Research Paper On Achilles

Title
Why does Achilles require others in order to create and understand his own self identity?

Who am I? A question everyone at some point will ask themselves, certainly a question many people have attempted to provide an answer to on your behalf. Self Identity is recognizing one’s potential and qualities as an individual. In a nutshell, who you are is your Self Identity. In Geronimo Johnson’s Hold It ‘Til It Hurts, Achilles, a young man who just finished service in Afghanistan, struggles to identify who he is and what his role is in life among others. He is constantly second guessing his motives and therefore doesn’t have a true understanding for who he is and what he wants for his future. Achilles depends on the attention of others
Ines is a very proud, young woman who volunteers at several shelters to help those who are less fortunate. Over time Achilles and Ines become very close and develop sexual relations with one another. Ines is portrayed as this “white, black girl” in the story and this comforts Achilles because he doesn’t feel judged by Ines because she too is stereotyped and her racial identity is questioned. Ines’ contribution to Achilles is almost that of Troy, because he wants to pursue love and he believes Ines can give him that. However, when Achilles is not around her he feels like he is completely lost because he has never truly felt love and by being around her he feels he can fulfill that feeling of love by being persistent with Ines. Achilles doesn’t know who he is when someone is not at his side. Ines exemplifies the role model that Achilles needs in his life in order to have direction. For example, Ines prompts Achilles to stand up for himself when they are eating with Ines’ family. Ines says, “ Why should she be different? That’s what’s wrong with her. No one stands up to her. If you don’t earn her respect now, you’ll never get it” (Page 163). Achilles feels intimated in this setting because he is too afraid to confront Ines’ mom. Achilles isn’t comfortable to demand the respect that he deserves from someone who is belittling him without even getting to know him. Being the
In his daily life Achilles finds himself reminiscing on past events that occurred during the war. Anything he does somehow relates back to his squadron of brothers that he served with in Iraq. Achilles loved how simple life was in the military because it was just him and his brothers fighting and looking after one another. There was never a time of loneliness and they all had sympathy for each other because they were going through the same troubles. Achilles joined Charlie I in Atlanta because he had a hard time coping without his fellow comrades of war and so he needed to be a part of another squad in order to feel part of a team again and have some security in his life. Being a soldier in Afghan and part of the Charlie I squadron in Atlanta both made him feel safe and brought back old memories of his time in Afghan. There exists a special brotherhood among those who stand shoulder to shoulder to look death in the face and defend each other. The war gave Achilles brothers that he would never forget over a lifetime and he so dearly missed them and the bonds they