Analyze the signs that make up identity. Determine whether identity is fixed or stable. Establish a thesis stating whether or not identity is a choice.

Posted: January 10th, 2014

The narrator in Araby is having an identity crisis. Parts of his identity have been chosen for him. One can see that he is unhappy with some of the aspects of his life he has had no control over, such as being poor and being born in the country in which he was. Additionally, he makes some choices with which he is unhappy. His poverty and his Irishness make him feel ashamed of who he is. At other times, he seems to be aware that those things were not chosen by him and that he does have control over who he is. Think about the instances in the story that make up his identity. Which ones do, and which ones do not, and why? When he leaves the security of his home to visit the bazaar, he is defined by others in terms of the signs that they see. The signs that others see are not necessarily what he sees. Can you relate? Reading the story is an exercise in reading signs. Which signs are the most important to you? In Donnie Brasco, Joe Pistone is also having an identity crisis. He lives among gangsters, but he is a cop with a wife and family. At times, he seems to forget who he is. Consider how easy it is to change one’s identity or for one’s identity to change. Do you believe that you are in control of your identity? Is identity fixed or unstable, and if the latter, do we have agency (the ability to choose) or is identity forced upon us by our surroundings?