12 Xenophobia – A Modern Monster
Emma Walker
Introduction
Monsters tend to be something greater than ourselves and our culture, but what if the true monsters were within? Jeffery Cohen’s Thesis Four, The Monsters Dwell at the Gate of Difference, solidifies the idea of fear of the other, outside world, and unknown, whether they take a physical ‘monster’ form or not. The unknown can represent clashes of culture, politics, and economics and often works as a reason for violence.
Fear is the real monster, entrapping us within social constraints and reinforcing societal structures and norms while isolating anything different. A catalyst for irrational judgements and actions, fear drives paranoia and hysteria.
Throughout my chapter, I have utilized a variety of modes in order to convey my perspective. Through poetry, performance, and written expressions, I hope to investigate human connections with fear, specifically through xenophobia (fear of others from a different country), and how both act as triggers behind our very own actions, behaviors, and creations.
The Desolate Cycle of Isolation
Think of a time you felt left out or different from others because of something you couldn’t control. Maybe it was in elementary school playing 4-square, or in a professional setting as a newcomer. I doubt that memory felt good. Author W. H. Auden illustrates this exact emotion through their poem, Refugee Blues, which leads readers to question why we isolate others who seem different, even when we originate the same biological family. Refugee Blues fronts the inhumane treatment of refugees who no longer have a place to call home. Surviving on a day-to-day basis, ordinary men and women are forced to ask where they belong in a society that labels everything. Through usage of imagery, symbolism, and tone, Auden’s poem constructs a deeply felt story that illuminates the dehumanizing consequences of modern monster xenophobia, as fueled by fear.
Auden begins by constructing a vision of a vast city with “ten million souls.” United under the city lights, a distinct difference is notable because residents reside in “mansions” and others in “holes.” This stark contrast is important because it illustrates a simple yet large divergence in one geographic location. This contrast remains important because it foreshadows that variation in ideals, morals, and values exist not only on a smaller scale but a global one as well, as seen in the following stanza. Referring to how their once home can be found on an “atlas”, Auden reveals a deeper understanding in that documents and written ledgers fail to acknowledge the social story behind the words because the map fails to show that many of its inhabitants can no longer “go there now.” Furthering this idea, in his academic journal, Xenophobia: Is It Something Morbid?, Sergio Benvenuto emits a tone of personal regret when demonstrating that societies need immigrants to function, yet places once thought as ‘home’ and representative of peace now stand as monuments of pain and resignation. Home has now undergone a complete transformation, just like the changing seasons do every year.
As spring enters, “it blossoms anew”, rejuvenated by a new cycle of growth and change. The concept of time and change demonstrates how things that were once familiar, are no longer in a couple years, or how one day one could be welcomed and the next shunned. This patterned cycle is also seen through the rhyming of the last words in each stanza’s first and second line. The poem’s structure emphasizes how cyclical and repetitive our world is but also acts as an undercover warning sign that nothing will change if nothing is changed. In our contemporary world of documentation and discrimination, we neither have the choice to rewrite our past nor create our own identity, as it is often written in stone by those who barely know us; “Old passports can’t do that” and “you’re officially dead.” Repetition is a paramount literary device used by Auden as the repetition within each third line questions reality. The repetition of the first phrase in each third line allows the speaker to confirm that the previous isolating action was true, because it seems hard to believe such cruel words could exist. Looking deeper, these words exist because of stereotypes and the creation of ‘us v. them’ scenarios, “If we let them in, they will steal our daily bread”…“He was talking of you and me, my dear, he was talking of you and me.” Repetition being one of my personal favorite literary devices to convey importance, I in turn utilized it in my own poem, my take on XENOPHOBIA, which can be found in my pressbook chapter. For example, the second stanza repeats in a “what is” and “what are” format, leading readers to ponder their personal stance and the actuality of fear. What’s more, Rae Armantrout’s poem, Xenophobia, asks readers to question who is the monster depending on point of view and how fear of things can direct our response to certain events and people. Do you fear the future, the unknown, or perhaps another person?
The introduction of Adolf Hitler in the seventh stanza indicates a context not previously mentioned which foreshadows a more detailed and specific rest of the poem towards World War II. Taking the ‘us v. them’ concept further, Auden illuminates the dehumanizing effects of isolation and fear when the speakers witnesses “a door opened and a cat let in”, yet the same reception was not extended towards them because of the social monstrosity of “German Jew.” While monsters are typically seen as creatures with inhumane characteristics and frightening appearances, Auden leads the reader to what I have come to conclude; fear is the monster within. Humans are scared of what they do not know, whether through different cultures, innovations, ideas, or in the context of Refugee Blues, a door slammed shut. Throughout the poem, the theme of xenophobia stands as a modern monster because it acts as a driving force in isolating others. This leads me to ask, why are so many human beings forced to stay labeled as such when treated so inhumanly?
