“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”(GeorgeR.R.M, Goodreads). Fighting for and discovering your personal identity can sometimes be very difficult, especially in a society where many different ethnicities are the norm. This contrast essay will primarily focus on the theme that has to do with naming ethnicities and the way this relates to a national identity through the work of Thomas King´s short story “Borders” and the novel Salt written by Earl Lovelace. Knowing your identity is important because it allows people to stand out as individuals, develop a sense of well-being and importance, and fit in
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If you do not want to lose your roots you have to stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe is right. In “Borders” the mother refuses to identify her citizenship as either American or Canadian. She insists that she is Blackfoot and will not give up the fight. Because she is so persistent, she and her son who is the main focalizer in the story, have to stay in between the border offices of America and Canada. The title “Borders” indicates two different types of borders. One border is the “real” border between USA and Canada and the other border is the hidden metaphoric one between a person's citizenship and identity. In the novel Salt, there are a few different ethnicities in Trinidad where they all live and coexist together and this was one of the main problems that Alford highlighted. He wanted to start a new identity for everyone. “Seeing ourselves afresh” (122) was the theme for his campaign. He wanted a future where people who had been thrown together would create a new world place (128). He was fighting for something more revolutionary and perhaps more complex than what it seemed, not realizing what a difficult task it was. Sometimes standing up and fighting for what you believe is right does not always work in your
If you do not want to lose your roots you have to stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe is right. In “Borders” the mother refuses to identify her citizenship as either American or Canadian. She insists that she is Blackfoot and will not give up the fight. Because she is so persistent, she and her son who is the main focalizer in the story, have to stay in between the border offices of America and Canada. The title “Borders” indicates two different types of borders. One border is the “real” border between USA and Canada and the other border is the hidden metaphoric one between a person's citizenship and identity. In the novel Salt, there are a few different ethnicities in Trinidad where they all live and coexist together and this was one of the main problems that Alford highlighted. He wanted to start a new identity for everyone. “Seeing ourselves afresh” (122) was the theme for his campaign. He wanted a future where people who had been thrown together would create a new world place (128). He was fighting for something more revolutionary and perhaps more complex than what it seemed, not realizing what a difficult task it was. Sometimes standing up and fighting for what you believe is right does not always work in your