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Assignment 06

Within her essay “Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance,” author Bell Hooks carefully evaluates the interconnection established between Whites and non-white individuals referred to as the “Other”. Hook uses various films and texts to support her observation of the change in the way in which “Otherness” is defined throughout time and different parts of the world. Throughout the essay, Hooks describes the undisclosed desire of White individuals to indulge in this “Otherness” as a means to broaden their culture. This is where the concept of “eating the other”–adopting aspects of Black, Hispanic, Native-American, and Asian cultures–stems from. It is the idea that other races have something new or some sort of spice to offer that is not available to White individuals. This relationship is particularly productive in comparison to previous relations shared between Whites and non-whites, which were typically built on the impression that Whites were superior to other races. Historically, relationships of any kind between members of different races were heavily discouraged and frowned upon. Though it cannot be said that White supremacy no longer exists, it is much less rampant, and Whites no longer desire the domination of other races. Instead, Hook illustrates the desire of White people to be connected with these “Others” by describing them as “consumers”.

This is demonstrated as Hooks discusses sexual interactions between different races. These instances are used to disassociate Otherness with race, ethnicity, and skin color. Otherness then becomes commodified and is more associated with the act of sex. Sexual encounters serve as a way to experience pleasure and stray away from normal bland and boring ways without abandoning what is known as mainstream White culture. In this case, the relationship to Otherness can be considered productive and successful because it provides newer and more satisfying methods to overcome certain racial boundaries.