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Superman And Me Identity Analysis

Decent Essays

Identity is like clay. Once it is molded and set and dried the only way to change it is to chip away at it slowly. There are several factors that can go into creating identity. Several of these factors can be found in the texts, “Superman and Me”, by Sherman Alexie, “Thumbprint”, by Eve Merriam, and “Fish Cheeks”, by Amy Tan. Identity is created through one’s family’s guidance and through how one sees himself/herself. Identity can be created through how one sees himself/ herself. An example can be found in “Thumbprint”, by Eve Merriam. The author says things such as, “Mine alone”, “My own flesh, my own feelings. No other however grand or base can ever contain the same.”, “My singularity”, and “I am myself” (Merriam 1). Also in “Fish Cheeks” the author states “I prayed for… a slim new American nose” (Tan 1). The pieces of evidence …show more content…

In “Fish Cheeks”, Amy Tan’s mother said, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside… but inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame”(Tan 1) By saying this, Amy’s mother was able to show that Amy cannot change who she is and that she has to be herself. Also, in evidence found in “Superman and Me”, the author read and loved books because his father did as stated in the article, “My father… was an avid reader of westerns, spy thrillers, murder mysteries, gangster epics, basketball player biographies, and anything else he could find. He bought his books by the pound at Dutch’s Pawn Shop, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Value Village. When he had extra money, he bought new novels at supermarkets, convenience stores, and hospital gift shops. Our house was filled with books…” and so on (Alexie 1). This showed how much the author’s father loved books and how this caused Sherman Alexie to love books as well. Both instances show how a parent’s guidance or their preferences can affect their

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