Miss Mary Mack

The name Mary might seem bland to the average person, but to me there is an abundance of meaning. Mary was my grandmothers name who died years before I was born of cancer, whom my dad promised her he would name his first daughter after. The name is representative of my Christian background, because as the granddaughter of a preacher, I have grown up in a religious family. Although I do not go by this name, I am very fond of what it reflects. I was named Mackinley after my great-grandfather, William Mckinley, who was named after President William Mckinley. My parents thought this name would fit well because it was unique, and decided to give it a feminine twist with the spelling change. The name also offers several nicknames such as Mary Mack, Mack, and Mac n cheese. 

When I first meet someone, I come across as very reserved. It takes time for me to warm up to people and feel comfortable enough to be myself with them. Because of this, I feel like I reflect two separate personalities- one where I am shy and the other where I am free to be myself. My friends might see me as extremely outgoing and loud, but to others I am the shy girl in class. This personality change could even be identified based on the class that I am in. In my IB classes, I feel comfortable because I am with friends, but if I were put in a class full of people I did not know, you would not see me answering questions or doing much class participation at all. Perhaps one day I will lose this trait, but for now I feel that it benefits me in how I make friends who are appreciative of who I am either way.

We are the Other- Tony, 38th & Chicago, South Minneapolis, MN (2012)

This image, titled "Tony, 38th & Chicago" in South Minneapolis in 2012 captures a man willingly presenting a symbol of his faith to the photographer. The first aspect of the photo recognized by the viewer is the cross- a way of representing his faith. Through the lens of a proud Christian, it is evident the man has a different perspective on life than people of other faiths might. Looking deeper into the picture, you notice the somber look on the man's face and his casual attire. It is also inferred that the man might live in a rougher area because of the location where the photo was taken.

In the photograph, the man stands strong in his faith as a Christian, similar to the characters in Margaret Atwood's, The Handmaid's Tale.  There is no further information on the picture that would allow for the viewer to understand the background of the man's life as a follower of Christ, therefore the question is asked: was this decision to be a Christian one made by him or forced upon him, like Offred and the others in the society of Gilead? The man is photographed alone, representing how he might stand alone in his faith or how he could be an outsider, like the Unwomen. The viewer of the photograph can notice the man has a tired expression and is sitting down- a sign that he has been on his own and that life is hard on him. The life of the Unwomen corresponds similarly, as they were unappreciated for aspects of their life out of their control, so they were forced to stand alone. Although this example is far more extreme because the Unwomen were also shunned by society.

The colors of the man's attire and the background are all neutral, causing the cross to stand out in comparison. This relates to life in Gilead because everything revolves around Christianity, while all other aspects of everyday life such as relationships and happiness seem to linger in the background, unrecognized. Atwood's writing style highlights this, as she constantly makes biblical references, whether she does so in a straight-forward manner, or discretely.