America and Masculinity

What are the images in Clifford’s poem? What is the role of native Hawaiians?

     James Clifford’s “Year of the Ram: Honolulu February 2, 1991” is a seemingly random collage of images, But there is a specific duality to the images in the poem. There are two Americas as well as two versions of masculinity featured in the poem. The poem presents America as imperialistic and violent through war images, “In a desert the tank is hit, explodes inside” (242). These war images are in reference to Desert Storm. Another image of America that presents it as a multicultural hub by describing a scene on a crowded street. The duality of America in the poem relates to the duality of masculinity. On the one hand, masculinity is tied to militaristic America. A quote from an “Anglo” man shows this, “just get rid of those people” (242). On the other hand, through the image of a native Hawaiian man playing with his children it is shown that masculinity can also be maternal. The role of the native Hawaiian man is to show this duality in masculinity.