Audre Lorde's Identity

After reading Audre Lorde’s biomythography, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, I discovered that although Lorde and I have incredibly diverse coming of age experiences, we share similar concerns about ourselves and realizations about the authority we have as individuals to make choices in society. For example, as Lorde enters into early adulthood and finally determines her identity in society, she begins to view life through a pragmatic lens, rather than an idealistic one. Similarly, as I enter into adulthood, I acknowledge that innocence influences my perception of life and determine that my identity is not how I perceive it. Overall after reflecting on Lorde’s and my experiences, I concluded that the text not only connects our experiences, but it also enhances my worldview and helps me …show more content…
For instance, Lorde writes, “Being noticed, and accepted without being known, gave me a social contour and surety as I moved through the city sightseeing, and I felt bold and adventurous and special” (154). I encountered that same adventurous spirit when I changed my major to an English major during my freshman year of college. For example, I felt the experiences I had at college gave me the permission and the power to make choices about my identity, just as Lorde felt in Mexico City. The decision to change my major made me trust that I could make decisions about what was right and wrong in the world around me because I began studying a subject that regards almost all voices empathetically. As Lorde and I are both empowered by our experiences, we find we should have the same privileges as everyone else, even though the world may not feel the same way. Lorde grows in her understanding of her empowerment throughout the text, especially when she is discriminated against, just as I feel that I am growing in that capacity in my