G+DTC Analytical Essay

Subject: G+DTC Analytical Essay Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:01 pm

What I have so far:

Walter Mack
1/10/10
1st period

The Importance of Identity

Is an identity as vital to life as one’s brain or heart? That is the question Libertad from Escandon’s Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Company has to figure out for herself. Identity is also a theme throughout Jones’ Our America and in Whitman’s I hear America Singing. These pieces will show that for those who know who they are, life is meaningful, and for those who do not, confusion is all they’ve got. Doing everything her father has told her to all her life, Libertad must figure out what she really wants when she gets a few days of freedom after her father stepped out. She recklessly makes a mistake and as a result, she later ends up in jail. However, it is in jail where she figures out who she is and grows as a person, while LeAlan Jones from Our America doesn’t grow because he is stuck in a cage where he can’t be who he wants to be. People will always go through life lost and confused until they’ve developed a sense of identity and know who they are.
Though Libertad’s father meant the best, making every decision for his daughter due to his extreme paranoia after his run in with the Mexican army has caused Libertad to feel trapped. Clearly bothered, she thinks to herself: “I was the daughter. The one with no name. In these words lay my very identity. Was I anything without my father? No, I was not.” (Escandon, 156). Libertad is lost because she feels like her identity is always defined by her father. She’s living and breathing, an individual, but every detail of her life, even down to her very own identity is shaped by her father. This is bad because Libertad ends up doing a lot of things without thinking just for the sake of rebelling and to prove she was her own person. A good example of this was going off with a guy she barely knew. It could have gone horribly wrong. Not exactly in the same situation, but nevertheless feeling the same type of confinement, LeAlan also feels that his identity has been forced upon him, and while there’s another path to a different identity, a different life, he is confined to the one that’s been forced upon him because of his color. As he bitterly puts it, “I’ve never felt American, I’ve only felt African-American” (Jones). It’s extremely hard for LeAlan because he, like Libertad knows there is a life outside of the one he is living in, but he just can’t get to it. It is seemingly out of reach. When a person has two options, but they don’t get the liberty of picking the road, they feel encaged.
When you let others define who you are, you can’t always see a purpose in life because it’s not necessarily the identity you’d like. Escandon’s novel demonstrates that idea when Libertad’s father, surprised by what Libertad thought to be an innocent question (“When will I sleep with men on the road?”), angrily asks his daughter “What are you? A whore?” (Escandon, 161). Libertad was confused by this, because all her life she did whatever her dad did. She looked up to him, despite the fact that the one thing keeping her from a “normal life” was his father. Since her father slept with lot lizards pretty often, she thought it was natural that she slept with guys.
If she was not supposed to do what her father does, what exactly was she supposed to be doing? This was what Libertad was puzzled by. LeAlan is also questioning his existence: “Why am I alive? What is my purpose?”(Jones). LeAlan can not do what he wants because of his color and where he lives. He knows there is a life out there different than his own, but he can not reach it. Without a self-made identity, life is valueless.
Once that identity is found, there is a sense of purpose, of belonging, and with that purpose comes a newfound confidence. “My Mudflap girl!…I go by Libertad now”(Escandon, 283). Libertad was able to figure out who she was in prison. Her father made decisions for her all her life, but in prison she fnally felt like she belonged. Whether the name she introduced herself as to her fellow inmates was her original name or not we don’t know, but one thing is for sure. The new Libertad is definitely more confident. Now that she knows who she is, she is like the people in Whitman‘s poem, singing her very own song. “I hear America singing, the caried carols I hear…as it should be blithe and strong” (Whitman). All these people described in the poem are “singing” strongly because they know their roles. With purpose comes a certain strength.
Exactly how important is one’s identity? If Libertad never figured out who she was, it would not have been possible for her to make up with her father. If she did manage somehow, to make up without figuring out her identity, they would have fallen down the same road again, a rebellious daughter and an angry father. Libertad may have only existed in a book, but her situation was very real. Without our identities, we’re a mere shell of a person, maybe even a robot. Our identity is something we have to figure out for ourselves. No one else can tell us who we are, or what we stand for. For some of us, our identity may come to us rather early on in life, but for others, like Libertad, it can take many years. Sadly, for some, they never get to figure out who they are, and it is those people who are the ones that are lost in life. However, because she was able to figure out who she was before it was too late, Libertad was able to answer the very important question, “Why am I alive? What is my purpose?” Once she answered that question, she found meaning in life again, as opposed to wanting to stay behind prison walls for as long as she could and feeling sorry for herself. Identity is vital to life.

Subject: Re: G+DTC Analytical Essay Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:27 pm

Is an identity as vital to life as one’s brain or heart? That is the question Libertad from Escandon’s Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Company has to figure out for herself. Identity is also a theme throughout Jones’ Our America and in Whitman’s I hear America Singing. These pieces will show that for those who know who they are, life is meaningful, and for those who do not, confusion is all they've (remember natalie said that it should be formal righting? "they have got or all they have) got. Doing everything her father has told her to ? all her life, Libertad must figure out what she really wants when she gets a few days of freedom after her father stepped out. She recklessly makes a mistake and as a result, she later ends up in jail. However, it is in jail where she figures out who she is and grows as a person, while LeAlan Jones from Our America doesn’t (does not) grow because he is stuck in a cage where he can’t (can not) be who he wants to be. People will always go through life lost and confused until they’ve developed a sense of identity and know who they are.

