The Evolution of My Identity Markers

In searching for a common thread in all of the assigned essays, it's clear that the term "identity marker" is used to describe how a person's self interpretation defines them. There's an adage that says, "You never get a second choice to make a first impression." In forming a first impression of someone, what kinds of things do we observe?

One's first impression of Queen Latifah is that she is a strong woman. By her own report, she is a 'queen'. She notes that "a queen is a queen when riding high, and when clouded in disgrace, shame, or sorrow, she has dignity" (34). She credits her mother with making "the ground fertile for me to persevere, no matter what the obstacles, and to keep my head up" (35). In “Masks”, the author uses a metaphor comparing her self image to the estate in Dr. Zhivago when she states, "the splendor of the house was inextricably bound to the fact that it was ruined" (Grealy 69). To fit in at school, students "imitate each other, because the imitation speaks of their power... conformity is not a cop-out but a way of broadcasting the fact that you aren't a weirdo, that you are speaking the signs of the chosen ones" (White 18).

In the recent blog assignment, "What's in your wallet?" we noted how the contents of a wallet may or may not be an accurate reflection of its owner. In the same way that an old photo may not resemble what a person currently looks like, so do our identity markers change. I can relate to each of the above-noted identity markers. In my grade school years, I was ridiculed often because of my 'buck teeth'. Like Ms. Grealy, I too enjoyed hiding under masks at Halloween. At junior high school, the social hierarchy became abundantly apparent. I struggled to find my niche during those years. By the time I reached high school, I began to form definite ideas about who I was and who I wanted to become. My identity shifted to that of a stronger person, and I started setting goals which would carry me into early adulthood. Through the years, my identity markers continue to shift and evolve.