Oranges and Sunshine Identity Essay

Continuing with the third journal article, Action, Engagement, Remembering: Service for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, researcher Bein studies how trauma creates invisible wounds that requires more than time to heal. Trust does not come easily for many survivors. Although, they may appear like everyone else, survivors are complex individuals. “Child sexual abuse is complex and can affect survivors in different ways in different areas over the years; trust, safety, power, physical health, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and social relationships” (Bein, 2011). Child abuse is a subject that both perpetrators in conjunction with society abstain conversing about in the open.

Angela McEwan-Alvarado was born in Los Angeles and has lived in many locations in the United States, as well as Mexico and Central America. She obtained her master’s degree at UC Irvine and since then has worked as an editor of educative materials and a translator. The story “Oranges” was the result of an exercise for a writer’s workshop in which the author managed to mix images and experiences accumulated throughout her life.

Our identities are key to our understanding of the world. Mental models through which information is processed are built off of life experience, taught ethics and morals, and upbringing. Identity is discussed in the following texts - The Politics of Exile by Elizabeth Dauphinee, “Unlearning the Myth of American Innocence” by Suzy Hansen, and “Letter to America” by Aida Hozic - through various themes of American culture. Dauphinee, in particular, examines the depth of personal identity and its ability to change. All three works consider the many components of personal identity and its formation as well as its undoing.

The consequences of excessive desire to be someone else, a recurring theme I evaluated from an accumulation of texts ‘All the bright places’ written by Jennifer Niven, ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ directed by Anthony Minghella, Gattaca directed by Andrew Niccol and Catch me if you can directed by Steven Spielberg. To examine this theme in detail to further an understanding of how the same theme can be expressed in a number of ways, I used three questions to help develop a conclusion-, has society alienated the protagonist and if so how, how does the characters struggle with their identity , also what consequences this desire has caused.

Due to the copious amounts of previous research on self-identified rape victims two ideas had been established: 1). that labeling is beneficial to recovery. (Gidyez & Koss, 1991) and 2). That victims of rape are “more depressed, fearful, and anxious; report less pleasure in their daily activities, are less satisfied sexually and with their relationships, are more likely to experience major depressive disorder, social phobia, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disorders;

Abstract: (about 100-125 words). I will argue the fact that Sexual Abuse is one of the most horrifying traumatic event that occurs. There are some people that go through years of their life not even knowing that they were victims of sexual abuse. After the discovery of repressed memory surfacing to the consciousness of the mind, victims or survivors are in total shock. Having to accept the explicit images that pops up from time to time or those which continue to replay in the mind. As victims or survivors must learn how to live life with the symptoms and after effects caused by such a traumatic event. Such damages that the victims or survivors endure ranges from physical, emotional and psychological

Identity and its acceptance are a corner stone of the human experience. Acceptance, crisis and denial are three prominent forms of how we, people, cope and consider with our own individualism. Three texts have been chosen to further support this claim: Mr. Stache the American short film that focuses on difference and acceptance, the poem Façade (A Tritina) addressing identity denial and lastly the Novel Shift discussing the idea of identity crisis and false egos. These three texts focus majorly on the experience of identity and acceptance. Mr. Stache (2010) won the 2010 round of the “My Movie Pitch” contest launched by American express plat formed on YouTube.

Your identity is as simple as who you are. Yet there are a few things that can change this such as new beliefs, or certain life experiences. We see examples of these in two different pieces of literature, “Araby” by James Joyce and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Elliot.

Sexual maltreatment and rape culture (term used in Canada) can affect a person's everyday life: emotionally, physically, and mentally. Recognizing these effects and taking action can make it possible to a secure everyday life. Being a survivor, and taking control of your healing process will ensure you live life healthier, and happier. Childhood abuse can lead to long-term of effects as kids develop into adults. Victims deal with overwhelming emotions, personal triggers, and not being able to have personal relationships. Seeking help is essential to maintain a healthy mentality, and figuring out how to overcome these traumatic events. The real question is what kind of behavior can it lead to, and how we can recognize when dealing with it alone

Victims of rape live in fear. They all share experiences of their right to sexual consent being disregarded for the selfish actions of others. In order to avoid consequences of retaliation, rape victims suffer through the trauma. The after effects of being sexually assaulted comes a multitude of physical and mental afflictions such as Bruising, bleeding, broken or dislocated bones, unplanned parenthood, depression, suicide, etc. Along with the physical distress, victims find it difficult to open up about their experiences due to the mental stress.

Both of these perspectives are both viable to individual’s identity within society. Charles Taylor stated “in order to have a sense of who we are, we have to have a notion of how we have become and where we are going” this suggests that identity is built over time and having an understanding of self attributes to a more authentic perception of self. An individual may not always portray their authentic self; however these individuals have all develop attributes of trust, anxiety shame and guilt. While both perspectives are limited in discussing other keys aspects which go into forming an identity they both suggest that social interactions play a major role in the development of

Eisikovits and Band-Winterstein (2015) examined ways in which abused women perceive themselves and how they recover after the abuse. The sample included 40 participants aged 23-84. They conducted in-depth interviews with the abused women in order to collect their data. The results of the data found the reoccurring themes in which the women suffered: “Suffering through isolation and control; enduring bodily pain; estrangement, alienation and loneliness in one’s own dwelling; time as a source of suffering; significant; others as a mirror of the self;

Throughout my middle childhood years, I believe that my continuous process of growth and change, whether physical, mental and emotional and my social characteristics throughout my lifespan have been affected after the ongoing of my sexual assault.

Different individuals possess their own values, physical attributes and morals. Furthermore, an individual views him or herself, the world and people contrastingly than others. One’s actions and behavior reflect one’s self. One can form his or her self-concept through life experiences and environmental factors such as geography and economy. Moreover, one can define identity as a process of learning. Charles Dickens’ and Sandra Cisneros’ coming of age novels reflect two similar genres and form similar themes. For instance, Great Expectations and The House on Mango Street reveal how one needs to develop his or her identity in order to reach fulfillment and satisfaction within his or her purpose and prevent a life of regret.

Identity defines a person’s character, whether it is given by others or made by themselves. It carries people to success but also pulls others into a whirlpool of failure and misery — more often hardships than not. Authors tend to write about such matters to bring them into light. Many stories and poems base their entire themes and main ideas around the specific topic of identity. The poems “Richard Cory” by, Edwin Arlington Robinson, and “Mirror” by, Sylvia Plath, for example, both use identity to tell an emotional story but achieve it in various ways.