Actions are shaped by a combination of ideologies and attitudes which are molded through social constructions of labels, expectations, and stereotypes. A poor cumulation of the previous can cause some to act hostile in a situation without giving the recipient a chance to say anything. The human race is supposedly built on common ground and yet all similarities are thrown away because of a lack of control over one’s emotions. When looking at the big picture, we live such a short life compared to the universe’s numerous cycles, and Auden recognizes this. The second to last stanza brings readers back to the visualization of the city with the use of diction as seen with “a building with a thousand floors”, a skyscraper. Yet again, “Not one of them was ours.” Auden concludes the poem with a connection of the pure white spring blossoms from the second stanza and stark snowfall in the last. “Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro: Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me.” Auden’s cyclical symbolism stands as a warning of where fear will continue to lead us. Furthering personal understanding, I employed the use of patterns in my self-choreographed dance, “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”, seen when the starting and ending stance mirror each other. Despite so much movement, action, and emotion, nothing really changed. Equally important, Auden plays the numbers game as reality is shifted to an understanding that two people, not even considered worthy of basic humans, are simultaneously important enough to have ten thousand soldiers looking for them through persecution. Author George Markai emphasizes that the same patterns Refugee Blues addresses still exist through book Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia. Markai traces xenophobia’s history to modern day society and its journey in becoming a real world issue. Coined the most dangerous phobia by Markai, xenophobia remains a social problem at large.
Wrapping the poem up, the lasting tone remains reminiscent and sorrowful yet not necessarily despondent. This is important to note because the repetition of “my dear” throughout the eternity of the poem reveals the possibility of warmth and intimacy despite bleakness. Furthermore, Harvard Gazette article, “Facing the denial of American Racism” proposes that the way we interact with each other has to do with our inner characteristics, such as the empathy we possess. Author Clea Simon illuminates the ideas that become ingrained in children as young as five, and these ideas fuel the continuation of America’s racially biased structures and ways. Xenophobia is rooted in fear, and it takes intense inward looking to recognize both the conscious and unconscious terror we possess. It is okay to be scared, but not to act wrongfully on the basis of such. It is okay to be scared, but do not become a monster.
my take on XENOPHOBIA
The stories I heard as a child from my immigrant mother were incredible. From pirates at sea to four different high schools and numerous states, my mother had seen it all. Now, having seen part of the world myself, her stories are no longer a fantasy adventure but a twisted actuality. They have proven to me that the idea of embracing everyone is not the reality, which is a shame. I look back on those stories and understand I missed the part where she was bullied as the only asian kid, respect was given only because as a tennis champion she worked her way to the title of third in state, and her nickname from peers was based on a racist television show.
As a Bay Area native, I watched asian hate skyrocket during the pandemic. This led me to question the extent we let fear dictate our actions when they juxtapose our self-proclaimed morals of having welcoming arms. While America has helped millions of people start over in the ‘Land of Opportunity’, we cannot ignore our past. Our history is a painful reminder of human cruelty and the injustice we are still working to correct. Taking inspiration from Rae Armantrout’s Xenophobia and W. H. Auden’s Refugee Blues, I aspire to push my reader’s boundaries on thinking where they stand with their values.
my take on XENOPHOBIA
it’s inside.
you. me.
even Them.
what is the narrative?
what is the reality?
what are we to do?
what are They going to do?
“I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
Choreography and Performance by Emma Walker.
Sometimes, xenophobia does not take the form of spoken or written words, it can find its place in sneers, mannerism, and physical distance. Dance is powerful because it speaks without verbal usage, portraying stories that are not just heard but deeply felt. Through body expression and expansion, I hope to demonstrate the destructive nature of xenophobia. I understand not everyone is a dancer, but dance can be enjoyed by a broader audience. My target audience is anyone who strives to listen and learn, whether because of shared experience with xenophobia or not. Specifically, I chose the song, I Feel Like I’m Drowning, by Two Feet because the lyrics closely resemble what xenophobia does; it acts as a poison, maintaining a tight chokehold, and essentially drowning out the love for life and diversity. I hope that through slow jazz blues and a slightly unnerving mood, both the song and dance represent the steady seeping of resentment and hatred into our country, xenophobia did not occur overnight.
As an artist, I move with intention. Choreographed steps such as the hands covering the mouth and the slow-motion running in place all stand to represent the imprisonment of those victimized by xenophobia, never heard and never quite moving forward. I strongly believe the portrayal of emotions can be emphasized more strongly with the absence of words. Through song choice, body expression, and purpose, I hope to utilize a passion of mine, dance, to portray the dehumanizing affects of xenophobia – a modern monster.
Final Words
This chapter began as an idea, a thought that was deliberately transformed into the multifaceted modes you see above. From the very start, I wanted to encourage my audience to explore and embrace the unrevealed, undisclosed, and untold. I understand that can be scary, so I chose to embark on that journey myself, leading by example. Xenophobia was not a concept I was too familiar with prior to this chapter and so it was my unknown. Now, I have embraced the ‘scary’ because I know where I stand and what I believe—I am proud to have and use my voice. My goal has never been to tell others what to do or believe in, but rather show others why they should explore their fears.
I am proud of what I have to share with the world and I sincerely hope to inspire personal reflection and growth, two traits I highly value. Xenophobia, fear, anxiety, whatever you call the dread of the unknown, is present and always will be in you and me. How we chose to deal and address it is the much more important question. Perhaps I should add a line to my, my take on XENOPHOBIA, poem: “what are you going to do?”.
Works Cited
Armantrout, Rae. “Xenophobia by Rae Armantrout.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46579/xenophobia.
Benvenuto, Sergio. “Xenophobia: Is It Something Morbid?” American Imago, vol. 73, no. 3, 2016, pp. 367–379., https://doi.org/10.1353/aim.2016.0019.
Makari, George. Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia. Yale University Press, 2021.
Poetry, Pick Me Up. “Refugee Blues.” Refugee Blues By W. H. Auden – Pick Me Up Poetry, https://pickmeuppoetry.org/refugee-blues-by-w-h-auden/.
Simon, Clea. “Facing the Denial of American Racism.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 12 June 2020, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/06/facing-the-denial-of-american-racism/.