Identity how is it shaped? When I think of shaping identity the way someone acts towards another individual is a big factor of it. Another key component of shaping someone’s identity is the people they choice to put themselves around. Home and friends are a perfect example of what shapes Melinda’s identity, who is a character from the novel Speak written by Laurie Halse Anderson.
First, home shaped Melinda’s identity. They noticed. “A sketch pad with charcoal pencils. They say they have noticed her drawing” (Anderson 72). This shapes Melinda’s identity, because it shows her that even when she thinks no one cares about her, her parents are always there. In the end that experience showed her if she ever wanted to talk about what happened her
Throughout the passages, Laurie Halse Anderson establishes the Central Idea through the use of Characteristics and Imagery, revealing that the loudest words are the ones that aren’t spoken.
In the novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson utilizes the motif of the janitor's closet to show the growth and changes Melinda goes through, starting nonfunctional, and then finally finding her voice and learning how to “speak”.
What influences a person’s identity? Does one get an identity when they are able to differentiate right from wrong, or are they born with it? There is not one thing that gives a person their identity, there are however, many different factors that contribute to one’s identity. From Contemplation in a World of Action written by Thomas Merton, Merton advocates identity by stating that “A person does not simply “receive” his or her identity. Identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. True identity is something people must create for themselves by making choices that are significant and that require a courageous commitment in the face of challenges. Identity means having ideas and values that one lives by” (Merton). Concurring with Merton a person is not given their identity at birth or while developing as an embryo, rather it is something that you create for yourselves over the course of life through decisions and actions made by the individual. Although identity is something that one may not be fully aware of or discover until last breaths. Identity can
The plot of the book, Speak is that Melinda Sordino, a freshman at Merryweather High went to an end of the summer party with some of her friends. Things take a turn for the worst when a senior named Andy Evans sexually assaults her at the party without her friends knowing about it. Melinda is frightened, afraid, and does not know what to do so she calls 911 busting the party, and causing her friends and everyone at that school to hate her, even if they don’t know her.
A good influence, good mood/ positive outlook on life, and polite. These are some qualities that a good friend should have. Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson, young adult novel. Melinda Sordino would not make a good friend because she is a bad influence, she doesn’t speak up when she needs to and she often seems to be in a bad mood.
Adversity affects the lives of many individuals. Through facing adversity people tend to show their true selves. In the novel “Speak” by Laurie Halse-Anderson, the main character Melinda, faces a few different types of adversity. One form of adversity that she faces is that she was sexually assaulted. Another type of adversity that Melinda goes through in this novel is that she loses all her friends and starts to lose her family as well. Throughout my life, I have faced many different types of adversity, one major thing that I have dealt with in my life is depression. Those who face adversity in their life can choose if they want to face it or to ignore it, and the outcome will prove what they chose to do.
Initially Melinda is unable to communicate; however, as she strengthens her social connections with others, she is able to accept her feelings of loneliness. She believes, “It is easier not to say anything [...] Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say” (9). In terms of Melinda’s home life, her parents have a bad relationship with each other, and in return, Melinda goes to her room to isolate herself; she feels more comfortable in her closet. Melinda’s parents try to communicate with her in the worst ways possible; therefore, she is completely disconnected with them. Melinda thinks that she may never grow up because she is so traumatized. She remembers her childhood memories, yet she is unable to see her own future because feels trapped and damaged. However, as she is able to come to terms with what happened to her, she can finally accept that she is beginning to grow again, and can look forward to her future. As Melinda begins to heal, so does her family. For once in the novel, her parents do not fight and they eat dinner with each other. As a developing artist, she has a lack of ambition and believes that she will never be as talented or as successful as Mr. Freeman. Through her artwork, he is aware of the negative emotions she is expressing. He informs her that she can talk to him when she needs to. Mr. Freeman is one of the only teachers who can understand Melinda. In addition,
It is created by what people think of you, and what they see you as. You don't have control over your identity because people will be judgmental and see you how they wish to see you. This theme is also expressed within every chapter. In this chapter after Lucy gets a surgery and as she recovers from it she gets moved to a new ward with a new type of patient. These patients were described as giggly teenage girls who were skeletally thin. This is an identity that Lucy gave the girls of her new world. She did not classify herself within their group. This was a different way at applying the theme because other chapters involved other people's thoughts towards Lucy but this one dealt with Lucys thoughts on a group of
Before beginning the explanation of how an identity is formed, one must understand what an identity is. So, what is identity? To answer this, one might think of what gives him individuality; what makes him unique; what makes up his personality. Identity is who one is. Identity is a factor that tells what one wants out of life and how he is set to get it. It tells what kind of a person one is by the attitude and persona he has. And it depends upon the mixture of all parts of one’s life including personal choices and cultural and societal influences, but personal choices affect the identity of one more than the others.
