What defines a person, how does a person identify himself or herself? It is a question that Greek philosopher Socrates pondered and people today still seek an answer to. Does a person identify himself or herself with who they were in past, who they are now, or do they identify themselves with their profession, culture, religion, or hobby. In the books “Between the world and me” by Ta-nehisi Coates and “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi both authors are the main protagonists in their own books. Both authors grapple with issue whether they are choosing whom or how they identify or whether their environment is shaping their identity. The first book this paper will look at is the Ta-nehisi Coates “Between the world and me” and its relation to struggling with identity. …show more content…
Early in the book Coates discuss his time growing up in a rough neighborhood, his need to adapt to the lingo and what gestures were appropriate when and where. Describing his time growing up in West Baltimore Coates stated “Before I could discover, before I could escape, I had to survive and this could only mean a clash with the streets…you have some acquaintance with the old rules but they are not as essential to you as they were to me… a culture concerned chiefly with securing the body.”(Coates pg. 21 & 24) In this quote it shows how the streets was molding who was, his identity; by adapting to the environment Coates compromises his identity for the safety of his body. Specifically looking at the words “Before I could discover” (Coates pg. 21) this alludes to Coates relations at the “Mecca” or his college he later