The Importance Of Identity

A strong sense of identity is one of the most important aspects of an individual’s character. It is important to recognize and learn through discernment, to develop the skills of thinking critically and evaluating, to differentiate oneself from the masses of people in this world. With regard to the reading assignments for this week, I found this to be a common theme between them. Additionally, when I thought about my service at St. Mary’s school this past Tuesday, I realized it was a common theme there too. The poem “In A Station of the Metro” as well as the story “Everyday Use” features the concept of identity, and how identity can be blurred or lost. I felt that this theme was prevalent to my experience at St. Mary’s this past week because I had to opportunity to work with the younger children and witness how they interact. It is interesting to watch such young and impressionable children and see how they react to each other’s actions and decisions to further develop a sense of self.
Although I usually work with the seventh and eighth graders, this week I had the opportunity to work with a group of first grade students at St. Mary’s. At this age, five and six, children are highly impressionably and are developing their likes and dislikes, and ultimately the foundations of their identities. In relation to the works I read this week, it appears that identity is an increasingly important aspect of one’s character, especially in today’s world. Hearing the children call each other names like “copy-cat” reminded me of my childhood and made me think about what these names really mean. One of the little girls was coloring her picture of an apple red, and several of the other children mimicked this. Another one of the children colored his apple purple with orange spots. Observing this difference helped me recognize that this child had somewhat of his own identity; instead of following the others he carved out his own path and was not afraid to color the apple the way he wanted to. Many of the other kids simply conformed, and colored their apples red because that is all they know. Through these observations I recognized that it is important for the children to embrace their differences and individuality and be encouraged to develop a sense of identity.
The concept of identity plays an important role in literature from the past and the present. “In a Station of the Metro”, a poem by Ezra Pound is a simple, modern haiku that in many ways deals with this theme. I felt that it was ironic that such a simple short poem could evoke such emotion and lend itself to so many different interpretations. In fact, when I initially read this piece I was very unsure about its meaning, and had to read it several times and read the story in order to extract a common tie between the two and identify the poem’s theme. When I read the poem, I immediately imagined the image of a train speeding through a dark tunnel blurring the faces of a crowd of individuals standing on the platform. As a result, I thought that the contrast of a blur of faces in a dark tunnel symbolizes petals on a black bough. The theme of identity plays an important role with this piece because as the train speeds by, the faces lose identity. Ultimately, they almost appear like an apparition. The crowd of light colored faces contrasts the dark subway tunnel the way flower petals would on a wet black bough. As a result, I found the tone of this poem to be rather dark and bleak unlike the tone of Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”.
Alice Walker’s story had less of a dark tone, but was very similar to the Ezra Pound piece in terms of theme. On the surface the story appears as if it is simply about a mother deciding to which daughter she should give two very special and unique family heirloom quilts. However, the crux of the story is the distinction between the practical values of the younger daughter, Maggie and the superficial values of the older daughter, Dee. This idea easily translates into a question of how the quilts should be used. Should they be given to Dee and kept for show, as a symbol of the family’s African heritage? Or, should they be given to Maggie to use, admire, and commemorate her strong female ancestors? This story examines the importance of heritage in determining one’s identity, however, ultimately the author realizes that Dee’s emphasis on her African Heritage is superficial, just like the new life she has created for herself. In trying to escape the life she had with his mother and sister, Dee changed her name and her sense of style to reflect her roots. It is in this transformation that Dee essentially loses touch with her true roots, her family. As a result, the mother gives Maggie the two quilts, although Dee thinks she is less deserving. Just as Maggie will put the quilts to more practical use, she has a truer more practical identity than Dee, who is too concerned with superficial things and trying to display her heritage.
Each of these pieces in their own unique way examines the theme of identity and the important role in plays in individuals’ lives. Often times identity is lost or blurred in pursuit of lofty or superficial goals. Ezra Pound’s poem helps readers visualize this concept while Alice’s Walker’s story puts this theme into practice by applying it to a story. My experience volunteering at St. Mary’s School this week helped me recognize the importance of identity in establishing a sense of self. This idea is especially important in today’s world where people are often distracted by superficial and commercial interests. Working with the younger group of children helped me recognize the importance of encouraging such young impressionable minds to think and discern on their own, to further develop a sense of self.