Language And Identity Analysis

Language and Identity Language and Identity have a way of representing each other. It can be difficult to have one without the other, for example in Naylor and Gates articles both show examples of how Language and Identity go hand and hand. When they are both involved in situations of discrimination, language against Gate’s father and Naylor was not representing who they were. When identity is challenged by language it is important for someone to know who they are so they don’t start to think of themselves in the negative ways people that don’t know them think. Each individual is special. Naylor’s “The meaning of the word” Gives an interesting take on how language and identity go hand and hand. She tells about her story of the first time

As a young boy he went to Cut-rate Drug Store, a place where no people of color were welcome yet they were. Gates sits down with his father and ate some ice cream when Mr. Wilson Gates father’s boss said to “Hello George” to Gates father. Gates didn’t understand, Gates said loudly why Mr. Wilson had just called him “George” that wasn’t his father’s name. Why would Mr. Wilson call him that? He asked his father to tell him his name, his father sat there silently. Gates asked him again to tell him his name and Gates father said “He knows my name boy”...”He calls all colored people George.” Pg. 378 Instead of staying upset Henry Gates Jr. the preeminent African American of all time writes “Nobody hits better in clutch than Jackie Robinson.” pg.

Categorizing Gate’s father takes away his uniqueness and doesn’t show Gates father as an individual. Gate’s father was respected, but not enough to call him by his name. Identity starts with a name someone can explain exactly who someone is by being as specific as “Gates” saying “that author” doesn’t tell us who it is, which is why it’s important to call someone by their name. Showing that they are their own person that isn’t apart of a giant category that can’t be pinned down to just that one individual. Instead of staying upset, Gates shows that he won’t let Mr. Wilson get to him by talking about how amazing Jackie Robinson was. Naylor and Gates both show themselves as very strong independent people that know who they are by not being upset when someone puts them down. Language and Identity can not represent who you are if it is not who you are. Everyone is unique and it all starts with our names. Something given to us that is eternal, no matter what you do or even if you change your name, the name you were given is something that will always be there from the beginning stages of you becoming who you are. Calling someone a bad name of just a name that simply isn’t theirs degrades them and doesn’t show their true self. Which is why language and identity go hand and