Identity In Lubrano's At Night At Home

After carefully reading the well-written pieces on identity, I believe the main subject is the change of identity. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the word identity is, “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” Along the way, individuals experience setbacks with the disconnection of themselves and others. For example, in Alfred Lubrano’s piece of writing, he explains his personal struggle between balancing college education and family. “At night at home, the difference in the Columbia experiences my father and I were having was becoming more evident. The family still came together for dinner, despite our disparate days” (532-33). Throughout the reading, Lubrano offers a reflection on the personal disruptions in moving out of the working class into a new middle-class family. To address the issue of identity, one must ask the question, “How does the idea of normal

In a similar manner, author Kevin Jennings reflects on the soul-searching journey of determining his true gender identity. Jennings was brought up as a Southern Baptist and was taught that “gay people were twisted perverts destined for a lifetime of eternal damnation.” At the young age of six, Jennings recognized his sexual orientation and felt he needed to hide his differences in an effort to maintain the idea of “normal” identity. This trend of being “normal” followed Kevin Jennings throughout his high school years. According to Jennings, “I pursued what I thought was “normal” with a vengeance in high school, determined that, if the spirit was weak, the flesh would be more willing at the prospect of heterosexuality” (522). As noted by one source, (StageofLife.com), “63% of teens say they know who they are while 37% do not know their identity yet.” I can say without hesitation that people are searching for their “normal” identity, struggling to come to terms with the immense expectation of society’s