The Thin Red Line

The concept of Identity is complex through the exploration of relationships and a sense of belonging. This is explored within Tim Winton’s short stories, ‘ Neighbours’ and ‘Big World’, and in Robert Walker’s poem ‘Okay, Let’s be Honest’. Identity can change and evolve depending on belief, change, language and shifting influences.

Each and every person on this Earth today has an identity. Over the years, each individual creates their identity through past experiences, family, race, and many other factors. Race, which continues to cause problems in today’s world, places individuals into certain categories. Based on their race, people are designated to be part of a larger, or group identity instead of being viewed as a person with a unique identity. Throughout Richard Wright’s Black Boy, Richard is on a search for his true identity. Throughout Black Boy, one can see that Richard’s racial background assigns him with a certain identity or a certain way in which some

     Identity is one of the main questions throughout all of our readings, because it is hard for people to accept who they are in society. Accepting their identity as a minority with little if any freedoms

False identity can become so inherent to a person’s character, they can begin to forget where it stops and their true self begins. In Tobias Wolff’s novel Old School, the narrator and the literary review the Troubadour both are hiding behind a persona that is placed onto them by themselves or others. An aspirational vision of the characters is the basis of their personas. Wanting to be more then they already are, the characters end up believing in the lies told to persuade others of their importance. Placing the personas on themselves is a way to divert people from the true nature of their identity, which might not live up to their expectations. The identities taken on by the narrator and the Troubadour convey that what they are and what they want to be are not yet the same.

One’s individuality and freedom are questioned when it does not conform to society’s ideals. This is often demonstrated in real life, as well as in popular literary pieces.

Despite being a very diverse literature genre in terms of influence and inspiration, North American literature encompasses many works that share some very common thematic elements. Though there are several themes shared, one in particular can be found in most any work – the importance of identity. Particularly in some selected pieces yet to be named, identity is a very important element, not only because it is a necessity for a main character in any work of literature, but because these works express ideas about identity as being very individualistic – as opposed to being a mere result of cultural surroundings. Zora Neal Hurtson’s Their

Individuals often find the definition of identity complex and difficult to comprehend. A balance must be struck between the contending concepts that a person’s identity is founded on how they view themselves, or how others perceive them to be. During the 20th century, strict adherence to archetypal roles was expected. Who an individual was, how they interacted with others, and their status in society, was determined through the judgement of others and subsequently, the archetypal roles they were placed in. For Stephen, a young fifteen year-old who is struggling on achieving true self-fulfillment in a society that is male dominated, he drives his sense of identity and self-perception from how others see him.

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.

Often people question who they really are, this identity crisis can be confusing because no one is ever born perfect, instead we strive to live up to the standards believed to be ideal. However, the inflence others put upon ourselves can persuade us to forget the genuine intents we may have potentially leading living a lie. Many fall victim to regret from being mislead by people who mindlessly obey those who are deemed superior in the eyes of society. By analyzing the similarities and differences, Brother Dear and On Boy Trouble characterize the importance of having the courage to express ourselves in order to challenge the narrow views isolating each person into a basic set of traits and attributes. The works of Bernice Friesen and Margaret

A person’s identity is unique from another individual’s and is shaped by a plethora of aspects, some being family, friends, culture, personal interests, environment, and society. These aspects all come together to influence a person’s identity, some having a more powerful impact on an individual than others. However, when a person is put into an environment or situation in which their perceived identity does not match those of their environment or society, the individual is now in isolation from his or her surroundings. During isolation, a person may struggle to find their true identity or remain true to their identity. This phenomenon is perfectly shown in the novels Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley,

Within dystopian literature, identity is something that can be seen as an individual’s most core and precious element. Exposed against a scarcity of freedom in self-expression, we can begin to fully appreciate and understand the importance in the role of identity as well as its robustness. The role of identity and its manipulation is often explored within dystopian literature to exemplify weaknesses in human psychology as well as to destroy false images of strength and superiority that we apply to ourselves. In both The Road and

In comparison with the movie, directed by Terrence Malick, The Thin Red Line and the book, written by Phil Klay, Redeployment, we go through the minds of soldiers in foreign countries, drafted in worlds that are completely alien and unfamiliar to them. With stress levels above what normal civilians will most likely ever experience, the soldiers in both worlds have to find things to occupy their time, as it is not always war all the time. How the soldiers interact and, in a way, befriend the civilians in the third world countries, gives them a different perspective, such as Private Witt and the unnamed narrator in “Money as a Weapons System”, on what

Our identity can sometimes be shaped by the way others see us. As we have seen, the way in which others view us can have some sort of impact on how we see ourselves. There are also other contributing factors such as our years of adolescence, the basic human need of wanting to belong and maturing; all play an equally important part in the forming of our character and who we are. On balance it appears that there is not only one influence in the shaping of our identity, but there are many.

Society contains a vast majority of different types of people, and all of them look, act, and think differently. How we as individuals do these things, are greatly influenced by the people around us, as our differences makes us judge others. In creating our own identity, our reliance on others is consequently grand, which can be either a fine or a dreadful matter. For some, the prejudice in the perceptions of others can cause the truth to be exceedingly twisted. It can be disturbed to such a degree, that the image of others is completely opposite of how it is in reality. This is what each character in Higson’s short story The Red Line experiences. Higson questions and plays with the role

Can identity be a sharp weapon to overcome restrictions and oppression. Jose Munoz, a former perfomance studies professor at NYU argued in his article "The White to Be Angry" that identity is manipulative. According to Munoz, the manipulation of identity is called disidenticaction. Instead of rejecting society or a group whole sale, someone who disidentifies accepts some aspects of that society or group without assimilating to the dominant ideals. People, especially in minority groups, developed disdentifciation as an offensive mechanism because it allowed them to function within that group or society without becoming trapped. Munoz's theory provides a powerful analytical lens which I will use to evaluate the characters Corliss and Harlan