Perception In ZZ Packer's 'Drinking Coffee Elsewhere'

A common adage in our time is that “perception is reality”, implying that our discernments – shaped by our prejudices, values, and experiences – affect the lens through which we see and understand the world. Perception is unique, and no two people share the same exact interpretation of the world around them; this is seen in every conflict that arises – different values and morals determine what is “right” and what is “wrong”. The issue of perception arises in ZZ Packer’s “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” as the main character, Dina, begins attending Yale as a young black woman, immediately alienating herself from everyone else with her asocial personality until meeting an oppositely quirky girl named Heidi and beginning an unexpectedly intimate relationship with her. Packer’s way of developing Dina’s persona …show more content…

She moves from this position regarding lesbianism to having romantic attraction to a girl herself. From this point, she regresses to rejecting her sexuality once again when the possibility of her queerness is made public, but with the conclusion of the story she begins to reconnect with this reality of herself once again, and seems to include it in her renewed self image. ZZ Packer is able to develop Dina’s character in a way that explores her sexuality through interactions with others and first-person narration, whilst also presenting her struggles with her self-identity at the hands of assumptions and the perceptions of others. Dina can’t allow herself to be seen as “fucking gay”, despite her obviously, though privately, stated feelings for Heidi. She acts flippant or disgusted at the idea of being gay at first, but as the story continues she begins to experience sapphic desire herself and through her thoughts the reader is able to glean the internal shift that Dina is