“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” says Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, explaining that names cannot change a person’s identity. The War of the Wall by Toni Cade Bambara also discusses the idea of identity, introducing that not only people, but communities can have identities. In addition, The War of the Wall points out that people and communities may have different identities, but they can also have things in common. A personal essay about identity, Names/Nombres by Julia Alvarez, examines the idea that people can have many nicknames, many identities with different people, but still be the same person. Both of these writings demonstrate the idea that identities from different points of view are what makes one who one is.
The War of the Wall by Toni Cade Bambara proves that not only people, but communities and cultures can also have identities. “…this wall belongs to the kids of Taliaferro Street,” says Lou, one of Bambara’s main characters. Bambara then goes on to describe what the wall is to the community, proving that something as simple as a single, all purpose wall can become an important part of a community’s identity. In addition, a …show more content…
For example, when the Alvarez family first immigrated, the Americans morphed “Alvarez” into many different names, such as “Elbures” or “Alburest”. In addition, Hoo-lee-tah, as her name is pronounced in Spanish, goes by different names depending on who she is with. “Friends called me Jules or Hey Jude, and once a group of troublemaking friends my mother forbade me to hang out with called me Alcatraz. I was Hoo-lee-tah only to Mami and Papi…” says Alvarez when describing how her name changed as she blended with different groups. The changes made to Julia’s name develop the idea that as people blend with a culture, their identity
The War of the Wall by Toni Cade Bambara proves that not only people, but communities and cultures can also have identities. “…this wall belongs to the kids of Taliaferro Street,” says Lou, one of Bambara’s main characters. Bambara then goes on to describe what the wall is to the community, proving that something as simple as a single, all purpose wall can become an important part of a community’s identity. In addition, a …show more content…
For example, when the Alvarez family first immigrated, the Americans morphed “Alvarez” into many different names, such as “Elbures” or “Alburest”. In addition, Hoo-lee-tah, as her name is pronounced in Spanish, goes by different names depending on who she is with. “Friends called me Jules or Hey Jude, and once a group of troublemaking friends my mother forbade me to hang out with called me Alcatraz. I was Hoo-lee-tah only to Mami and Papi…” says Alvarez when describing how her name changed as she blended with different groups. The changes made to Julia’s name develop the idea that as people blend with a culture, their identity