What are the possibilities of politicizing disidentification, this experience of misrecognition, this uneasy sense of standing under a sign to which one does not belong? Butler answers: ‘it may be that the affirmation of that slippage, that the failure of identification, is itself the point of departure for a more democratizing affirmation of internal difference”(Muñoz 12).
Initially when I read this passage, it went completely over my head and I was unsure of the point that the author was trying to get across. However, after further analyzing it, I recognized the fascinating picture the author was painting about identity. It depicts a scenario in which the reader must place themselves.
Muñoz tells the reader to imagine themselves in a position in which their identity is floating above them; however, it is a forgein identity in which they do not feel connected with. Essentially they are forced to fit into a box they do not belong in. However, acknowledging the possibility of this disparity is the first step in creating a more accepting place for everyone.
After finally getting a better grasp on the message in which the author was trying to portray, it was intriguing to look into the writing style. Within this short passage, the author uses isolating commas multiple times. For example, Muñoz will introduce a term to the reader such as ‘disidentification’ and reiterate the term between a set of isolating commas by saying ‘ this experience of misrecognition’. This allows the reader to fully understand vocabulary that may otherwise be unfamiliar. Since this is continued again with ‘slippage’ defined as ‘ the failure of identification’, it is fair to assume that this piece is not only attended the specific group rather anyone is the general public willing to reflect more about this topic
Originally, my ‘lock’ when reading the passage, was the term ‘democratizing’ because I was unsure how it fit into this passage let alone the topic of identity. With that, I looked up possible other definitions and found ‘make (something) accessible to everyone’ (Google). I associate this word with meaning inclusivity and a safe place for identifying freely. This single definition really put together this excerpt and led me to a greater understanding of Muñoz’s message.
However, on the other hand, the analogy in the first sentence was my ‘key’ because it made the idea of disidentification very easy to understand. I was able to picture an identifying sign floating above me and conjure up an idea of how it would feel to have a false identity floating above my head. This was very eye opening because it gives the opportunity for a wide rage of individuals to sympathize regardless of having ever felt that way. Overall, taking the time to analyze the excerpt gave me clarity about the theme.
I really like how you phrased “a scenario in which the reader must place themselves” — an astute observation about how readers must imagine the scenario of the text (the diegetic, or story-world) in which to place themselves, and also how readers must figure out where they are in regards to location, context, history — placing themselves in relation to a text (in the non-diegetic space external to the story-world, or, our world).