Misha's Identity In Milkweed By Jerry Spinelli

In the novel Milkweed, written by Jerry Spinelli, Misha struggles to realize who he is, where he comes from, but does he really need to know his past? Misha spends lots of time obsessing over who he is, and he is overjoyed when Uri, his guardian angel, gives him a name. Misha. Finally, he has an identity, but soon Misha is just another face in the bustling ghetto. He is no longer a gypsy. No longer an individual. During his life, Misha discovers through experiences the importance of his identity, the value of family and he learns the skills that he will need to survive. Misha Pilsudski begins as an orphan with no name. He calls himself “Stopthief”, due to the fact that this was the only thing he ever heard people yell at him. Misha was alone on the streets, struggling to survive. When he finds a family, and is given an identity, he feels that life is complete. His first family was the orphans, specifically the leader named Uri,who invented a story for him, and where he came from. Uri, one member of his adopted family …show more content…
Eventually, he is annoyed with this and decides that he will start to eliminate parts of him that Janina copies, like taunting Buffo. This shows that he can also be rude to his family. Misha was mean to Janina when he told her not to come steal food with him anymore. Here, it shows that Misha did not completely understand the idea of having a family.
In the dirty ghetto, Misha has to recreate himself and he is able to do this because he is so naive. His friend and protector, Uri, teaches him to take only what he needs. Misha learns that to not get caught he must be fast, and always run. This helps him get away countless times with food that he has stolen. Misha is also selfless, in giving food to Dr. Korczak’s orphans, and to the Milgrom family. He is always looking out for other people. Misha learns many valuable skills in the ghetto that he will use for the rest of his