The Last One Identity

Despite being a very diverse literature genre in terms of influence and inspiration, North American literature encompasses many works that share some very common thematic elements. Though there are several themes shared, one in particular can be found in most any work – the importance of identity. Particularly in some selected pieces yet to be named, identity is a very important element, not only because it is a necessity for a main character in any work of literature, but because these works express ideas about identity as being very individualistic – as opposed to being a mere result of cultural surroundings. Zora Neal Hurtson’s Their

An individual's identity is how one perceives and differentiates themselves from others in their society. Outside factors such as family, friends, and society can have a major impact on how one views themselves. However, identity ultimately comes down to one’s own personal beliefs. In Jon Krakauer's book Into the Wild, Krakauer investigates the life and death of Chris McCandless, a young man whose actions allow him to pursue a unique identity, but also lead to his untimely demise. In Stephen King’s short story “Survivor Type”, King envisions the affects one’s morals and values can have in grave situations, especially concerning the identity of an individual.

When the world we live in is viewed from an anonymous, unbiased standpoint the individuality of ‘I’ has a tendency to diminish away and be replaced by a society of eyes. Who view one’s identity differently then what the individual can see. Life moves on whether we like it or not and how individuals view themselves verses how others perceive them can leave a lasting impression. Everyone has a unique identity and perspective of the world they live in. The way individuals see themselves may appear to be different than what others see in them because of different values, morals and characteristics that shape’s ones identity.

Identity is one’s perception that shapes one’s mind. It reflects the outer aspect of personality and the life choices we make as an individual. In Anthem by Ayn Rand, a dystopian futuristic novelfuture, Equality talks about how society is integrated to try to control his mind, body, and spirit. In “Don’t. The secret of self control” by Jonah Lehrer, a nonfiction article, Lehrer explains an experiment where children are determined to be a high or low delayers. Furthermore, In “Who Holds The Clicker” by Lauren Slater, a nonfiction article, Slater explains analyzes the fear of how brain implants can treat intractable mental illness. The formation of identity is created when a person is tied to the choices he makes,

The Zoo is ever child’s dream of seeing strange animals that they have never seen before, but this zoo is like no other. “It was kept with things he could hunt, and it really wasn’t like any animal sanctuary” (Goldman 60). The zoo of Death as the zoo is called is full of

Mothers, according to society are the world’s perfect women. They can do it all, cook, clean, raise a family, and keep a job. All without breaking a sweat; people believe that women automatically know how to raise a well adjusted, well rounded child, that women who are also mothers know exactly what they are doing. Bette Greene, Tillie Olsen, and Gwendolyn Brooks show how a mother is nothing more than an average woman, in their works of “Ordinary Woman,” “I Stand Here Ironing,” and “the mother.”

“In Defense of Masks”, by Kenneth Gergen regards that it is not possible for humans to adequately find a coherent self identity without an aftermath. Gergen states, “to the extent that they do, they many experience severe emotional distress” when trying to do so (172). He refers to Erik Erickson, a psychologist who speaks about how self-alienation can result due to the pressures of society to individuals with various masks of identity.

Within dystopian literature, identity is something that can be seen as an individual’s most core and precious element. Exposed against a scarcity of freedom in self-expression, we can begin to fully appreciate and understand the importance in the role of identity as well as its robustness. The role of identity and its manipulation is often explored within dystopian literature to exemplify weaknesses in human psychology as well as to destroy false images of strength and superiority that we apply to ourselves. In both The Road and

The people we see every day are not always who they appear to be. Our family, friends, peers, work associates, and even our own self’s change who we are sometimes to cope or to seem better off than we are. We put on “Mask” to show the person we want to be seen as and often times people wear more than just one. In Flannery O’ Connor’s, “Good Country People” many of her main characters wore mask. They each had their own reasons that they chose to conceal their real identity. Nevertheless, the characters in O’Connor’s short story wanted to hide their true persona’s or deceive other people. Sometimes it was merely done to cope with their tragic pain and in other cases it was done to deliberately take advantage

     Identity is one of the main questions throughout all of our readings, because it is hard for people to accept who they are in society. Accepting their identity as a minority with little if any freedoms

This novel allows us to see the impact of identity factors on all of the characters. Identity factors are reasons why we act or interpret experiences differently from

Sometimes personal identity may be oppressed, but it takes

In the early 1950’s gender roles were still one of the most restricting aspects for American women. Though they could interact as regular members of society, traditional aspects of femininity were still the most defining factor for women. They were prevented from being individuals because women, specifically mothers, were forced to live with the label of being a woman instead of a separate individual. John Stuart Mill comments that “The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way” (Mill). With this definition of freedom, women could not be individuals due to their forced gender roles as a woman and, eventually, as a mother.

Outline Statements: A) To begin, this paper will suggest that traditional gender ideologies have promoted the cultural belief that women are more suited to raising children. B) Next, the paper will consider that since most women are not able to achieve the idealized conceptions of motherhood, it results in disenfranchised grief. C) Finally, the paper will argue that given society’s description of “a good mother” there can be no good mothers as each mother constructs her own meaning of motherhood.

When you search the phrase “identity in America” in Google, the first result is a short passage that reads, “Since the United States was founded in the 18th century, Americans have defined themselves not by their racial, religious, and ethnic identity but by their common values and belief in individual freedom.” While this is true for some Americans, it is undeniable that cultural legacy, family background, and today’s social norms can greatly influence a person’s identity. Shaped by these influences, people identify differently as individuals, or with many categories instead of identifying with only one piece of themselves. Unfortunately, no matter how a person identifies individually, society still seems to view them with prejudice, or simply