mistrust, which starts around the age of infancy. (p. 185) This is seen when Sharon mentions her trust for her mother and her mistrust for her stepfather. As an infant she grew to have trust for her mother, as she was the primary caretaker, she even had trust for her stepfather until the incident happened. This stage in life can make or break you according to Erikson, it could be a safe place, or it could be full of accidents waiting to happen. The first stage can shape the rest of your life, because this stage continues to arise throughout all stages of an individual’s life, not just during infancy. (Santrock, p. 185) This stage leads to a virtue of hope, so if you are treated well, and cared for as an infant, then you begin to gain a sense of trust for those around you, and that trust can continue throughout your life, or something could happen that could ruin that trust as well. In Sharon’s case, her mother did not remarry until she was past this certain stage. Her stepfather was not around in the time of trust and mistrust, which could have played a large part in the way that Sharon looked at her …show more content…
This fifth stage is identity versus identity confusion, this is a time where a person explores different roles in their life and if they find it to be positive, then they achieve a positive identity. Santrock defines identity as a self-portrait composed of many pieces. This shows in Sharon’s adolescent years when she starts to join different school activities and helping more around the house. She is making a positive identity for herself. Having a positive identity to her was being involved and being surrounded by the ones she loves the most. She also made a positive identity for herself by surrounding herself with Christ centered people and activities. When it came to her identity, Sharon saw herself as a self-sufficient young woman. She described herself, as pretty on the outside, somewhat unsure on the inside, she was popular, funny, smart, and one of the slower ones to physically develop in high school. She had a strong work ethic, and had a gift for speaking and writing, especially when it came to the word of