“This story of the loss and regaining of identity is, I think, the framework of all literature.” — Northrop Frye, The Educated Imagination
The quest for identity or suffering an identity crisis or identity loss are recurring patterns of plot in literature, tv shows, and movies. This recurring pattern is called an archetype. You will learn more about archetypes in Unit 6. This is a popular archetype because it is extremely relatable as we all want to know who we are and what makes us unique. We would like to have some direction in our life and know where we are going. We want the answers to the questions…
“Who am I?” “Where do I fit in?” “Will other people accept me?”
Your sense of identity has to do with who you think you are and how you perceive yourself. It has to do with your sense of self worth and self esteem. Discovering and developing our personal and cultural identity means we need to recognize…
1. Relationships and cultural contexts
2. Personal values and choice
3. Personal strengths and abilities
However, there are often times in life where we don’t see our value or understand where we fit in. This is called an identity crisis. An identity crisis is “a period of uncertainty and confusion in which a person’s sense of identity becomes insecure, typically due to a change in their expected aims or role in society.” So, in order to regain our self worth, we undergo a quest for identity and self-discovery. Characters in films often go through an identity crisis when they experience a trauma or change in their lives. They struggle to regain a sense of themselves and so run the gamut of a number of experiences as they attempt to come to terms with who they are. This process is often the plot of an entire movie.
Task:
Find a character in a film who is experiencing an identity crisis. In a 200-300 word response, show how this quest for identity drives the plot of the film. Discuss how and why the character struggles with identity and sense of belonging. What happened to make the character question themselves? Discuss how that character is able to overcome or not, this loss of identity on the road to self-discovery. Is the crisis resolved in the movie? Is the resolution realistic?
