Citizen: An American Lyric

Consider the multidisciplinary nature of Citizen. Discuss the interplay of words, visual elements, and the overall structure of the book. Why did Rankine make her choices? What would be lost if the artwork, for example, were to be removed from the book?

The majority of Citizen is written in the second-person point of view, which places the reader squarely at the center of the narrative as “you.” Consider the impact that the second-person voice has in relation to the reader’s racial identity. How might a reader identifying as white might receive the text differently from readers identifying as non-white?

Consider the artwork that illustrates Citizen. Select one visual element and examine it in the context of the book as a whole. In what ways does this particular piece of art affect and/or symbolize the narrative? Discuss the piece’s placement in the text overall, and also how it interplays with the immediately adjacent text.