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Research Paper On Teenage Wasteland

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Identity, as defined by Merriam-Webster, are “the qualities and beliefs...that make a particular person or group different from others.”(“Identity”) Most people make out their identity though many identities. People somewhat “crowd-source” the traits and qualities that become tied to them after early years of life and influences the way they behave. Until such a point, we are amorphous in how we perceive ourselves. A person is so influenced by the people they surround themselves with that any kind of identity they are born with becomes obsolete. Which brings us to the inference that the average person’s identity is not “true” and can be changed by the actions of other people. We are not our own person and can be influenced by everyone around …show more content…

As an identity is developed while growing up, influences can still change and affect our lives. A person can be a horrible person throughout their life and at some point, they decide they want things to be different. Now, it is unlikely that they would simply decide on their own that they want to change after developing their identity of a bad person. Someone or something would most likely be affecting the way they go about their life and subconsciously cause a change to be desired, a change of identity. In the story Teenage Wasteland, a young man is living a negative lifestyle. He doesn't think anything is wrong with how he is going about his business but his parents want him to think differently. They hire a tutor to bring his grades up, and some things begin to change, but eventually grades begin falling again and he begins to get a very hostile and distant personality. He runs away from home and he never contacts his mother again. The story is a good example of how things about a person's true identity can change over time and is influenced by others. A good example of the tutor’s attempts to influence the child

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