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NicholasCyran
11/7/15B1
Englishfoundations1
Mrs.Butorac
CharactersIdentity
AwisemanbythenameofRichardGrantoncesaidThevalueofidentityofcourseis
thatsooftenwithitbecomespurpose.ThatpurposeGrantisreferringtoisthepurposeor
reasoningtoone'slifeonearth.Withoutidentityapersonisasvaluableasdirt,thereisno
integrityorpersonality.Thesepeopleareconceivedbyothersasboring,lifelessindividuals.
Withasenseofidentityitcreatesadefineduniquenessthathelpsusperceiveanoutlooknot
onlyonourselvesbutothersaroundus.Essentiallyandmetaphoricallyspeakingidentityisthe
storyofone'slife.AgoodexampleofhowusashumansareshapedfromGenetics,experience,
andenvironmentischaracterswereadaboutinoureverydayliterature.Threecharactersthatwill
belookedintointhiswritingpieceincludeJackandPiggyfromlordofthefliesbyWilliam
Golding,aswellasAmytaninthestoryFishcheeks.
InthestoryLordoftheFliesonecharactergoesbythenameofPiggy.Fromthe
beginningyoucouldtellPiggywasacharacterofbothlogicandwitbutalsoacharacterwith
severephysicalincapabilities.Sadleyforpiggyhisidentityhadbeenshapedfromgenetics.
BecauseofhisweightandasthmaPiggywasnotphysicallycapableinpartakinginsomeofthe
group'sactivities.Theauthordemonstratespiggy'sdisabilitiesinaquoteinwhichPiggy
volunteerstocomealongwithRalphandJackshortlyafterthefirstgroupmeetingtodiscover
theisland.AsJackandRalphheadintotheforesttheyaskforonemoremembertocomewith
them.Piggyisquicktoanswerandvolunteershimselfsaying,Illcome,beforeheis

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immediatelyturneddownbyRalphwhoreplysYou'renogoodforajoblikethis,(Golding,
32).Piggyalsoisbulliedasheisaneasytargetwhocannotdefendhimself,frombeginningto
endheiscalledFattyandbeingtoldtoShutup.WhilerepresentingGenetics,Piggycanalso
beacharacterwhoseidentityhadbeenshapedfromenvironment(Golding,27).Piggyinthe
storybasicallytellsusthereaderthatheisalmostbabiedbyhisauntandthathewishesadults
wereontheislandastheyknoweverything,(Golding,133).Withthechallengesofthe
environmentontheislandthisforcespiggytorelymoreontheonekeyattributehehaswhichis
intelligence.TheauthorshowsPiggysintellectualnessbypiggycomingupwithcreative
solutionstohelpcopewiththedifficultiesoftheisland.Oneexampleofpiggyscreativityin
relationshiptotheenvironmentistheuseoftheconch.Intheearlystagesofthebookafterjust
survivingaplanecrashPiggyissmartenoughtorealizethataconchaswellasashellcanbe
usedasaloudcallingdevicetogatheranyothersurvivorsofthecrash.Anotherexampleofhis
logicalnesscomesaftersignsofthesocalledbeasthavebeenseen.Piggyagaincomesupwith
yetanothercreativeideatomovethefiredownwardonthebeachinordertonotonlyeliminate
thefearofthebeastattackingontopofthemountain,butalsogettingridofthehassleof
obtainingafirethatisnotnearby.
AnothercharacterinthestoryLordoftheFliesisJack.jackinthestoryisseenbymost
readersasapersonwhocravespowerandisabitstuckuporrude.Inthestoryduringthefirst
meetingwiththeentiregroupafterthePlanecrashthegroupagreesthatachiefbemadeinorder
toleadthegroupandkeepthemontracktosurvive.Afterthisideaiscircledaroundforaminute
ortwoJackisalreadyonboardsayingIoughttobechief,(Golding28).Ibelievethistypeof
attributetolead,forJackisbasedofofexperience.Jackbacksupthistheorywhenheexplains

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hispastexperiencesasleaderofthechoirsayingImchapterchoristerandheadboy.Icansing
Csharp,(Golding,28).Jacksthirstforpowercanbeeseenthroughoutthebookespecially
whenheleavesRalph'sgrouptobeginhisown.AfterthesplitJackfinallygetsthepowerhe
hadcravedandletseveryoneknowthatheistopdog.Theauthordemonstratesthisbymaking
thegroupsalmostlikehisservantsforexamplethegroupobeysJackaslikeagod.Theywho
joinhistribemimichiseverymovefromhisbarbaricnaturetofacepaintingthemselvesand
creatingspears.Notonlyisjackshapedbyexperiencebutalsobyenvironment.Inthebeginning
ofthestoryJackisyoureverydaystuckupchoirboy.Butbytheendofthetimeontheisland
andthedifferingideasonhowtorunagroupandsurviveontheislandJackhasenoughandwith
hisnewgrouptheyturnintocruel,bloodthirstysavages.Aquoteinthestorythatreallysumsup
thisideacomesuplaterinthebookwhenthenarratorstates
Thiswasasavagewhoseimage
refusedtoblendwiththatancientpictureofaboyinshortsandshirt,(Golding,262)The
ancienttimetheauthoristalkingaboutisrightaftertheplanecrashwherejackwassimplyjust
aninnocentschoolboywhowiththedifficultiesoftheislandbecameacompletebarbarianwith
noselfconscious.InfactinthestoryJackhadbecomesodangerousthathisgroupmembershad
notonlykilledsimonandPiggybutalsohadtriedtokillRalph.
ThelastcharacterthatwillbeanalyzedisAmyTan,achineseAmericancitizenfromfish
cheeks.Amywhoisalsothenarrator,tellsusastoryofher14yearoldselfandhowshefellfor
anAmericanboyandcaredmoreaboutacceptancethenhertrueidentity.Towardstheendofthe
storysherealizeshowfoolishshehadbecometotrytoimpresstheboyratherthanjustaccept
whoshereallywasandwhatcamealongwithherheritage.Ibelievethischaracter'sIdentityis
strictlybasedoffofexperience.InthebeginningofthestoryAmyissosadthatHerfamily

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wouldbehostingRobert,hercrush,forChristmas.Thiscouldbeseenastheauthortellsushow
shecriedandwonderedwhatwouldRobertthinkofourshabbychineseChristmas.Asthe
storygoesonstrangechinesecuisineandtraditionsarefollowedoutandAmywantedto
disappear.finallyasthestorycomestoacloseAmylearnsavaluablelessonfromhermom
whichisyouronlyshameistohaveshame.Thechristmasexperienceandlessonfromher
motherwouldnotresignatetoheruntillaterinlifewhenTanrealizedthatwhileshemaylivein
Americaherchineserootsandtrueidentitywillalwaysremaininherheart.
Identityisallaroundusandmakesupourlives.Itiscoreofsomeone'slifetimethatmakesus
uniqueandspecialinourownway.Itiswhatdefinesnotonlyusbutsocietyasawhole.Identity
canbeachievedthroughgenetics,environment,orexperienceandischangingeverydaybasedon
thedecisionswemakeinlife.Charactersintheliteraturewereadhelpusnotonlyseeidentity
butalsohelpunderstandourownidentityorpurpose.Identityisthestoryofoneslifemakethat
storypurposeful.

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Citations:

Golding,William.
LordoftheFlies
.NewYork:CowardMcCann,1962.Print.

Tan,Amy.""FishCheeks"byAmyTan."
MsMooresEnglishLanguageArtsClass
.N.p.,09Aug.
2009.Web.22Nov.2015.