Identity is something that youth struggles with and can break many friendships and families apart. Whether one has grown up having everything that they would need or whether they grew up with nearly nothing they can still suffer with finding their identity. Two novels in which the protagonist has to find their identity in the course of their story are In Search Of April Raintree by Beatrice Mosionier, and the Shatter Me trilogy by Tahereh Mafi. In both novels the character development demonstrates the theme of identity by allowing the reader to see how they deal with their changes in identity, the novels prove that people can struggle with their identities at different times of their lives and find their identities at different paces, and the …show more content…
Nobody really knows what goes on in someones else's mind but when reading a book, one sees what is happening in the characters’ minds and knows that it is not what comes out of their mouths in fear that they will be judged. In the novel In Search Of April Raintree the reader can see that most of this when April is around someone else she says something completely different to what she believes. While Cheryl is talking about how she has problems at school, April is thinking about her own experiences and narratives: “Yet I couldn’t share that with her.”(Mosionier 43) This demonstrates how April closes off from other people instead of sharing and it causes her change in identity to be very individualistic. It also seems very subtle over a long period of time but once one looks at her from the beginning of her journey to the end it is obvious how much she has changed in identity. In In Search Of April Raintree April …show more content…
In In Search Of April Raintree, the author focuses on how April acts when she is around the wrong people, when she meets her husband's family she thinks, “I felt Barbara Radcliff’s disapproval of me from the very start.”(Mosionier 102) This statement that April thought shows how much being with the wrong people delayed her finding her true identity. She had to hide her true feelings all the time when she was around her so called family. Due to her hiding her true feelings, she never displayed her true thoughts, so when she surrounded herself with the right people it was very hard for her to break out of her shell that she put around herself in fear of being judged by the people that she cares about. In In Search of April Raintree, April was ripped away from her parents and had her sister in her corner, but in Shatter Me Juliette was all alone and her parents sent her away without any remorse. In Shatter Me due to Juliette being all alone, her identity was based on who she surrounded herself with because she was afraid of being judged. The reader finally got to see Juliettes true identity when she says “I am going to kill your father.”(Ignite Me pg 17) This quotation demonstrates that Juliette has surrounded herself with people that believe in her, therefore she is not afraid to say what she is thinking. She now has the confidence to show
The book “In Search of April Raintree” is a passionate adventure of two Metis sisters trying to find their true identity. April had difficulties throughout her life with her ethnicity, gender and her personal life. Wondering one day if she’ll ever find happiness being a Metis woman.
“I looked anxiously. I didn’t see anybody… I’d keep my head up and my eyes open-‘You got a smoke to spare?’” (Walters 3). In Shattered, Eric Walters hauls the reader through the life of Ian, the protagonist who experiences the joy of helping others. Throughout this white pine award novel, Ian continually offers help to people around him reflecting to them that their lives are not perfect and they ought to alter it somewhat. Furthermore, the author effectively compares the significance of family and the importance of acquiring a dream in life. Through the book, Eric Walters demonstrates the theme of compassion through the incidents of Ian helping Jack to overcome his drinking problems, showing Berta the value of patriot and always there for the less fortunate.
Anna is not afraid to speak her mind. For instance, when her mom is she is so called “sick.” Anna asks her mom if her hearing is okay, she says “Yes”. Therefore, Anna tells her that there is nothing wrong with her and leaves her Mom’s room. She is outspoken when she stood up to her Mom at the factory; Anna was tired of her mom telling her that she is overweight. Anna stood up to her mom and said “ You’re overweight as well, so why are you judging me if we both have the same weight.” Anna is outspoken when on her last day of school, she goes to her job and quits,
April Corrigan is the speaker and the main character in the story. The book is written in 1st person in April’s view of the story. Her point is honest and open because she tells the reader her feelings of what happening to her. April’s view was not restricted since you can find more than one place either mind or verbally. Duncan wrote her book in the perspective of a teenager as she felt her left falling apart. The occasion was to connect to the young people with her writing. In the larger world, people may be going through the same thing like her book.
In “Fault Lines” (1993), Meena Alexander’s autobiography utilizes multiple examples of rhetorical devices to describe her sense of identity, or more importantly, the shattered pieces of herself. She describes this process by comparing and contrasting the aspects of who she is as a person as opposed to what she once dreamed to be. She wrote her story to explain how hard her journey was in order to express how much it took out of her as a person “What might it mean to look at myself straight, see myself?”. (3) Her ambivalent tone can be targeted towards those who are still trying to figure out their sense of identities themselves, and how much it takes for a person to question themselves to find out who they are.
Self-identity allows you to be your own individual person; it allows you to be able to fit in with certain groups. However being a teen and trying to develop a self-identity of you own is very difficult.In Evan Hunter story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" the theme of self-identity and its cause and effects have been explored.This will be shown through an analysis of why Andy joined the gang, the reasoning of why the couple did not help him, and also Andys thoughts about the identity he has chosen towards the end of the story.
