{"id":2385,"date":"2023-10-02T23:43:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T03:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/?p=2385"},"modified":"2023-10-02T23:46:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T03:46:30","slug":"words-like-ammunition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/2023\/10\/02\/words-like-ammunition\/","title":{"rendered":"Words Like Ammunition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Certainly, we know language to be a powerful tool. The words we use can easily uplift those around us as it can be inflicted to hurt people. The infliction of this pain can take up many different forms as it isolates, eats, and destroys you from inside out. In reading Eli Clare, his words are chosen carefully and openly explained to describe their unique experience as a person intertwined with many identities. In the chapter of stones in my pockets, stones in my heart \u2013 it bubbles with the emotions in which words can interact with the way he experiences them. Especially as disabled queer person, \u201cAll too often, the thieves plant their lies, and our bodies absorb them as the only truth. Is it any surprise that sometimes my heart fills with small gray stones, which never warm to my body heat?\u201d (152). While it is clear to see Clare\u2019s commentary on the way that people’s actions and words have negatively affected his life, the use of the word \u201cthieves\u201d poses a more insidious imagery. A thief, someone who takes something without asking, insisting that Clare\u2019s thieves robbed him of his own identity. This idea of stealing and reclaiming makes me think about how some words in the queer community are in the process of being reclaimed. Words like \u201cfaggot\u201d that have far too long been used as weapons pointed at queer people to deminish their queerness. By using it, steals power from those who carry its title like a target. In turn Clare says we give these \u201clies\u201d much too power for them to hold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In reading Ecofeminists perspectives with how climate change is inherently connected with queer studies, it is interesting that the words he uses like \u201cplant\u201d, \u201cabsorb\u201d, and \u201cstone\u201d have associations with nature and the environment. This I see as not a coincidence, as much of Clare\u2019s life is also defined by nature and childhood in Port Orford. These moments with nature gives us a glimpse of Clare\u2019s thinking in the perspective of how he views the world around him. There is also something to be said about the ways that bodies are inherently plants as well requiring the necessities of food, air, and water. These foils also exist as Clare talks about \u201cgray stones\u2026never warm[ing to] body heat\u201d \u2013 when plants aren’t provided with the necessities to function, it inhibits their survival. Therefore, just as the gray stones inhibit the bodies\u2019 ability to function properly and to \u201cwarm\u201d. This is layered with the idea that the words inflicted on Clare\u2019s body stole his ability to function.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thinking bigger, Clare\u2019s experience dealing with the dynamic power struggles of those who have torn him down asks us to consider why we allow the power of words and language get the best of us. In a way, thinking of Michael Warner\u2019s, <\/span>Trouble with Normal<\/span><\/i>, we are also asked to embrace the ways that have been deemed abnormal and different. Why do we insist on sticking to patriarchy and the heteronormative standards? When the words have no longer served its purpose then they have no use. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Certainly, we know language to be a powerful tool. The words we use can easily uplift those around us as it can be inflicted to hurt people. The infliction of this pain can take up many different forms as it isolates, eats, and destroys you from inside out. In reading Eli Clare, his words are … Continue reading Words Like Ammunition<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5318,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346798],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2023-blog-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5318"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}