OPPapers.com Essay Index >> English >> Shaping Self Identity
We have many free term papers and essays on Shaping Self Identity. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine.
Shaping Self Identity. From the fashionable and expensive clothing that
the character Dee in Alice Walker’s "Everyday Use" wears ...
... How nation sees itself goes a long way in shaping that nation's literature ... such as
England that had already established its own self-nation's identity. ...
... Shaping Identity Identity. ... Religion plays a part in a person's identity structure.
It is the search of what one calls faith in one's self and the worship of ...
... The gradual re-shaping of self-definition that unifies the various selves into a
consistent and comfortable sense of who one is, is an identity" (Myers.1999). ...
... The gradual re-shaping of self-definition that unifies the various selves into a
consistent and comfortable sense of who one is, is an identity" (Myers.1999). ...
Submitted by mjem429 on March 31, 2008
Category: English
Words: 1393 | Pages: 6
Views: 71
Popularity Rank: 104,748
Average Member Grade: N/A (Add a Comment / Grade this Paper)
From the fashionable and expensive clothing that the character Dee in Alice Walker’s "Everyday Use" wears, Dee seems to come off as a person of great value and understanding. It may seem that at first glance, Dee’s mother and sister, in their tin-roof house and shabby clothing, are of little or no worth in "Everyday Use.” However, Walker creates these two sides of polar opposite characters, whose personalities and understanding of heritage show the many differences on material value and culture. Walker clearly identifies that there are outside social forces that shape the identity of a person, and actually can cause a change in someone that might never have occurred if they weren’t afflicted by these forces. The desire to fit in and represent African American pride has Dee following these forces and ignoring her own family’s heritage.
Sociologists believe that there are four social aspects that shape peoples identity; they are friends, family, media, and schools. (Andersen 69) Each of these aspects appears in Walkers short story changing the way Dee sees the world. The media and school are not as heavily portrayed in the text as the other two social aspects are; however, they are still represented.
Education was obviously the next step for Dee. She’s the most intelligent woman in the family and its no surprise that she went off to a school where she would meet people that could offer her a different view on life. Being in a new environment and surroundings one expected to change and grow, and with new people come new culture and a means for change. Mama states that “Dee wanted nice things.” (Walker 10) Education gives the means to acquire them, and if Dee would have stayed behind and took the roles of Mama, and Maggie she would never be happy.
The media creates this ideal of how a family should be. One of the first scenes of the short story has the mother dreaming about what it would be like if Dee and she were on TV...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!