How Struggles Shape People's Identity

Identity is a complex and not all too well known thing. A person’s identity makes up who they are, how they act, and what they think. Every person’s identity is individual in that it is like no other, somewhat like snowflakes. And just like how all snowflakes have been through different things, people and, by extension, their identity have been through their own situations and struggles. And what this person has been throughs, particularly the struggles, has changed them a lot. One’s identity is shaped by struggles by opening new opportunities, building life skills, and helping one learn about him or herself.

The first way in which identity is shaped by one’s struggles is by opening new opportunities. Identities are ever changing and revising,

with every new experience comes some form of change. So when a person goes through a particularly rough struggle, almost always, there is a new opportunity awaiting them at the end of the journey. An example of this is found in the Syrian Refugee Crisis. These families have left their homes on account of the fact that their country is caught in a state of civil war. Many of them are now stuck in camps and other unsatisfactory situations because of the world’s lack of support in the effort of taking in these refugees. This is an immense struggle for these people, they’ve left all that they know and are now living in extreme states of poverty. Yet, when they finally do find a permanent home in another country, many new opportunities will become available to them. Whether in the form of jobs, accessibility to a resource, or simply just living in peace with their family (as compared to the constant state of violence in Syria), new opportunities will find them. These new opportunities will change how they view some things, or maybe how they act upon certain situations. Many, if not all, of the refugees’ identities will change from these new opportunities, just as any other person’s would. So when someone is faced with a new opportunity, whether small or large, it will have an affect on their identity.
Another way in which struggles shape one’s identity is by building life skills.

How you do things is a large part of your identity, and with new ways to do stuff, a person’s identity can become more individual in the fact that people have more preferences to choose from. Compared to the early 90’s when there were only a few cell phones to choose from, there are now hundreds. Arguments such as Apple v.s. Android are examples of the fact that people’s identities are now more defined and individual with these new choices. A larger yet more basic example of this is found in the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia. Over a thousand years ago, Mesopotamia was struggling to deal with the massive floods that ravaged their lands and cities. Eventually, through this struggle, they learned irrigation, solving their problem and building skills that would last for hundreds of years. This is a massive change of identity, as the Mesopotamians did something so intuitive and made it such a big part of their lives that it is still talked about in history courses today. The fact that one of the first civilizations was able to deal so well with this problem is not only an astounding feat of mechanics, but also development of identity through

struggle.
The final way in which identity is shaped through struggle is by how struggles can teach one about him or herself. A significant part of identity is how you act, and how you act can often be changed by an increase, or decrease, of self awareness. When faced with struggles, many people feel as though they know more coming out than they did going in. In Raisin in the Sun the Younger family goes through massive amounts of struggles. They not only faced economic struggles, but also struggles in the form of internal family struggles and racial pressure. Through the book you view a lot more of the family’s inner workings and how they reacted to those struggles than what they were like after. These struggles bring out the worst in each of them at one point or another, and through this they learn. Towards the end of the book you see gradual changes in many characters, such as Bennie’s sudden awareness of her own immaturity and unhelpfulness. Though they don’t all reform their ways, they still learn about themselves and therefore, change in the way of identity. The family members all recognize a little more of themselves after questioning what they were doing and why. This applies to all people when going through struggles. When having a difficult time, everyone will at some point cross the line and bring out some of the bad things. This can allow a person to learn more about him or herself, and change it if they want. These changes are almost like a reform of part of your identity, changing it.
All in all, struggles can quite easily cause an identity to change. Whether through teaching one a new skill, opening new opportunities, or learning and revising oneself, an identity will be changed, whether a large or small change. Though the examples given are just what they are, examples, they still have real world connections that further show the effect on identity by going through a struggle. So whether someone is having trouble economically, or is just struggling with a problem on a math test, their mind and, therefore, thoughts, actions, and personality are being changed.