In Matthee’s novel, Fiela’s Child, the main character, Lukas/Benjamin, battles back and forth with his identity, however the author is able to establish the idea that one’s personal identity can be established through the environment that one grows up with rather than what skin color one has, and because of Matthee’s use of personification, symbols, and imagery, she is able to set forth this idea in the near end of the novel. In Matthee’s novel, the idea of identity coming through the environment is able to present itself because of the personification that Matthee implements in her novel. While Lukas is on his way to find Nina due to his father’s orders, Lukas decided to stop on his journey to find Nina and instead went to see the ship that …show more content…
In this quote, which personified the ship, we can see that Lukas is lost and is still wandering about looking for his true identity, and because Lukas compares himself to the boat saying that both did not belong where they were in their current lives, we are able to see that Lukas is not comfortable with who is. By comparing himself to the ship that is lost and wandering about, we are able to see the inner turmoil that Lukas is still facing, and the reader is able to establish a sense of unconformity with the current person that Lukas is since he does not appear to be content and claims that he is “lost.” Furthermore, in that same location, we see Lukas talking to John Benn and suddenly, “stopped and stood with his back to the cold, wet cliffs - it was like standing in the jaws of a mythical beast,” (Matthee, 247). When Lukas uses this personification, he gives the ocean and the vastness of it life and excitement that he never used to describe the forest, rather he always used a monotone voice whenever he talked about the forest, which is where we saw him mold into Lukas, who appeared sad and showed very little interest in life. However, with this quote, Lukas admires the presence of the ocean and gives it life by comparing it to a “mythical beast.” So,
According to Brenda Shoshanna, an author and psychologist, “Unless we base our sense of identity upon the truth of who we are, it is impossible to attain true happiness” Everyone on Earth has their own unique identity, and if they do not have an identity they will always be struggling to find it. In The Color of Water by James McBride, the author tries to understand his mother’s identity in hopes that it will help him find his own as well. After learning his mother’s life story and going back to her hometown, James finds that Ruth’s family made the most impact on her identity because of her hypocritical father, kind mother, and her evasive siblings.
Everyone in the world has their own identity but some are still searching for it. Many base their identity on race, religion, culture and language because it’s easier to belong to a certain group. However, there are some people who struggle with finding where they belong. For instance, James McBride in The Color of Water wonders who he is through most his childhood and some of his adult life. Mcbride tries to find himself by learning about his mother's background. After evaluating his mom’s past,culture and race his own issues with himself were made clearer because now he finally knows where he came from.
Thursday’s Child, written by Sonya Hartnett, illustrates the hardships and struggles of an Australian family during the Great Depression. Set in the rural village of western Victoria after the First World War, the grips of famine, poverty and poor living conditions are having their greatest effect on this already underdeveloped society. The resilience and courage needed to even survive through these harsh conditions were scarcely found; however, one brave family managed to catch this beam of hope: the Flute family. The high demand of mental, physical and emotional stability to fight to live requires individuals who are strong willed and dedicated to achieve their goal, and without the family’s bravery and desire
The definition of the protagonist identity is first question in his younger years as a child in the introduction of the first chapter. Growing up and attending a majority white school the young protagonist does not realize that he is half white half black until an incident in graded school. At the end of his second term at school the principal enter his classroom and asked all of the white scholars to stand in which case he stood among them thinking nothing of the case. It was not until the teacher asked him to sit down and to only stand once the principal asks for the others rise his race was revealed. Faced with the realization of his new identity as a colored boy, the young protagonist is devastated. He sees the other
Is identity tied to race? Does the way one identifies directly correlate with who they are as a person? The poem Flounder by Natasha Trethewey explores the effects of one’s race on their growth and the idea of interraciality. In the poem, a young girl goes fishing with her aunt and learns the properties of a flounder, properties that she herself shares. Through vivid description and extensive use of dialect, the poem provides insight into the feelings of an interracial child, and the relationships this child has with themselves and their society.
Nella Larsen’s Passing uses the two main characters to explore how the idea of racial identity is not a discussion that is black and white, but rather one that is grey. The story is utilized to demonstrate how some individuals of black complexion fell trap to societal standards, causing them to abandon their own race in search of better life. But, in all actuality, the text argues that the pursual of another identity ultimately causes an individual to lose their own self identification.
Shifting the focus from ideas of racial constructs to fluidity of the human condition. By, doing this Larsen illustrates the husband as the example of societal “norms” by repressing such feeling and uses Clare and Irene as the more “progressive” example of identity fluidity.
Harper lee once said, “people generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for. This quote links to how Mathee successfully challenges stereotypes and prejudice in Fiela’s Child by using not only strong diction but also, positive/negative connotation in her writing.
Another topic of importance to the book is collective identity. Matsumoto and Juang (2013) describe identity as “the way individuals understand themselves and are recognized,” while collective identity is more specifically about people’s association with “social categories” (p. 357). Identity is considered fluid as it can change depending on the situation, its players, and each individual’s point of view (Matsumoto & Juang, 2013, pp.357-358). This explains how Arnold’s identity appears to morph throughout the book . For instance, Arnold’s early identification as a poor Indian kid juxtaposes Arnold’s later feelings of
These authors influence readers to search for an unknown answer concerning an individual creation along with underlining features that make each individual unique. Again the authors provide you with the key to unraveling the true identity with cultural background information that would have remained untold if never asked. My effects of this book are very deep feelings of relief that can’t be explained no other way by soul searching. This book included
Imagine finding out that your entire life was a lie, and that every single thing you knew about your identity and your family was completely false! Armand Aubigny, one of the main characters in Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin, experiences this exact dilemma throughout this short story. Desiree’s Baby is a story about a young man and woman, who fall in love, but Desiree, who does not know her birth parents, is considered nameless. When she and Armand have a child, they are both very surprised because the child’s skin color is not white as expected. It is obvious that the child is biracial, and immediately, Desiree is blamed for the color of the child’s skin because of her uncertain background. The truth, however, is that it is Armand who has
In her latest novel, Danzy Senna dives deep into the territory of love, race, identity, heritage, and privilege, revealing the harsh reality of growing up in America with two different ethnicities. Danzy Senna’s New People defines the social complexities of having and understanding a full identity of one’s own and what it means to pass as one race or another through it’s conflicted and anti-heroine of a character and discouraging setting.
In Fiela’s Child the battle between being stuck on two different personas inside a single character takes place in Benjamin- Lukas throughout the novel leading to confusion and doubt. Dalene Mathee portrays Benjamin Komoetie presumed to be Lukas Van Rooyen loses sight of both characters that are represented as symbolism, Truism , and foreshadowing to comprehend Benjamin's struggle in life. Mahtee with the use of the following literary devices mentioned before not only will help understanding his struggle but understand his mind.
A main theme in this novel is the influence of family relationships in the quest for individual identity. Our family or lack thereof, as children, ultimately influences the way we feel as adults, about ourselves and
Sophie’s struggle to establish a true sense of identity is a result of Sophie’s cultural hybridity. Being that Sophie is an immigrant from Haiti, trying to find her identity in a new country-America- is both hard and confusing for Sophie. She struggles to know and find her true sense of self in a new country, whose culture and values are confoundingly opposite that of Haiti’s. Beyond this, Sophie now has to live and be raised by her birth mother, Martine, who she has never met. This is distressing because prior to coming to America, Sophie identifies strongly with Haiti being her home country, and also identifies that her aunt, Tante Atie, is a mother to her. She is perfectly happy with her reality of life. However instead of Sophie being