There are seven billion people on the earth each yet each and every one of us have our own personal identity. We all possess different qualities that make us who we are. Our personal identity helps to determine our morals, core- values, self-esteem and behavior. If we did not have a sense of who we are, we would be nothing more than lost souls wandering the earth with no sense of purpose. For centuries, human societies have assigned certain roles, characteristic traits and expectations to women. These “assigned roles” and expectations have robbed women of the right to have a personal identity. Women have long been bound in the shackles of stereotypes strong enough to stunt their mental and emotional growth and to limit their abilities to reach their full potential. …show more content…
Authors and Poets often use symbols, imagery and metaphors to reflect one’s ongoing struggle to truly become free and discover who they really are. The well-known poem “A Work of Artifice” written by Marge Piercy, cleverly uses a bonsai tree as a symbol to express the importance of freedom and individualism and to represent the physiological conditioning that women have received. The Short story “A&P” by John Updike is a compelling story that presents the main idea of a young man’s struggle to attain a sense of identity. Updike uses three girl’s sense of non-conformity to convey Updike’s theme of finding