, intersectionality