Individual identity is very important in one’s life. Our identity forms and changes depending on the hardships or high points in life. Three pieces of writing that show characteristics of individual identity forming are Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Of Mice and Men, and To Kill a Mockingbird. There are three characteristics that makes one’s individual identity.
Many philosophers and psychologist from Jean Piaget to William James have theorized what makes a person who they are, their identity. Jean Piaget believed that the identity is formed in the sensorimotor stage and the preoperational stage. This means that a child is forming his identity as late to the age of seven (Schellenberg, 29) However, identity is strongly impacted by society such as school, church, government,and other institutions. Through our interactions with different situations our personality develops (Schellenberg 34). "In most situations there is a more diversified opportunity for the development of social identities, reflecting what the individual wants to put forth to define the self as well as what others want to accept,"(Schellenberg 35). Therefore, humans, much like animals, adapt to different situations based on who they are with. Individuals are always changi...
Identity is a state of mind in which someone recognizes/identifies their character traits that leads to finding out who they are and what they do and not that of someone else. In other words it's basically who you are and what you define yourself as being. The theme of identity is often expressed in books/novels or basically any other piece of literature so that the reader can intrigue themselves and relate to the characters and their emotions. It's useful in helping readers understand that a person's state of mind is full of arduous thoughts about who they are and what they want to be. People can try to modify their identity as much as they want but that can never change. The theme of identity is a very strenuous topic to understand but yet very interesting if understood. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez and Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki are two remarkable books that depict the identity theme. They both have to deal with people that have an identity that they've tried to alter in order to become more at ease in the society they belong to. The families in these books are from a certain country from which they're forced to immigrate into the United States due to certain circumstances. This causes young people in the family trauma and they must try to sometimes change in order to maintain a comfortable life. Both authors: Alvarez and Houston have written their novels Is such an exemplifying matter that identity can be clearly depicted within characters as a way in adjusting to their new lives.
Identity. What is identity? One will say that it is the distinct personality of an individual. Others will say that identity is the behavior of a person in response to their surrounding environment. At certain points of time, some people search for their identity in order to understand their existence in life. In regards, identity is shaped into an individual through the social trials of life that involve family and peers, the religious beliefs by the practice of certain faiths, and cultural awareness through family history and traditions. These are what shape the identity of an individual.
A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects. Family, culture, friends, personal interests and surrounding environments are all factors that tend to help shape a person’s identity. Some factors may have more of an influence than others and some may not have any influence at all. As a person grows up in a family, they are influenced by many aspects of their life. Family and culture may influence a person’s sense of responsibilities, ethics and morals, tastes in music, humor and sports, and many other aspects of life. Friends and surrounding environments may influence a person’s taste in clothing, music, speech, and social activities. Personal interests are what truly set individuals apart. An individual is not a puppet on the string of their puppet-master, nor a chess piece on their master’s game board, individuals choose their own paths in life. They accomplish, or strive to accomplish, goals that they have set for themselves throughout their lifetime. Individuals are different from any other individual in the world because they live their own life rather than following a crowd of puppets. A person’s identity is defined by what shaped it in the first place, why they chose to be who they are, and what makes them different from everybody else in the world. I feel that I have developed most of my identity from my own dreams, fantasies, friends, and idols.