Identity is something people tend to think of as consistent, however that is far from the case. The Oxford English dictionary states that the definition of identity is “ The characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is.” The allegorical novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding tackles the issue of identity while following young boys from the ages twelve and down as they struggle with remembering their identities when trapped on a deserted island. Identity is affected by the influence of society and how individuals influence society based on their identities. By looking at Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the Stanford Prison Experiment, and Sigmund Freud 's philosophical ideas, it becomes clear that identity is affected by society through peer pressure and social normalities. The individual influences society by what they choose to show of their identity and what their ‘Superego’ shows of the ‘Id’ portion of their brains. The influence of society alters the identity of individuals through peer pressure. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the boys’ identities morf from civilized and structured young children to that of savages when Jack, a violent hunter and antagonist of the novel, initiates a game where a boy named Robert pretends to be a pig. The boy’s innocent play soon turns into a life threatening situation when Jack pressures the boys to make it more realistic and close in the circle. Golding explains this scene when he
Identity is the fact of being who you are or what a person is. Everyone has an identity, but does identity shape you as a person? Many people can think it doesn't but in the short stories Passing by Langston Hughes and Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, it is exemplified that identity does shape who you are. We see two characters Jack in Passing and Doodle in Scarlet Ibis face Identity difficulties and how these challenges build who they are as an individual.
The true nature of human instincts and evil actions lurk behind the social masks that society forces upon. In William Golding’s fictional novel Lord of the Flies, the author features the alteration of a group of young males who are isolated on a deserted island, projecting their regression from innocent children to killer savages. Golding conveys how effortlessly one's morality can be ripped apart when isolated from civilization which is shown through the savagery and remorse of the group of boys. In chapter 11, the young group of boys dispute on the idea of civilization or savageness being better. Ralph, who stands together with Piggy, fights for the goodness of mankind and believes in orderly conduct as opposed to unlawfulness and killing for fun.
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, young boys get stranded on an island with no adults in the midst of a war. The boys were orderly and civilized in the beginning but then as they began killing pigs they slowly became savages and lost their civilization. The boys began turning on each other and the evil within them became present. Golding uses a variety of literary devices including personification, symbols, metaphors, and irony, to project the theme that pure and realistic people in the world can be unheard and destroyed by evil.
Identity is how humans make it in the ‘adult’ world, and also in also in the fictional world. Over the years, fictional stories have become more realistic. Honestly, fictional stories have are a great way of allowing people to fantasize of a better humanistic identity. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling,
When Elie Wiesel, author of Night was just 15 years old, he and his family were taken by cattle car to a concentration camp in Auschwitz to endure the tragedies of the holocaust. As soon as Elie and his family arrived to the concentration camp in Auschwitz he was stripped of his identity and “I became A-7713. From then on, I had no other name” (Wiesel 42). Correspondingly, in Lord of the flies, the boys are no longer able to recognize other’s humanity. It becomes hard for the boys to distinguish between themselves and the pigs they hunt and kill for food and sport.
Identity is usually thought of as an individual characteristic. It pertains to ones self image, self-esteem, personal qualities, and behaviors. The “self” is an integration of where one comes from, where one lives, what one does, who or what one associates with, and one’s self-perception. However, it’s easy to underestimate the relationship that identity has with the perspective of others. Others opinions can have profound effects on people and their lives.
In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Ralph and Jack clash constantly over maintaining a mimicry of a proper English societal structure or discarding it in favor of a more wild and chaotic way of life. Golding uses Ralph to represent the civilization the boys left behind; for all intents and purposes, Ralph represents nurture. Throughout the book he is swayed by the call of the wild, but remains tethered to the idea of rescue and upholding the societal standards previously taught to him. ‘Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh.
In the realistic novel, Lord of the Flies, a group of British boys turn into savages after being stranded on an island. Day after day the boys are faced with the challenges of survival. With no adults on the island, the boys decide to elect a leader to maintain order. The author, William Golding, shows that the boys decisions on the island are influenced by the evil society they came from. Piggy, who received his name in school because of his appearance, turns out to be the most adult like figure on the island.
Someone 's identity defines who they are. There are no two identities that are the same. , Everyone is unique in different ways. Finding oneself may take time and might not be exactly what you are expecting. In the novel “Milkweed” by Jerry Spinelli, the protagonist Jack assumes many identities but ultimately does not know who he is.
Everything experienced in life is used for personal growth and learning. However, these experiences can change the way a person thinks or behaves. In the book Lord of the Flies, William Golding shows how some of these experiences have the ability to strip a person of their identity, in particular, young and impressionable children. A young boy uses his appearance to hide his insecurities from those around him. Being stranded on an island is an experience that is beginning to change who this boy is.
When a group of little kids get together with no rules to harness them, someone always gets hurt. Without rules, there is no order. No one is able to take control of the situation. When rules are not followed, democracy falls to anarchy. In the novel Lord of the Flies, the author William Golding explores how a group of schoolboys are able to adapt to an isolated environment after being shot down from the sky.
What is Identity? Identity is like a fingerprint; it clearly determines who people are. Identity is something that people are not born with, it is an act people do that classifies their identity. People need to act upon their own choices to determine their own identity rather than being influenced by the choices of others. So, people must follow their own path in order to keep their own unique identity.
Identity is a distinctive identifier of who we are as individuals. People must learn how to construct their own identities through the actions and choices they make. Sometimes when people are influenced by society or the world around them, their own sense of identity can become unfavorably distorted. As such, it is important for people to stay loyal to themselves in order to cultivate and maintain that strong sense of identity.
8 1. INTRODUCTION WHAT IS IDENTITY? According to the dictionary Identity means ‘The distinguishing character or personality of an individual’ used to recognise that person, or ‘close similarity or affinity’ or ‘it is the condition of being oneself’.
Identity plays a big role in our lives. Identity is defined as characteristics that make up a person. Identities can be chosen, or they can be inherited by peers, parents, or friends. Some people can have multiple identities, others might have only one identity that describes who they are. Some characteristics of identity are hobbies that you enjoy doing, your religious beliefs, your ethnicity, your appearance, or your friends and family.