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Vedika Sharma

Mr. Donaghrey

ENG3UZ - A

27 July 2021

The Nature of Identity:

An Annotated Bibliography

Sims, Shaquita. “Self Identity.” 2005. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/self-identity/

Self Identity is an alluring poem formed with emotion fabricated into the written

words. It is a poem that shares a small glimpse of a woman stating separate positive

declarations about herself. A critical part of the poem that should be noted is how the

writer is declaring what she sees within herself. This source does provide functionality to

support my research on the large theme of identity, it is written by a poem writer who is

well known for this piece of writing. This symbolic poem fits into my conducting

research to the extent that it further expands on the idea of identity that one person may

carry. This specific poem has shaped my thinking regarding this chosen theme as it has

displayed how some people feel they are able to decide their identity by highlighting their

likeable features. It additionally brings in a mention of women independence and

embracement of black colour; it displays identity being formed through exemplary

communities.

Seuss, Theodor. The Sneetches. Random House, 1953

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The Sneetches is a wonderfully written children’s fictional novel that has been

formed to focus on and embody a larger topic. It is a story about a species called the

Sneetches; that were formerly separated by class depending on whether they had a green

star on their belly or not. This star represented a large part of their identity and how they

may be treated by others. This source provides use for my research through a more

exclusive approach, it is written by a political cartoonist and poet. It does fit into my

research on the large idea of identity as it opens a thought of how identity can hold a

large influence on one's life and experiences. This simple children’s novel has shaped my

thinking of the larger idea of identity as it introduces a perspective of how identity is

formed through differences. It further extends it to an idea of how a large impact of

differences on identity can lead to a difference of how people may be treated; it can be

connected to more weighted occurrences in the real world.

“Identity Is How You Define Yourself.” Karen Koenig, www.karenrkoenig.com/blog/identity-is-

how-you-define-yourself.

This article is a wonderful insight and introduction to the idea of how identity is

how you one may define themself. It begins with a crucial thought of how a large

majority of people contain negative occurrences in their childhood as part of their current

identity. It then further extends to how your biography is a separate topic from your

identity; your biography is what is bestowed upon you as a child however your identity is

what you yearn to be as an individual. This eye-opening article is indeed useful in

conducting my research on the topic of identity as it expands on connected ideas and is

written by a verified author. This article does fit my research as it allows me to gain

another comprehensive understanding of the idea of identity. It changes my perspective

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and thoughts on this topic as it displays how childhood should not be distinguished as a

direct part of one’s identity. It opens a new idea of how identity is acquired in a different

way rather than other people choosing to define your traits and identity.

Williams, Mike. “The Why Factor.” BBC, Identity, Player FM, 01 Apr 2016,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p03nzsw2.

This podcast is a very eye-opening conversation about the deeper ideas of one’s

identity and what identity may really be defined as. They begin by talking about how

one’s background is part of their identity or how other people around you may see your

identification through your background. It is a conservation between the host and a guest

speaker expanding on the idea that identity is the psychological relationship of one’s

thoughts, experiences, desires and preferences that form one’s sense of self. This resource

is very useful within my research as it dives deep into the actual meaning of what identity

is, it is hosted by a person who is constantly making documentaries and podcasts around

the topic of culture. This fits perfectly with the rest of the research that I have collected as

it forms an augmented perspective on what identity is and how it can impact one’s life. It

has shaped my thinking on the idea of identity as it displays how identity tends to be

more psychological in reality. It is allowing me to gain a comprehensive understanding of

a different side of identity that has not been referred to.

Lopes, Bianca. “The Identity Element - A Definition of Identity.” 15, Aug 2018,

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/identity-element-definition-bianca-lopes

The article written is a very captivating insight on the definition of identity. It

largely focuses on how there is not a fixated definition but rather a global understanding
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someone holds for themself; including roles, attributes and behaviors. It embodies and

emphasizes the thought that one’s identity relates to their basic values that dictate the

choices they decide to carry out. This source is very useful as it provides an

understanding of how identity can be decided by oneself, it is written by a serial

entrepreneur. It fits well into the research I have been conducting and provides important

information to form more comprehensive understandings of the idea of identity. It shapes

my thinking as it allows me to visualize how we as humans form our identity through a

natural process in our lives from when we were young. This further expands my

understanding of how identity can be created and it further extends on the idea of what

identity can be besides defining it.