Though Libertad’s father meant the best, making every decision for his daughter due to his extreme paranoia after his run in with the Mexican army has caused Libertad to feel trapped. Clearly bothered, she thinks to herself: “I was the daughter. The one with no name. In these words lay my very identity. Was I anything without my father? No, I was not.” (Escandon, 156). Libertad is lost because she feels like her identity is always defined by her father. She’s living and breathing, an individual, but every detail of her life, even down to her very own identity is shaped by her father. This is bad because Libertad ends up doing a lot of things without thinking just for the sake of rebelling and to prove she was her own person. A good example of this was going off with a guy she barely knew. It could have gone horribly wrong. Not exactly in the same situation, but nevertheless feeling the same type of confinement, LeAlan also feels that his identity has been forced upon him, and while there’s another path to a different identity, a different life, he is confined to the one that’s been forced upon him because of his color. As he bitterly puts it, “I’ve never felt American, I’ve only felt African-American” (Jones). It’s extremely hard for LeAlan because he, like Libertad knows there is a life outside of the one he is living in, but he just can’t get to it. It is seemingly out of reach. When a person has two options, but they don’t get the liberty of picking the road, they feel encaged. (Ok I got an idea her, you bearly mention the type of life LeAlan has....If you wana make it longer talk about the struggles. An example, he was confied in a sterotype lifestyle. Verbaly instuls and stuff like that.)

When you let others define who you are, you can’t always see a purpose in life because it’s not necessarily the identity you’d (you would) like. Escandon’s novel demonstrates that idea when Libertad’s father, surprised by what Libertad thought to be an innocent question (“When will I sleep with men on the road?”), angrily asks his daughter “What are you? A whore?” (Escandon, 161). Libertad was confused by this, because all her life she did whatever her dad did. She looked up to him, despite the fact that the one thing keeping her from a “normal life” was his (her) father. Since her father slept with lot lizards pretty often, she thought it was natural that she slept with guys. If she was not supposed to do what her father does, what exactly was she supposed to be doing? This was what Libertad was puzzled by. LeAlan is also questioning his existence: “Why am I alive? What is my purpose?”(Jones). LeAlan can not do what he wants because of his color and where he lives. He knows there is a life out there different than his own, but he can not reach it. Without a self-made identity, life is valueless. (Omg this was really good. I dont think there is much to add here)

Once that identity is found, there is a sense of purpose, of belonging, and with that purpose comes a newfound confidence. “My Mudflap girl!…I go by Libertad now”(Escandon, 283). Libertad was able to figure out who she was in prison. Her father made decisions for her all her life, but in prison she fnally felt like she belonged. Whether the name she introduced herself as to her fellow inmates was her original name or not, we don’t know, but one thing is for sure. The new Libertad is definitely more confident. Now that she knows who she is, she is like the people in Whitman‘s poem, singing her very own song. “I hear America singing, the caried carols I hear…as it should be blithe and strong” (Whitman). All these people described in the poem are “singing” strongly because they know their roles. With purpose comes a certain strength. (Ok when you say L. was able to figure out who she was... I think you should say more about that. Why do YOU think she finally found her I.D in prison besides taking her own decisions? e.g. she had to figure out how she had to interact with different people since the only person she ineracted before was her father)

Exactly how important is one’s identity? If Libertad never figured out who she was, it would not have been possible for her to make up with her father. If she did manage somehow, to make up without figuring out her identity, they would have fallen down the same road again, a rebellious daughter and an angry father. Libertad may have only existed in a book, but her situation was very real. Without our identities, we’re (we are) a mere shell of a person, maybe even a robot. Our identity is something we have to figure out for ourselves. No one else can tell us who we are, or what we stand for. For some of us, our identity may come to us rather early on in life, but for others, like Libertad, it can take many years. Sadly, for some, they never get to figure out who they are, and it is those people who are the ones that are lost in life. However, because she was able to figure out who she was before it was too late, Libertad was able to answer the very important question, “Why am I alive? What is my purpose?” Once she answered that question, she found meaning in life again, as opposed to wanting to stay behind prison walls for as long as she could and feeling sorry for herself. Identity is vital to life.

Good ending. I love it! You have a really good paper. I see why it was hard to make it a bit longer. But ya I hope it helped. And just make sure to use "formal" writing. Go over the "Do It" your self work sheet natalie gave us!

Subject: Re: G+DTC Analytical Essay Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:51 pm

Wow Kennia Very Happy

thaks so much for offering to proofread it! You're really good at catching those abbreviation things. (can't, don't, etc.) I thought I got 'em all haha.

And thanks a lot for the input on the part about explaining LeAlan's trouble. That added a big chuck to my essay Smile

Once again, thanks!

-Walter

Subject: Re: G+DTC Analytical Essay Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:18 am

Happy to help! your welcome!

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