Mac Jeffrey
3 September 2015
English 1100
Prof. Young

Identity

 

      In my opinion, identity is everything about you that makes you who you are. In class we discussed how identity is everything that you can tell about a person just by looking at them, but I believe it is a bit deeper than that. I think identity is any trait that makes you unique, such as your interests, personality, or what you are good at. For example, no one would be able to tell just by looking at me that I am a basketball player, but I consider that to be a huge part of my identity. I also really like music and I am a pretty good guitar player, which I consider a part of my identity.

 



      In "How to Tame a Wild Tongue", Gloria Anzaldua mostly talks about her language being her identity. Language is definitely a huge part of your identity, but even more so in Anzaldua's case because of how much it has shaped her life. Her entire story is about how her unique language has impacted her life. Her entire life she was told that the way she talks is wrong and that clearly had a huge affect on her. Because of how unusual her language is and how much she was ridiculed for it, het language is an extremely important part of who she is. However, there are many other intangible things that also make her who she is.
     Identity could be shaped by how you were raised, but it is also greatly influenced by your individual personality. The majority of people don't change too much from the culture they were brought up in, although some people do break away from their upbringing and start their own path. It is ultimately up to you what your identity is. Anzaldua could have listened to everyone and spoke the way they thought she was supposed to, but she decided to be strong and stick with what she felt comfortable with regardless of what people thought.