The statement “I am…” can be answered in various ways dependent on the person. Some people may use terms to represent the things they have experienced in the past that have affected them, whether it be positive or negative. Others may use words to express significant items, literal or figurative, that have changed their lives. Three texts that we have read, “Borders” by Thomas King, “Indian Education” by Sherman Alexie, and “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, all have characters who are changed by some item or event from their lives. All these characters have different “I am...” statements that, ultimately, create their self-definition, “the definition of one’s identity, character, abilities, and attitudes by oneself.”
The “I am...” …show more content…
Some examples of the statements include “I am superstitious” for Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, “I am fearful” for Ted Lavender, “I am germophobic” for Dave Jensen, or “I am the caregiver” the Rat Kiley. Each of these men carried something that essentially made up who they are. Cross carried a tiny stone, found by Martha, that did not weigh more than an ounce and “was a milky white color with flecks of orange and violet, oval-shaped, like a miniature egg” (O’Brien 1135). The stone became Cross’s good luck after Martha’s letter said that “she had found the pebble on the Jersey shoreline, precisely where the land touched water at high tide, where things came together but also separated” (O’Brien 1135). Lavender’s item is the tranquilizers he carried to help him with his anxiety. Throughout the story we see Lavender pop some of his anti-anxiety medications, even during times when the environment was calm. Jensen, the germophobe, carried around a toothbrush, dental floss, hotel-sized bars of soap, and multiple pairs of socks. To Jensen, these items were important to him because they kept him clean. Rat Kiley carried morphine, plasma, surgical tape and brandy. An intangible item Kiley carried was his medical knowledge. Kiley was a medic and he was a caregiver when the others were injured. The items he
The “I am...” …show more content…
Some examples of the statements include “I am superstitious” for Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, “I am fearful” for Ted Lavender, “I am germophobic” for Dave Jensen, or “I am the caregiver” the Rat Kiley. Each of these men carried something that essentially made up who they are. Cross carried a tiny stone, found by Martha, that did not weigh more than an ounce and “was a milky white color with flecks of orange and violet, oval-shaped, like a miniature egg” (O’Brien 1135). The stone became Cross’s good luck after Martha’s letter said that “she had found the pebble on the Jersey shoreline, precisely where the land touched water at high tide, where things came together but also separated” (O’Brien 1135). Lavender’s item is the tranquilizers he carried to help him with his anxiety. Throughout the story we see Lavender pop some of his anti-anxiety medications, even during times when the environment was calm. Jensen, the germophobe, carried around a toothbrush, dental floss, hotel-sized bars of soap, and multiple pairs of socks. To Jensen, these items were important to him because they kept him clean. Rat Kiley carried morphine, plasma, surgical tape and brandy. An intangible item Kiley carried was his medical knowledge. Kiley was a medic and he was a caregiver when the others were injured. The items he