Week 5 Entry
Identity n. 1 the state of being identical. 2 the condition or fact of being a particular person or thing
Why is there always a need to label and define someone or something? Why is it that most people feel the tendency to constantly redefine who they are as time passes and they inevitably change? Is it because we secretly yearn for acceptance from other people, or is it for the reason that one desires to claim a sense of self by categorising who they are and what they’re not?
Through analysing Langston Hughes Theme for English B (Schwiebert, p.857) it seems clear that the main ideas being articulated revolve around the culture clash between the speaker and his instructor, being that the speaker is interpreted as being an African American student and has “colored” skin, whilst his instructor is “white”.
The speaker endures difficulty in being asked to produce something that is “true” as his own definition may differ to that of his instructor, creating a sense of judgement being placed upon the speaker.
The speaker construes that he is what he “feels, sees, and hears” - suggesting that the need to label, categorise and define who we are through race, gender or age is unnecessary.
“Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records-Bessie, bop, or Bach.” (lines 21-24)
In listing his likes he presumes that being of a different culture does not make him all that dissimilar in the things he likes as other races, in this case the inference is between him and his instructor, and metaphorically between him and society in general.
“You are white -
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That’s American.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true!” (lines 31-36)
Through this statement the speaker acknowledges that he is consciously aware of the divide between the two different cultures and the racial sentiments of separation, in that at times white people do not want to be part of black people, and vice versa, inevitably being “American” is what connects them to each other.
The stark difference between the two characters, despite the fact that they both learn from one another in some way, is that the professor is more dominant in that he is “older - and white - and somewhat more free.” This can in a way relate to the history of America where the “white” man was responsible for enslaving the blacks and therefore stripping them of their freedom - in this regard the speaker suggests a feeling of inferiority against him and society that he may never overcome.
To conclude on the topic of identity, it seems clear to me that an individual cannot be simply defined by a set of terms (race, social class, gender, age). Identity in the personal sense consists roughly of what makes one unique, individual and different from others. No one person is the same as another due to each person having their own unique mix of adherences. In classifying an individual a sense of segregation is formed and the idea of equality is somewhat diminished.
Cristina Lopez
Why is there always a need to label and define someone or something? Why is it that most people feel the tendency to constantly redefine who they are as time passes and they inevitably change? Is it because we secretly yearn for acceptance from other people, or is it for the reason that one desires to claim a sense of self by categorising who they are and what they’re not?
Through analysing Langston Hughes Theme for English B (Schwiebert, p.857) it seems clear that the main ideas being articulated revolve around the culture clash between the speaker and his instructor, being that the speaker is interpreted as being an African American student and has “colored” skin, whilst his instructor is “white”.
The speaker endures difficulty in being asked to produce something that is “true” as his own definition may differ to that of his instructor, creating a sense of judgement being placed upon the speaker.
The speaker construes that he is what he “feels, sees, and hears” - suggesting that the need to label, categorise and define who we are through race, gender or age is unnecessary.
“Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records-Bessie, bop, or Bach.” (lines 21-24)
In listing his likes he presumes that being of a different culture does not make him all that dissimilar in the things he likes as other races, in this case the inference is between him and his instructor, and metaphorically between him and society in general.
“You are white -
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That’s American.
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that’s true!” (lines 31-36)
Through this statement the speaker acknowledges that he is consciously aware of the divide between the two different cultures and the racial sentiments of separation, in that at times white people do not want to be part of black people, and vice versa, inevitably being “American” is what connects them to each other.
The stark difference between the two characters, despite the fact that they both learn from one another in some way, is that the professor is more dominant in that he is “older - and white - and somewhat more free.” This can in a way relate to the history of America where the “white” man was responsible for enslaving the blacks and therefore stripping them of their freedom - in this regard the speaker suggests a feeling of inferiority against him and society that he may never overcome.
To conclude on the topic of identity, it seems clear to me that an individual cannot be simply defined by a set of terms (race, social class, gender, age). Identity in the personal sense consists roughly of what makes one unique, individual and different from others. No one person is the same as another due to each person having their own unique mix of adherences. In classifying an individual a sense of segregation is formed and the idea of equality is somewhat diminished.
Cristina Lopez