Abandoning His True Identity
“Unless we base our sense of identity upon the truth of who we are, it is impossible to attain true happiness”-- Brenda Shoshanna
In the novel Old School by Tobias Wolff, the narrator conceals his genuine identity to blend in with his peers, who are all from notable, wealthy backgrounds. Consequently, he refrains from associating himself with the group he originally belongs to. For his perception and consciousness of how others might think of him, he engages himself in self-deception. His avoidance to relate the truth to Gershon hints at the anguish he has about how others will treat him if the truth is revealed. Although the narrator may be suffering internally, he is someone who gives up his own identity for the sake of his outer appearance and status.
To begin with, the narrator judges people based on their friends and the surrounding environment. When he was summoned by Dean Makespace for his injudicious misbehavior towards Gershon, he says, “I hadn’t met Dean Makespace yet but I knew who he was: he was Ernest Hemingway’s friend”(18). Even though the narrator has never met the Dean before, he still knows that the Dean is a …show more content…
For he cares much about personal connections, he does not affiliate himself with Gershon, who is one of the handymen who lives in “the basement” of Holmes. The narrator clearly separates himself from Gershon when he says, “I’d let Gershon think the worst of me before I would claim any connection him, or implicate myself in the fate that had beached him in this room”(23), and he also refers Jewish as an “unlucky tribe.” Instead, the narrator endeavors to be linked with people that would make his status stronger. Despite many characteristics that can shape a person’s status, the narrator cares a lot about who he wants to be linked with because he thinks it is what determines his
“Unless we base our sense of identity upon the truth of who we are, it is impossible to attain true happiness”-- Brenda Shoshanna
In the novel Old School by Tobias Wolff, the narrator conceals his genuine identity to blend in with his peers, who are all from notable, wealthy backgrounds. Consequently, he refrains from associating himself with the group he originally belongs to. For his perception and consciousness of how others might think of him, he engages himself in self-deception. His avoidance to relate the truth to Gershon hints at the anguish he has about how others will treat him if the truth is revealed. Although the narrator may be suffering internally, he is someone who gives up his own identity for the sake of his outer appearance and status.
To begin with, the narrator judges people based on their friends and the surrounding environment. When he was summoned by Dean Makespace for his injudicious misbehavior towards Gershon, he says, “I hadn’t met Dean Makespace yet but I knew who he was: he was Ernest Hemingway’s friend”(18). Even though the narrator has never met the Dean before, he still knows that the Dean is a …show more content…
For he cares much about personal connections, he does not affiliate himself with Gershon, who is one of the handymen who lives in “the basement” of Holmes. The narrator clearly separates himself from Gershon when he says, “I’d let Gershon think the worst of me before I would claim any connection him, or implicate myself in the fate that had beached him in this room”(23), and he also refers Jewish as an “unlucky tribe.” Instead, the narrator endeavors to be linked with people that would make his status stronger. Despite many characteristics that can shape a person’s status, the narrator cares a lot about who he wants to be linked with because he thinks it is what determines his