“I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees” (11). Adolescence brings on many changes in one’s life and is the time when a person is shaped into who they will be forever. Sandra Cisneros shows the experiences one may go through while growing up through this book. A child, especially during their adolescence, is a very moldable person. The situations they go through and their position socially can greatly impact who they become. Cisneros touches on the importance of friends, life at home, and experiences in the real world that can influence a child’s life. In The House On Mango Street, Cisneros uses strong descriptive words, first person point of view, and suspense
“Trying to merge into mainstream society and cover her brown skin with makeup, of having no sense that she had her right to her own opinion”(Shierly) The journey to finding yourself is approached in many different aspects, which varies from person to person. As a child children we see a blurred image of ourselves not knowing exactly who we are, however as we grow older the blur becomes more apparent to us and eventually a reflection of who we truly are, is revealed. This is evidentially shown in the novel Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson, where Lisamarie discovers her new identity as an empowered and strong woman through the positive motivation from her family, role models to whom she looks up to and her acceptance to her own culture.
There are many factors that lead to the development of an individual’s identity. Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” illustrates an extreme change in Gregor Samsa’s external identity and the overall outward effect it has on the development of his family. While James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” illustrates a young man struggling to find his identity while being pushed around by what society and his family wants him to be. Both of these characters exhibit an underlying struggle of alienation but both also demonstrate a craving for belongingness. This conflict of trying to belong to something as well as satisfying the needs of society, has directly impacted their own individuality and the lives of the people around them.
Identity is primarily described primarily as what makes a person who they are. While it is seen as an individual asset, one’s identity can be shaped and persuaded not only by life experiences, but by society as well. Bryan Stevenson speaks on several controversial issues and proclaims certain societal problems and the typical behaviors noticed in response to them. How one approaches the issues that are spoken about may expose their true identity. Stevenson argues that how one reacts to racial inequality within the criminal justice system may regulate their identity. In addition to that, how dealing with the nation’s history may force a growth on one’s identity, eventually bringing peace and acceptance to the nation. Lastly, how one views the
One’s identity is the most important lesson to be learned. It is vital part of life knowing who you are in order to live a fulfilled life. Without knowing your identity, and the way you perceive life, it is difficult for others to understand you, along with a struggle to live a happy life. In Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” Esther Greenwood struggles to find her own identity, and in the process, she develops a mental illness which helps her discover the person she is on the inside.
Identity is how we define ourselves, how we see ourselves within our communities and it is what we portray to others. In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë the eloquent use of language allows for the true portrayal of the identities of all the characters in the story. Emily uses anecdotes and metaphors to portray her characters in all their glory. Wuthering Heights is about the consecutive search for one’s true identity by two primary characters. This essay will specifically focus on Catherine and Heathcliff’s search for their identities. Heathcliff and Catherine both vary in social status as the book progresses, each of their respective sexes play a large role in their identities and the choices they make also influence their final identities; these three main factors are what create the identity problem for both Catherine and Heathcliff.
Life is never easy for anyone, however it is particularly harder during the time of adolescence. The period in which the person is no longer considered a child, but not quite an adult. Erik Erikson had many ideas about this period, and he focuses on the term identity diffusion. Rebecca Fraser-Thill describes this when she writes: “Identity diffusion is one step in the process of finding a sense of self. It refers to a period when an individual does not have an established identity, nor is actively searching for one. In other words, it's a time when a person's identity remains unresolved, yet there is no identity crisis (called an identity moratorium).” (Fraser-Thill, 2011) Erikson was able to carefully acknowledge the intrinsic components of the concept of identity diffusion. James Joyce’s text, The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man can apply to his analysis when Joyce begins to grow up. According to Erik Erikson the four major works of identity diffusion include intimacy, diffusion of time perspective, diffusion of industry and lastly negative identity which also applies to Stephen Dedalus from Joyce’s book.
In conclusion, the formation of one’s identity has many components. Beginning at the onset of adolescence and continuing to expand, grow and form and reform as we live through the struggles or success of life. Many theorists have endeavored to clarify the development of identity formation. However, Erik Erickson offered one significant theory involving the formation of one’s identity. Expounding on Erickson theory, Marcia developed his Identity Status Model according to the existence or absence of crisis and commitments. These four statuses, diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium and achievement can combine in various ways to produce a self. One’s sense of identity is determined largely by the choices and commitments made, therefore, having a well-developed sense of self can provide an individual with insight to their strengths, weaknesses, and individual uniqueness. An individual that finds themselves
Sometimes in life, identity gets mixed up and can become a confusing aspect of life. People are a product of their environment, which is a factor in shaping identity. The protagonist in the book, Vanessa MacLeod, witnesses and experiences both types of identity. She sees the influence of the Canadian national identity in her Grandfather Connor, Scottish heritage in her Grandmother MacLeod, Irish heritage in her Uncle Dan, which ultimately influence Vanessa’s personal identity. Canada is one of the major influences of Grandfather Connor’s identity.