A look at identity
Identity is a set of characteristics by which an individual is recognizable. As time passes each identity is individually shaped by these characteristics. At an early age, parents start the identity process by giving their children names. It is in fact your parents that truly shape your identity. If your parents were aggressive people who rarely paid attention to you, it's possible that you could wind up being a school bully or something along those lines. It's quite frightening when you think about it. By not having "good" parents it is feasible to have an under developed identity. I also think that identity has to do with where you were raised. This may sound silly, but let me explain. Awhile back I read an interesting book titled "The Boys from Brazil" by Ira Levin, that had to do with identity. It involved four Adolf Hitlers, each raised in a different part of the world. It was interesting to see how each character reacted to his surroundings. Although the one in Germany tried to take over the world, the other three had no bad intentions and lived normal and happy lives. So in fact, identity can be influenced by society and the world around us. My name is Jessica Gaber and I'm 17 years old
"Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach."( Aristotle ) This was uncle Willie exactly, in the reading, "Legacies". Uncle Willie had a gift, a gift for teaching. More importantly, because of this defining characteristic that made up his immaculate identity, he was able to pass on a legacy, rich in knowledge, for years to come. It takes a strong, self assured person to educate. When a person teaches they are giving away part of their identity. If I teach a person how to act, using my morals and values, and that person makes something of themself, part of my identity is consumed by their success. It truly is a satisfying experience. We all want to leave something behind, why not leave a part of ourselves; our identity. Hating convention, hating pretension It is very difficult to go against a group, especially when the group is a majority. The reading, "Conformity and Identity", is a perfect example of what it's like to be on the "other side of the fence". I seems like the grass is greener, and most of the time, for young gays it is. Brandon Carson has a really strong grip on his identity. "I have come to except myself on psychological as well as physical terms." (pg. 31 Conformity and identity) I think that's important when trying to determine one's identity. I know I have many faults, but it's our imperfections, and willingness to accept them that make us unique. This reading is so powerful because it carries such a universal theme. You don't have to be gay to experience the pressure society has to conform. Through this reading I was able to draw parallels with the novel, "1984" by George Orwell. Winston, like Brandon, has a different way of thinking, and is forced to conform. In both works, society attempts to conform, using the person's greatest fear; Brandon rejection, Winston room 101 (the rats). Society does a great job at both stripping, and assigning one's identity. In Jonathan Larson's play, "Rent", each character has their own separate struggle with conformity and identity, for a variety of different reasons. In the Song "La Vie Boheme", the idea's of both conformity and identity are discussed.
Some common words found in the essay are:
History Ourselves, Uncle Willie, Institute I'm, Rudyard Kipling, Vie Boheme, Identity Identity, Brandon Carson, Bear Wasn't, Winston Brandon, Adolf Hitlers, conformity identity, identity determined, identity identity, idea word, idea word meant, what's name, vie boheme, la vie, word meant, one's identity, bear wasn't, la vie boheme,
Approximate Word count = 1573
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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