The Kitchen

“Kitchen” by Gates, really intrigued me. I felt connected in a lot of ways although I do not represent the same ethnicity. With that being said, I know the feeling of always wanting straight hair. As a child my mom would always tell me, “Angelina, you have such beautiful curls, why do you insist on straightening every week?” or “Angelina, you are a follower”. In this essay, Gates speaks about his mother being a hairstylist and the concept of the reference of “kitchen”, which is located in the the back of the neck. In the area grew up, I wanted my hair to be like everyone else’s….straight. As I grew up, Ive learned to embrace my hair and accept it for what it is. And guess what ? I LOVE my hair. Obsessed actually. Apart from my obsession with my curls, a part in this essay that stuck out to me was when Gates says “The kitchen was permanent, irredeemable, irresistible kink”(293). It made me think of this: no matter what type of hair you have and no matter how many times you want to change it, your true hair is interchangeable. Sure, you can change its color and length and style, but your hair will always be apart of who you are and no one can change that.