We Are Not Responsible Analysis

The world is constantly becoming an increasingly more dangerous place, and in this day and age, everything has a warning label. Whether it’s a hairdryer, a computer keyboard, or even a simple toy, all manufactured products and structures around us have a label stuck on the side to protect us. It seems as if at least one person has managed to hurt themselves with every product and attraction in the world. The poem “We Are Not Responsible” by Harryette Muller uses a familiar format, repetition, and underlying meanings to poke fun at the rules and norms of the society every one of us strive to achieve in. The most visually noticeable part of this poem is the format. It isn’t written in familiar stanzas with any kind of meter or complex organization, but is simply a paragraph. The poem reads like the average disclaimer on the side of the television or amusement park ride. It reads first “We are not responsible for your lost or stolen relatives.” (Line 1). Countless other disclaimers have taught people to expect the phrase to end “lost or stolen items,” but this line reads relatives. The unexpected causes the reader to think beyond the surface and past what is obvious. The poem leaves it open as to why the victims are losing relatives, where they may be going, what happened to them, and how they can get them back. It’s a mystery that is left unsolved and is open for interpretation. The first line establishes the tone for the rest of the reading as indifferent and cold. “They” don’t care about what’s happening to the victims’ families, possessions, or rights. The repetition of “we” and “our” is very vague and leads to the understanding that they may be a governing body over a large group of people. In lines 2 – 4, “We do not endorse the causes or claims of people begging for handouts”, Mullen shows the group’s resentment of the poor who cannot support themselves while lines 8 – 9, “If you cannot understand English, you will be moved out of the way.”, emphasize

Cited: Mullen, Harryette. “We Are Not Responsible.” Sleeping With the Dictionary. Berkeley: U of California P, 2002. 77. Print.