The Influence Of Identity In Jerry Spinelli's Milkweed

704 Words3 Pages
Someone 's identity defines who they are. There are no two identities that are the same., Everyone is unique in different ways. Finding oneself may take time and might not be exactly what you are expecting. In the novel “Milkweed” by Jerry Spinelli, the protagonist Jack assumes many identities but ultimately does not know who he is. Jack is a young orphan living in Warsaw, Poland when World War II broke out. He is affected by the events around him. Jack’s experiences during the war lead to his personal growth and self-identity. At first, Jack’s firsts gains a sense of identity on the streets of Warsaw. He is running away from something and runs into Uri. Uri takes him to his friends, who then name him later. Stopthief is first real identity. Technically, his name is identity. He has no memories, no family, does not anything about his ethnicity/religion. Stopthief is a five-year-old boy who only thinks about himself and does not know where is next destination is. His identity makes him feels like he is a part of a group. The group makes feels Stopthief that he belongs in a group and does not feel like he is alone in the world. Identity in World War II was an essential part of why Hitler chose a particular type of person to kill off. Someone’s identity singles them out and causes them to be hurt since they are different from the Aryans. Now, people are celebrated for their different identities and not killed for it. After Stopthief, Jack had his second identity, Misha