Piece 1: Identity Block

“No man is an island”. That quote, written by John Donne and made famous by the movie About A Boy, is part of a larger quote presenting the idea that every man has an impact on mankind as a whole. We as a people are constantly being influenced by each other. Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out whether or not a person is acting of their own will or somebody else. Even at the core of their identity there is the question as to whether a person is their own self or simply the shadow of another. The greatest obstacle to determining our own individual identities is the influence of others.

Often we allow others to influence us through fear of being the outcast. Some people will go to any extent to fit in, change anything about themselves, even their own name. “It dawned on me that these people would have probably never invited me to their house had they known me as Firoozeh” (Dumas 86). Firoozeh changed her name to Julie so that she would be accepted by her peers. When people think of identity, the first thing that comes to most minds is a name. Taking on a new name would be like taking on a whole new identity. Yet in order to meet expectations and be accepted by others, people do so. Any person going by multiples names now has the added difficulty of determining whether the names are to be considered separate identities or simply parts of a whole. Which parts represent the true identity and which parts represent an act can become unclear even to the actor. Names aren't the only thing that a person may change in order to fit in; it may be something as simple as a clothing style or as far as their own language. “Their conformity is remarkable: in haircuts, necklaces, the way they slouch, they way they use their voices” (White 18). Despite how far humans have risen above animals, we still travel in herds. Those that do not keep up with the herd get left out. Even those who don't want to follow the herd will base themselves on it, by looking at the direction of the herd and simply going the direct opposite way. When it is a choice people get to make, that is part of their identity. But frequently it seems like there is no choice at all.

Whether running with the herd or away from it, society has a strong impact on identity, quite often negative. This most commonly happens at a young age, when people are still unsure of their identities and surrounded by others unaware of the consequences of their actions. School environments like the cafeteria can be far more difficult for children than any environment for an adult. Constant teasing and bullying can even force some to run away and/or change their own opinions about themselves, like Lucy Grealy:“I felt safe and secure in that office, but I also felt lonely, and for the first time I definitively identified the source of my unhappiness as being ugly” (70). Grealy was not only hiding away from the boys that were teasing her, but from her own self. Due to others, many people like Grealy are unable to embrace their appearance as part of their identity, and instead do their best to hide who they truly are. Physical appearance is not the only target of such attacks on identity, either. Language, culture, wealth, and many other attributes that can define a person are subjects of persecution each day. These attributes help to define our identities, but suppression of such attributes due to others can cause a change in outward identity that slowly leaks inward.

Despite how hard some of us try, no man can be an island. It is impossible to avoid all outside influences on our lives. The only thing that can be done is for each person to decide for themselves what represents their own identity and what is simply taken from someone else. Changing ourselves for others may change who we are on the outside, but as long as we never forget who we truly are from the start, ignoring those who would try to change us, our identities can always be found. We should define ourselves by our choices alone, and never allow others to tell us what to do or what kind of person we should be.

Citations

Donne, John. "Meditation XVII." Devotions upon Emergent Occasions. 1624. Print.

Dumas, Firoozeh. "The F Word." ReMix: Reading Composing Culture. By Catherine G. Latterell. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. 84-87. Print.

Grealy, Lucy. "Masks." ReMix: Reading Composing Culture. By Catherine G. Latterell. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. 66-71. Print.

White, Emily. "High School's Secret Life." ReMix: Reading Composing Culture. By Catherine G. Latterell. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. 15-19. Print.