cadi's english blog!

    What is identity? Is it how others perceive you, or is it how you perceive yourself? Is it how you present yourself, or could it be a combination of these ideas?       I found Invisible Man 's ambiguous and experimental viewpoint regarding the concept of identity really interesting. The book is an exploration of the concept of identity and it never solidly defines what identity is, but it seems to imply that a person's identity can vary depending on whose perspective you're looking through. For instance, from a reader's perspective, Invisible Man 's narrator's identity is comprised of (presumably) nearly every part of himself, while to the Harlem community, he's known only as a community leader who's part of the Brotherhood.      Another context in which I've been seeing many identity-related questions is college apps. Some portals have "identity" sections where applicants answer questions relating to their background influences and...

     As the narrator's career with the Brotherhood progresses in Invisible Man, he becomes increasingly prominent within the Harlem community. Although the he feels content with the job and how it allows him to express his ideas and passions, the narrator becomes recognized only for the version of himself he's supposed to present as part of the Brotherhood—not his actual self. In fact, his "brothers" express disapproval for even being too personal. As a people-pleaser, he doesn't question his forced identity shift and transitions smoothly, but as a result, he doesn't register that his newfound recognition and identity relies almost solely on the Brotherhood. His obliviousness seems a little concerning since the Brotherhood may not always be on his side. The narrator is so oblivious and caught up in his job that he doesn't even realize that he's selling part of his identity—his past—for it. Even if the narrator does feel genuine and enjoy his new identi...

    Despite Brockway and Bledsoe's stark surface-level differences in Invisible Man , they share many deeper qualities that affect the narrator in similar ways . Bledsoe's expelling the narrator the way he did was a complete shock to the narrator's prior perception of him as an authority, and Brockway completely undermines the narrator's perspective of what an authority figure should look like. In these regards, both Bledsoe and Brockway contribute to major developments in the narrator's critical consciousness, values, and assumptions.     Brockway is the exact opposite of anything the narrator has known or expects from an authority figure. From the narrator's view, Bledsoe is the quintessential embodiment of an authority figure—respectful and humble while still maintaining an unquestionable air of power surrounding him. Even when his "mask" of humility is lifted upon becoming angry with the narrator, the narrator still respects him for how he plays th...

    As Bigger Thomas's situation intensifies throughout Native Son , he becomes used as evidence for other characters to promote their perspectives. In particular, Bigger is used by both Buckley and Max in strikingly different ways during the trial to advocate for their contrasting racial and economic opinions.        The most clear of these situations is Buckley's use of Bigger to further demean the African American race. Buckley argues for Bigger's death sentence and in doing so, he fails to acknowledge the fact that Bigger's situation (and that of many other African Americans in similar positions) wasn't entirely his fault and rather a product of the racial environment. As a result, nothing gets done about trying to uproot the systemic injustices shaping the racial divide and the black population is further subjugated.      In contrast, Max uses Bigger to protest the underlying systemic injustices that put Bigger in the sit...

     Throughout Sag Harbor , we see Benji striving to grow up at the same pace as his peers but at the same time, he always seems to be trying to hold onto his past. From the first chapter, it's clear that Benji outwardly aspires to reinvent himself as "Ben", a cool and confident kid who's up to date with trends. However, he also seems like he's just a kid at his core, insisting on riding his too-small bicycle and sticking to other old traditions. His relationship with Reggie also reflects his "kid at heart" perspective since at the beginning, he still sticks to Reggie somewhat but separates from him as he matures and learns throughout the summer. The way he sticks to tradition and doesn't stray outside of his comfort zone at this point makes me think he doesn't actually seem ready to grow up.     Sag Harbor itself may be part of the reason why Benji finds it hard to make bolder moves to come of age. He sees Sag as the setting of many childhood m...

      Hugo and Holly Deblin are two of the characters in Black Swan Green who seem like they couldn't be more different, but both help shape Jason into who he becomes by the end of the novel. Despite their clearly contrasting personalities, Hugo and Holly also have similarities underlying their differences that help Jason figure out what type of person he wants to be.      The most obvious similarity I noticed between Hugo and Holly is that they both seem eager to act as "mentors" to Jason and give him advice on growing up. Hugo and Holly both appear at points in the novel where Jason seems particularly insecure about himself, and both jump in to help. Beyond that, however, the similarities between Hugo and Holly largely end. Hugo and Holly both enter Jason's situation as friends but Hugo does so with selfish purposes in mind, whereas Holly is genuinely curious and concerned for Jason's well-being amidst getting bullied. These intentions are evident ...