Essay two

Family plays a huge role in shaping a person’s identity. It starts with experiences while growing up that a person either agrees with or disagrees with that will shape a person’s identity. For example, if a child constantly sees his parent’s fighting, that child can either grow up to never want to fight in front of their children or can become distant and not even want to get in a relationship in fears of being like their parents. A person can also go to a certain college and have goals of being a doctor just because their father and grandfather did just that. That is another example of how family contributes to the characteristics of identity. Some things are not controllable for example a person’s I.Q. or body shape. Family genetics that are passed down also helps shape a person’s identity.

In the Joy’s of Reading and Writing this character experienced while growing up that he lived in poverty, in fear and that he, as an Indian boy, probably would not amount to anything. His father loved books and because he loved his father he wanted to like books as well. He became very smart, good reader and determined to be different.

His identity was definitely shaped by his family. He actually learned from his family in the sense that he didn’t want to be like them. He didn’t want to end up like them and he wanted to break the barrier of what was expected of a “typical Indian boy.” He wanted to be smart and achieve something in life. He didn’t want to have a minimum wage job like his parents. His father was the one that introduced him to books shall I say and because of that he became the person he is.

In the story, Shooting Dad Sarah’s father in particular was a Republican and an advocate for guns. He had strong beliefs and would stand up for what he believed in. He would not hold back just because someone else didn’t agree with his belief or way of thinking. Guns would lie around the house, around the kids like newspaper.

 Sarah’s identity was shaped by her family experience and just like the character in the Joy’s of Reading and Writing became somewhat opposite of her family. She was the opposite in the sense that she didn’t believe in the same political views and guns as her family. She grew up to not like guns at all and to be against the idea of having them lying around the house. However, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. She was actually like her father when it came to standing up for what she believed in and speaking her mind. Also, being passionate about projects and hobbies that she was into was another characteristic that was something that she took from her parents.

In the story Coming Again, his mother taught him how to cook. Although she wanted him to grow up and not be in the kitchen so much, the kitchen was the place where he felt comfortable. He watched his mother cook and found that was something he enjoyed as well. Just like the rest of the characters the experiences and actions that occurs around him, he learns from and applies to his life. For example, eating around the table with family was really important to them. That was the time for family bonding. He will then grow up and do the same with his children or not, either way his family initially shaped his personality.

 Personality is a result of the interaction with family and the environment that family has created. A person grows up to learn to be like family or learns from family. Whichever the case may be initially family shapes a person’s identity.