Summary Of Alex Kuczynski's Identity Crisis

The belief that signing legibly on the LCD screens at the checkout counter is necessary, is incorrect. Alex Kuczynski proves that these signatures are useless in her article, “Identity Crisis.” Kuczynski, a contemporary writer, uses this article to not only argue that signing your name on a screen has lost its importance, but that all personal identity is being lost in society today. People have become reliant on technology and their busy lives keep them from actually sharing real life experiences. In the digital era, we have lost our identity and become a generic number, as T.K. Cheung stated, “the personal stamps have become unidentifiable and unrecognizable.” This sad realization is not something regular people think about. Kuczynski wants

Using real life experiences gives her credibility and strengthens her argument. Her opening statement is her first piece of evidence in which she states, “I was buying a jumbo pack of diapers. Presented with the total on the LCD screen, I swiped my credit card and crafted my new signature in the big, loopy letters I thought might attract a little attention. Instead of “Alex Kuczynski,” I wrote “Snooki” with a heart over the “i.”” (Kuczynski). This anecdote coincides with the fact that people can write any name when signing at a store and what is written means nothing. Kuczynski uses many personal examples to prove her case. This first anecdote not only helps her case, but it shows what audience she is targeting. Using Snooki’s name and mentioning diaper packs define the audience as anyone from teenagers to parents. The audience is left broad so everyone can recognize that personal identity is fading away. Today, people are consumed by their phones, never wanting to actually to talk face to face. Kuczynski provides another anecdote in similar nature, she writes, “I went bolder. Buying baby wipes at CVS, I signed, very legibly, “Cher,” (Kuczynski). Again she pops in her purchase is baby wipes, something all parents can relate to and alludes to a celebrity to make the audience wide. The use of personal anecdotes act as evidence to support her claim that “the philosophical idea of

She tells the story of the time she went to Bloomingdale’s and made a squiggle as her signature. The clerk asked for her license and then the charge went through without any problems. This anecdote is a basic piece of evidence and has an informative tone, but she adds the parenthetical comment, “(I wish she hadn’t [charged the purchase]. Those white jeggings were a big mistake.)” This last minute, witty comment may not be helping focus in on her main idea, but it keeps the piece interesting to read and makes her writing relatable to all of her audiences. In this case, specifically women. Kuczynski reveals that she feels “buyer’s remorse,” something most women feel after a day of shopping. She adds a different type of parenthetical comment when she writes, “Another day, “Kim Jong-il.” I thought signing the name of a North Korean dictator-- whose name clearly didn’t vibe with my Caucasian features -- would stir some sign of life in the checkout clerk,” (Kuczynski). Alex Kuczynski interrupts her sentence by adding sarcasm. The tone of this comment is comical, not just a detached tone that states facts and nothing else. The parenthetical comments give off the notion that Alex Kuczynski is making a serious point while using real life examples rooted in comedy and wit and maintaining a less formal