Awareness Of One's Racial Identity example essay topic

The search for personal identity is a fundamental behavior for people who live in a society no mater how hard it is. The self-realization is generally composed of many aspects such as culture, gender and age. In "Naming Myself" by Barbara Kingsolver, this theme is central to the topic; in the short story "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck, the protagonist tries to find a sense beyond her true self likewise. Also, Al Purdy of "The Iron Road", which is not preoccupied with this concept, eventually liberates and reaches his self-realization. The poem "Naming Myself" reveals that the awareness of one's racial identity is important for people. In the poem, the narrator is an one-quarter Chevokee.

Her "restless" grandfather fled from his comfortable life to marry her grandmother -- a Chevokee woman. He probably feels his life is boring and is curious about Chevokee culture. Although he is forgiven for stealing a horse by his family, he losses his family name because of his marriage. He makes up the name which the narrator guards. Once the narrator could change her name, but she did not do it and keeps it firmly because she is worried about losing his "soul"? Cher identity and also becomes " restless" just like her grandfather.

Obviously she is wise; otherwise she may be suffering between two cultures. In contrast, Elsia in the short story "The Chrysanthemums" is not so lucky. She is eager to find her own self beyond his female's role, so she fails. In this story, Elsia is a mid-aged who has a neat house and a lovely husband. She also is good at gardening.

She grows some flourishing chrysanthemums that represent her beauty and his value. When the tinker asks for her flowers, she gives him a pot of chrysanthemum spouts with great joy and even makes up some work to reward him. She seems to find her own value. But unfortunately, when she sees his beloved chrysanthemums are discarded on the road, she truly recognizes that she can never fulfill her wish to be more than what she is already, a housewife. Her silent cry at the end of the story expresses her sadness and helplessness of being a female in society.

Furthermore, the young boy in the memoir "The Iran Road" also gives a positive example of the construction of individual identity. He is seventeen years old when he has nothing to do after having quit from school in the Great Depression. He grows boredom and wants to adventure. Thus, he boards a train heading to western of Canada as a green hand bum.

He confronts a lot of things such as crouching in a coal gondola in the rain, starving without a sandwich for two hundred miles, being lost in the woods. But he also learns how to board a train, to overcome his embarrassment for a hand out and to take care of himself. What he has encountered gradually enriches his knowledge and opens his horizon. Finally when he almost reaches Vancouver, for the first time he realizes how big this country is and feels a sense of exaltation not only for the sight, but also for strongly awareness of his ability.

"How marvelous to be alive and to ride a bare-backed train through such a country". He seems to find his own identity. His physical and psychological maturation makes him ready to face with his coming adult life. The iron road has forged his own identity. In conclusion, the quest for one's identity is a predominant activity in one's life.

The pomes "Naming Myself", the story "The Chrysanthemums" and the memoir "The Iron Road" are the articles that effectively illustrate some aspects of this idea such as ethnic, feminist and age factors. People should be always aware of their identities in order to have better lives.