The Journey Of Self Discovery

Self discovery is at the root of many stories. It is easily limited by external and internal factors. Tales about self discovery are often called a bildungsroman. A bildungsroman, essentially, is a coming of age novel. Both Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison are considered a bildungsroman. In the case of those two novels, there is one unique concept that contributes to their examples of self discovery. Double consciousness is that idea. It emphasizes how a person may struggle to adapt to more than one varying identities in order to fill a role within society. Double consciousness is present in both novels through the mindset and actions of characters who try to conform to the gender and racial roles placed upon their lives but find themselves in conflict with their limitations.

In Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible man, the unknown narrator states “All my life I had been looking for something and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was…I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself the question which I, and only I, could answer…my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: That I am nobody but myself. But first I had to discover that I am an invisible man!” (13). throughout the novel, the search for identity becomes a major aspect for the narrator’s journey to identify who he is in this world. The speaker considers himself to be an “invisible man” but he defines his condition of being invisible due to his race (Kelly). Identity and race

The line of attack we use in order to identify individuals around us is an intriguing thing. Our perception is forever shifting, forever building, and affected not only by the person’s actions, but by the actions of those around them. In Scott F. Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby Nick Caraway’s perception of Jay Gatsby is always changing. All the way through the novel, Nick’s perception of Gatsby changes from him perceived as a rich chap, to a man that lives in the past, to a man trying to achieve his aspirations but has failed.

Who am I? This is a question which may take a lifetime, sometimes longer, to fulfil. One path, of self-discovery, is when people turn to their surroundings in their search. In turning to their surroundings, people are able to see their selves by the things around them. Your true identify is something that cannot be taken away from you, nor anyone. Curiosity is essential to finding a true sense of discovery. It can only occur if one is willing to undertake a journey. These discoveries and ideas are shown through the short film “Paperman” by John Kahrs and the play “Away” by Michael Gow. Through the use of a sophisticated range of techniques the composers are able to maintain high levels of authenticity throughout the duration of the texts, ultimately stimulating a more powerful

The paths taken in each person’s lifetime can associate with any factor or situation that one may come across. For example, one could come across a path that stands for tradition and the effect of traditional beliefs on a society like the one represented in “Dead Man’s Path.” Another example could be a path that stands for the power of love and the effect of unselfishness that makes one continue with life like the one represented in “A Worn Path.” An additional example could be a path that stands for overcoming doubts of beliefs as these may uphold or tear one apart like the path represented in “Young Goodman Brown.” No path is easier than another and they all hold a spectacular significance in each person’s life. Therefore, in this independent

Throughout life, there are those who struggle to find out who they are and their path for life. However, this same struggle can be seen in a lot of literature. For example, two selections where this internal struggle can be seen is the short story "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" and the poem "White Lies".

Finding out who you are, through hardships and ease, is the main focus of this book. John Demos wanted to write a story, and in this story the main focus is figuring out how to adapt to your surroundings and the circumstances that you have cannot control to best survive. With this he weaved a tale about a colonial town that was not prepared for what happens to it, and its residents.

Young people live life by the day. The process of self discovery begins as a teenager. For some, this could take years. For others, it could happen quickly. Sometimes hardship leads people towards self-discovery. In the book Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, Conrad struggles with his identity; in the past, Conrad was never able to do anything without his brother’s influence. Once his brother drowns, Conrad feels lost without him. In the beginning, middle and end of the book, Conrad goes through the stages of grief, and through this process, Conrad discovers his identity.

One’s identity is the most important lesson to be learned. It is vital part of life knowing who you are in order to live a fulfilled life. Without knowing your identity, and the way you perceive life, it is difficult for others to understand you, along with a struggle to live a happy life. In Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” Esther Greenwood struggles to find her own identity, and in the process, she develops a mental illness which helps her discover the person she is on the inside.

During the childhood of “the Narrator,” he experiences mixed reactions to the notion of “passing” one’s identity. The Narrator’s mother, having never told the young boy of his African-American blood, forces the Narrator to unintentionally pass as a young, “perfect little aristocrat” (7). The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man moves quickly to introduce newfound discoveries made by the Narrator. For example, at this point in his life, he is unable to comprehend why “Shiny,” the best student, is seen as inferior due to the color of his skin. The Narrator does not understand such complex ideologies saying, “he was in some way looked down upon” (14). Here, Johnson’s use of the metaphor of passing is more of an indictment on the Narrator’s ignorance when it comes to race. A notable encounter with passing

In James Weldon Johnson’s “Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man,” the is written narrator to be perceived at face first as an average white male, when in fact he is inherently of colored descent. Consequently, in regards to society 's principle of the one-drop rule, the narrator then faces an identity complex in understanding whether he is black since society has categorized him on the account of his bloodline, or white because of his external appearance. For at the end of the novel, he makes the conscious decision to pass as white. Yet in erasing traces of his his Negro descent, this question whether the narrator’s decision violates particular morals in “passing” as white. Or, whether the narrator’s decision demonstrates that individuals like himself, must recreate themselves out of necessity. In order to be liberated from societies categorization, and obtain their concept of happiness, that is beyond the restricted principles from society. For the notion of recreating oneself for the means of progressing towards a future goal is understood in F.Scotts Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”. For lowly Jimmy Gatz is given an opportunity to recreate himself as Jay Gatsby, and does so through concealing his past identity from society. Yet in effect, this enables Gatsby to become limitless in how he progresses towards his idealized future. That in which, this paper will combine significant similarities between the two novels, arguing how the modes of recreation is an essential concept

The narrator looks inside himself and at society in the ever famous question of “Who am I?”

According to Psychologist Abraham Maslow in “Self-actualization and Beyond,” self-actualization is a process in which one identifies his inner ability to do something productive. Once this inner talent comes out, that’s when a person actualizes himself. He believes that every individual self-actualizes, and while doing so one might make many wrong choices. Sonny and his older brother are faced with several obstacles while being on a journey to self-actualization in “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. However, these obstacles not only come from their surroundings, but within themselves as well. The narrator himself and his younger brother, Sonny struggle with, and gradually develop their own

Identity can be a never ending worldwide in one’s journey; some know all along who they are and the path they want to pursue in life, while most spend a lifetime trying to find their voice, passion or meaning. Oscar Wilde once said “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” In the play of A Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry, Walter Lee Younger is constantly trying to find his identity and his place in the world. Walter Lee a 35-year-old chauffeur wants to have the life of the men he drives around; however, when faced with reality Walter Lee tries his luck at finding his identity at the bottom of a bottle.

In conclusion an individual’s journey could always involve the process of learning, maturation and self-discovery as a personal development. Therefore inner journeys increase our personal knowledge and understanding of others, although the play Away by Michael Gow and the film To Kill a Mockingbird by Robert mulligan involve three types of journey. They all demonstrated the inner journey throughout the play and the film giving us an understanding of an individual’s journey could have an impact on others. I would like to end my speech with a quote by Greg Anderson ‘Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing