Identity Crisis In The Goose Girl

In Shannon Hale’s book, The Goose Girl, an identity crisis smoothly relates the world of the Books of Bayern and the real world. The main character Anidori-kiladra Taliana Isilee, or Ani, is born Crown Princess of Kildenree, but is sent away as a peace offering to become the neighboring prince’s bride. During the journey to the neighboring kingdom, Ani’s handmaiden, Selia, and her followers murder all of the guards loyal to Ani, unwittingly letting Ani escape to the country. Ani manages to get to the palace, but once there, “She glared down at herself, leaning against the wall in travel-crumpled clothing, nearly last in a line of patient peasants, hungry, with feet aching on the soft soles of Finn's boots. This is not who I am, she thought. So who am I? She did not answer her own question.”
By not answering her own question, Ani is saying that she does not

know who she is. Ani used to be the Crown Princess of Kildenree, yet Ani did not belong. As a young child, “Ani lay down and, putting one arm over her face as though it were a wing, tried to shut out the world where she did not belong.” after she was banned from visiting the animals and fields. Ani tries to be like her mother, but only fails, turning to her aunt. However, Ani’s mother does not want Ani to be like her aunt; the reason why Ani is sent away. In Bayern, with Selia’s followers everywhere, Ani is Isi, the goose girl with burned hair. Nobody knows who she is, strengthening Ani’s sense of wandering from identity to identity. Ani is pretending to be a Forest born girl, with an accent an all once Ani arrives in the city as a worker. When confronting the about-to-be-married Bayern prince and Selia, the Bayern king, and their retinue, Ani pretends to be her little sister, Princess Napralina to be allowed entry. Throughout this all, Ani has never once been Ani. This conflict hints toward Ani discovering who she really is.
Readers can identify with Ani’s crisis through their own life experiences.

While the identity discovery might not be as severe, crucial, or alone, readers will remember what it was like once they discovered it. This might be as simple as figuring out one’s favorite color, or song and picking out one’s own clothes when going shopping. Figuring out oneself is part of growing up, an idea that Hale may wish to convey to the readers. During Ani’s journey, she is growing up and no longer is the child she was in Kildenree. She discovered it was perfectly fine to create her own identity, no need to be somebody else’s copycat for the rest of her life. Ani thinks “She was little like her mother, though that was all she had ever longed to be. She lacked the gift of people-speaking, that power to convince and control that laced every word her mother uttered. She did not possess that grace and beauty that all in a room turned to watch. But had the queen ever told a nursery story to a room of captivated listeners? Or handled fifty head of geese? I've done that much. What more can I do?” That is part of what growing up

entails.
Besides the urgent need to protect Kildenree from war with Bayern, Ani has other motivations for recreating her own identity. Having found her independence that was yearned for in Kildenree, Ani is now satisfied and ready to become who she was born as, Princess Anidori -kiladra Taliana Isilee. Ani was trying to find who she was; is Ani wasn’t her mother, who was she? That is what Ani wanted to find in Kildenree, but found in Bayern.
Ani’s struggle for freedom, independence and her own identity stems from being unable to be herself growing up. Hale crafts a beautiful story about finding one’s identity and being yourself. This theme is elaborated on thoroughly during the book and this one perspective of finding yourself is illustrated completely, leaving the reader to ponder about this idea long after the book if finished.