Nimona Literary Essay
What we are, who we are, is constantly changing, resting on the wings of our circumstance. If our identities are what we or others believe ourselves to be, then our identities, or perceived identities, are not set in stone from our very beginnings, as evidenced by the graphic novel Nimona. It can be observed through Ambrosius Goldenloin’s transitions within the Institution and Ballister Blackheart’s identity continually being shaped by his actions and relationships, all spurred on by mankind’s focus on “change” in order to make ourselves into the best version we possibly can be. Specifically for Ambrosius, the basis of his identity is to be the hero of the Institution, but as he transitions through the ranks …show more content…
One example of this is the idea that self compassion leads to self improvement. In a set of four experiments by the University of California, Berkeley, they concluded that, “taking an accepting approach to personal failure may make people more motivated to improve themselves,” and that is exactly what Ballister did (Breines and Chen 1). He saw his life as a lonely villain whose henchmen/sidekicks deserted him (Stevenson 83), and was constantly beaten by a rigged system, but when he reflected and came to terms with who he was, he was able to come out the other side as a conquering hero, destroying the civilians’ blind faith in the Institution (Stevenson 137). This is the heart of his change as a person, and his acceptance of himself and others made it possible for him to be the best version of himself. He changed over time, as do we all, meaning it is impossible for our identities to be determined in our earliest years. Plutarch once posed the question of Theseus’s ship, about how the identity of the ship, as it was replaced bit by bit completely over time, remained the same or changed (Cumming and Collier 4). That is what people do, changing themselves over time. They may be formed based on their original model, but are reimagined to be fit the times. Indeed, identities are not determined from a very young age but are realized to their extent as we
What we are, who we are, is constantly changing, resting on the wings of our circumstance. If our identities are what we or others believe ourselves to be, then our identities, or perceived identities, are not set in stone from our very beginnings, as evidenced by the graphic novel Nimona. It can be observed through Ambrosius Goldenloin’s transitions within the Institution and Ballister Blackheart’s identity continually being shaped by his actions and relationships, all spurred on by mankind’s focus on “change” in order to make ourselves into the best version we possibly can be. Specifically for Ambrosius, the basis of his identity is to be the hero of the Institution, but as he transitions through the ranks …show more content…
One example of this is the idea that self compassion leads to self improvement. In a set of four experiments by the University of California, Berkeley, they concluded that, “taking an accepting approach to personal failure may make people more motivated to improve themselves,” and that is exactly what Ballister did (Breines and Chen 1). He saw his life as a lonely villain whose henchmen/sidekicks deserted him (Stevenson 83), and was constantly beaten by a rigged system, but when he reflected and came to terms with who he was, he was able to come out the other side as a conquering hero, destroying the civilians’ blind faith in the Institution (Stevenson 137). This is the heart of his change as a person, and his acceptance of himself and others made it possible for him to be the best version of himself. He changed over time, as do we all, meaning it is impossible for our identities to be determined in our earliest years. Plutarch once posed the question of Theseus’s ship, about how the identity of the ship, as it was replaced bit by bit completely over time, remained the same or changed (Cumming and Collier 4). That is what people do, changing themselves over time. They may be formed based on their original model, but are reimagined to be fit the times. Indeed, identities are not determined from a very young age but are realized to their extent as we