Personal Narrative Essay : My Yellow Blanket

Identity is a group of characteristics, data or information that belongs exactly to one person or a group of people and that make it possible to establish differences between them. The consciousness that people have about themselves is part of their identity as well as what makes them unique. According to psychologists, identity is a consistent definition of one’s self as a unique individual, in terms of role, attitudes, beliefs and aspirations. Identity tries to define who people are, what they are, where they go or what they want to be or to do. Identity could depend on self-knowledge, self-esteem, or the ability of individuals to achieve their goals. Through self-analysis people can define who they are and who the people around them

I have had many possessions precious to me, but non-mount to the only thing that I have had since I was born, my baby blanket. The blanket has gone through life with me, been with me through it all. This blanket is my childhood; it means the most to me and it is the memories I couldn’t bear to hold. Though it’s a torn up piece of fabric, I could never let it

This memoir has made me realize how much easier my life is than children who live in poorer countries, with many siblings. It has made me realize how lucky I am, because I was never told to watch younger siblings and take care of them. I never had to fight over clothes because we didn’t have very many, and it was a once a year event to get used clothes from family.

One event in a person’s life can greatly impact their way of living and instances of this in “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and this includes experiences of loss of a loved one, forgiveness and unrequited love. It’s universal that our experiences as people affect us and shape who we are.

"Each square holding a sweet gum leaf" and "its pattern of leaves" definitely gives the impression that this quilt is a magnificent and encompassing tree. Trees are traditionally thought of as old and full of meaning, having many branches and leaves stemming from the same trunk. This parallels the meaning of the quilt to the individual since it is a tool by which the individual can relate and think of those, in his family, who may have also taken comfort and enjoyed the whimsical essence of this "tree." Additionally, this quilt allows for the individual to fantasize about the days of those who used the blanket before: his [gentle] mother and [proud] father. He is able to imagine their lives with fanciful imagery while also questioning who will take the blanket next, "perhaps a son," the speaker says. This furthers the quilt's comparison to a magnificent tree in that the quilt is passed down generation to generation through a family

Each individual possesses an identity that makes him or her unique in their own special way. This identity is considered a marker that helps define and shape the person, even as they develop by means of age or wisdom. In addition to that, various factors, such as ethnicity, gender, religion, language, or culture, contribute to establishing one’s identity. Although each identity is different, Andrew Solomon acknowledges another difference amongst one’s identity. This difference depends on whether someone encompasses a horizontal identity or a vertical identity.

Identity is like clay. Once it is molded and set and dried the only way to change it is to chip away at it slowly. There are several factors that can go into creating identity. Several of these factors can be found in the texts, “Superman and Me”, by Sherman Alexie, “Thumbprint”, by Eve Merriam, and “Fish Cheeks”, by Amy Tan. Identity is created through one’s family’s guidance and through how one sees himself/herself.

There is one thing in this world that belongs to one person and one person entirely. With it, they feel connected, grounded to something that keeps them strong. Without it, they cannot feel complete. This is Identity. One’s identity comes from the past, their origins and their past experiences.

Everyone has heard that it is who you are on the inside that counts. This part of your identity is what makes a person truly unique. It is true that someone can have the same name, be the same age, or have the same job as you. So your identities would seem very similar. It is possible for two people from the same place that share such numerous interests to believe that they are one and the same. That is until you take a closer look and examine the person?s thought and feelings. No two people are exactly alike. Our identities spawn individuality. Therefore, your identity also shows what kind of person you are beneath the skin. It is a picture of how your view your self and your purpose in the world.

Once I was almost finished making the blanket I started to feel almost greedy, like I wanted to keep the blanket, but then I made myself keep thinking about the kids who are ill and how happy they will be when they receive a new blanket. The time seemed to fly by when I was making the blanket because all I was thinking about was the kids sick in the hospital and how happy I was when I got a blanket that I could keep in the hospital.

“We are not born knowing who we are or what our place is in the social landscape; we learn to be American or Japanese, male or female, husband or wife, or Amy, Richard, Micheal, Rachel, or Rebecca.” Our identities are constructed by this “social landscape”. The social construction of identity takes place by living life through first hand experiences and through certain social circumstances. Amartya Sen says,” Classification is certainely cheap, but identity is not. More interestingly, whether a particular classification can plausibly generate a sense of identity or not must depend on the social circumstances.” Identity is a complex matter but can be defined in simple terms. It is who you are. Your personality, the way you act in response to

Personal identity is essential in the human experience. Identity is complex and can be broken down into two main groups: introspective identity, and bodily identity. Introspective identity is based off of the groups, mentalities, or beliefs that you align yourself with, and bodily identity is based off of the physical side of yourself. Whether physical or introspective, your identity impacts every action you take. Whether choices ranging from what colors you prefer to which college you want to attend are primarily based off of your introspective identity, which is a combination of both memory and consciousness, physical identity impacts how others perceive you. Consciousness is mainly the awareness of bodily identity as well as continuous introspective identify, while memory is awareness of introspective identity. These two different facets of identity are imperative in the distinction between bodily identity and introspective identity. In means of personal identity introspective identity (which is evident in memory), is essential, while bodily identity (based partially in consciousness) has less credit.

The acquiring of this knowledge is what leads to us gaining our identity. Social action theorists suggest that there are three main parts to our identity. The first of these parts is the things that make us individual, such as name, signature and photograph. The second aspect is social identity, which is made up of the personality characteristics that are associated with our role in society. For example, I am seen as an older brother, which society may make me out to be annoying and protective of my younger sibling, but I am also seen as a student, who is perceived to be hard-working and well-behaved. The final part of our identity is the concept of ‘self’, or what we think of ourselves, and how we think we play our respective roles.

In general we differentiate between two “kinds” of identity. On the one hand there is the so called social identity, which stresses self-interpretation as a member of a certain social group and on the other hand there is the personal identity, which puts it´s emphasis on individuality and distinctiveness. This distinction is widely known as “patchwork-identity”. Both identities are only a subgroup of many different subjectively interpreted identities that everyone of us has innate.

Identity is what evolves us, it is what makes us think the way we do, and act the way we act, in essence, a person’s identity is their everything. Identity separates us from everyone else, and while one may be very similar to another, there is no one who is exactly like you; someone who has experienced exactly what you have, feels the way you do about subjects, and reacts the same to the events and experiences you have had. This became prevalent to me as I read through many books, that everyone goes through the process of finding who they are. A prevalent theme throughout literature is the idea that over time one develops their identity through life over time, in contrast to being born with one identity and having the same