Identity In The Odyssey

In literature, the theme of identity has been explored in many distinct ways. From “Hamlet” to “The Odyssey,” characters have always struggled to discover who they really are in relation to the rest of their world. Most characters go through a personal journey and eventually discover who they are and what their purpose is. Other times, characters are left without a sense self and fail to establish themselves as individuals. However, sometimes these characters are not fictional, revealing how real societal issues currently affect the society we live in. Although identity is an enormous theme, often difficult to define, Mark R. Leary and June Price Tangney’s “Handbook of Self and Identity” can help us define what identity is. According to the
Pirzada Came to Dine,” Lilia’s family consistently searches the university’s directory in search for similar Indian names, “circling surnames familiar to their part of the world” (Lahiri, Web). Lahiri makes it clear that Lilia’s family is very protective of their culture and often tries to find other Indian immigrants. This represents a struggle to assimilate and simultaneously preserve an identity when emigrating. This struggle is further emphasized when Mr. Pirzada does not clearly understand the concept of Halloween, deeming it dangerous and strange. By providing the reader with Lilia’s point of view, Lahiri highlights how she struggles to identify Mr. Pirzada. Although Mr. Pirzada speaks the same way and tells the same jokes as her parents, he is no longer considered Indian due to the
As Mee Susie points out, these “children are battered and ignored by a culture in which they play little part except that of victim.” Black stereotyping is vividly depicted in her stories, often creating a false identity for some of her characters. Since most these children do not yet know their own identity, they shift their behavior to fit the stereotype set by