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Essay Comparing The Color Of Water And Hamlet

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Title: Identity and the "Other" in "The Color of Water" and "Hamlet" Identity is a complex construct influenced profoundly by the "other"—those different from us—in ways that often go unnoticed. In "The Color of Water" by James McBride and "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, the interplay between characters and their societal contexts reveals how identity is shaped. This essay examines how these texts use historical and cultural settings to mold individual identities through the lens of the "other." James McBride and William Shakespeare utilize the interaction with the "other" in "The Color of Water" and "Hamlet," respectively, to explore how characters define themselves against and through these forces, shedding light on broader social and …show more content…

Hamlet's identity crisis—"To be, or not to be, that is the question" (Act 3, Scene 1)—is mirrored by the political deceit and moral corruption of the court. This existential pondering not only reflects Hamlet's struggle but also comments on the human condition within a rigidly hierarchical society, highlighting how one's identity is often a reflection of cultural and political milieus. In "The Color of Water," McBride presents a contrasting exploration of identity through the dual narrative of himself and his mother, Ruth. Ruth's past as a Jewish immigrant and her life as the wife of a Black man in America allow McBride to explore racial and religious identities as the "other." Ruth's statement, "I'm dead" (McBride, 237), when asked about her racial identity, underscores the erasure of self that often accompanies the struggle to fit into a new cultural matrix. Both texts showcase characters defined through their relationships. In "Hamlet," Ophelia’s identity as the obedient daughter and spurned lover leads to her madness and eventual death, serving as a critique of gender roles and expectations in Elizabethan society. Similarly, in "The Color of Water," James's relationship with his mother and his quest to understand her past reflects his process of self-identification, navigating through racial and familial

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