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| I Passed for White, directed by Fred M. Wilcox (1960) |
What’s the difference between hiding your “true identity” and “choosing” an identity for yourself? Why do you think someone might choose to “hide” their blackness? Consider the people you’ve grown up around: what other aspects of someone’s identity might they want to hide?
Movie Recommendation: The Human Stain (2003), directed by Robert Benton:
When you hide your "true identity", you make an attempt to keep a secret, to hide who you really are from others. When you "choose" an identity, you recreate yourself, take who you are and mold it into something you desire. When equality was not a completely accepted rule, I understand why someone would want to "hide" their blackness, so they could escape persecution and racism. Do I agree with the fact of changing who you are in anyway, no. But do I see the reason for this kind of choice during this time in history, yes. I think Lillian's situation was one of desperation, making this choice not right but an understandable path to take given the society she lived in.
ReplyDeleteChelsi Norris
I agree. That is a good way to put it. My family decided to disown their Indian heritage when everyone looked down on them. I understand why they did it at the time, but now it really hurts us. My family can't prove we are Indian and we don't get any of the benefits because my ancestors took their name off of the roll due to humility.
DeleteMorgan Hicks
A lot of people create an alter ego that they decide to use in dealings with certain groups or types of people, I for one am one of those people. For example, think of how many people you know who talk or act differently around their best friends, and then when they hang out with another group of people, they knowingly or unknowingly change the way they talk or act to match their environment, even down to minute details such as dialects and tones of voice? Man is a social creature, and to achieve maxiumum social acceptance, will change his ways to better fit in with the circumstances. Another example, how many people change how they act to get a job, and then revert back to their real selves as soon as they have what they want? I see this all the time, and it is almost always a false persona, a disguise to mask their true intents or ways.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said, however I think that acting differently around other people is different than "converting to Puerto Rican." We definitely change our actions and even personalities around different people. Like you said, man is a social creature. However, changing who we are, changing our foundation of being moves past adaptation and into transformation. Hiding our identity deflects the pain or negativity of a certain trait we dislike. Choosing an identity points to a more serious issue in which someone feels like they have to change the whole of who they are for some reason.
DeleteCaleb Savage
I agree with what Chelsi says and I think she worded the difference in hiding identity and choosing a new one. I also understand why Lillian would want to "hide" her blackness. Blacks were largely persecuted and discriminated against at this time. I think another aspect of someone's identity that they may want to hide would be racism or maybe even a religious view. For example, Living in Oklahoma which is considered in the "bible belt". If someone was an atheist, they may not believe in God, but they wouldn't go to school or other public events and talk against him. It would make since socially. This goes along with what Kruz stated, and i agree with him that people are social creatures and will mold their views to be better accepted in certain circumstances.
ReplyDelete