Identity Is Never Static Essay Example
Identity is never static.
“No man is an island, entire of itself”, English poet John Donne once wrote. Nearly four hundred years later, in 21st century’s modern society, the emotional attachments between individuals have grown even more immense than it ever was. Complemented by the pace of today’s society, this complex relationship is further developed. While being influenced by others, we undergo psychological changes, which will manifest in amendments in our identity. When the world around us changes, the only choice we have is to adapt to it. As in the short story “The Upside-Down Year” from anthology “Growing Up Asian in Australia”, Lee experiences a change in identity during his journey to a foreign country on a ship. This journey is particularly unique for the timid 16 year old Hong Kong schoolboy who has never left home before. When Lee commences this trip, he is perplexed by a mixture of both excitement and anxiety: he is excited for the utterly new world ahead of him, however stressed about the reality he is going to face. His lack in a sense of belonging and a lost positioning of self also contributes to this complexion. The chaos of thoughts he has confuses him, he no longer knows how he should act like. Then when everyone on his ship treats him with courtesy, he finally explores his new identity as an adult and thrusts into adulthood. His transformation from a schoolboy to a matured man is accomplished through the change in his environment, which is never static.
As our cultural self-image changes with the environment, our identity becomes dynamic. Our view on ourselves are constantly adjusting so we can have a balanced sense of self at all times, however, variation in our self-image does not change alone, it also varies our identity. An example can be drawn from Diana Nguyen’s story “Five Ways to Disappoint Your Vietnamese Mother”. In Diana’s
“No man is an island, entire of itself”, English poet John Donne once wrote. Nearly four hundred years later, in 21st century’s modern society, the emotional attachments between individuals have grown even more immense than it ever was. Complemented by the pace of today’s society, this complex relationship is further developed. While being influenced by others, we undergo psychological changes, which will manifest in amendments in our identity. When the world around us changes, the only choice we have is to adapt to it. As in the short story “The Upside-Down Year” from anthology “Growing Up Asian in Australia”, Lee experiences a change in identity during his journey to a foreign country on a ship. This journey is particularly unique for the timid 16 year old Hong Kong schoolboy who has never left home before. When Lee commences this trip, he is perplexed by a mixture of both excitement and anxiety: he is excited for the utterly new world ahead of him, however stressed about the reality he is going to face. His lack in a sense of belonging and a lost positioning of self also contributes to this complexion. The chaos of thoughts he has confuses him, he no longer knows how he should act like. Then when everyone on his ship treats him with courtesy, he finally explores his new identity as an adult and thrusts into adulthood. His transformation from a schoolboy to a matured man is accomplished through the change in his environment, which is never static.
As our cultural self-image changes with the environment, our identity becomes dynamic. Our view on ourselves are constantly adjusting so we can have a balanced sense of self at all times, however, variation in our self-image does not change alone, it also varies our identity. An example can be drawn from Diana Nguyen’s story “Five Ways to Disappoint Your Vietnamese Mother”. In Diana’s