Identity In American Culture

John Adams once said that, “facts are stubborn things.” The same can be said for the idea of identity. According to Dictionary.com, identity is defined as “the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; individuality.” The idea of identity is present in works of literature such as, John Adams, Catcher in the Rye, and “Looking for Work.” In American culture, people define their identity by whom they do and do not get along with, and who accepts them.

Acceptance by a group is an important component of identity in American culture. In Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist and narrator, Holden Caulfield is telling us a story of a two-day period during last December. Throughout the novel Holden is struggling with the idea of acceptance. Holden wishes to gain acceptance from those who represent innocence, and a childhood friend, Jane Gallagher happens to be one of those people. In the beginning of the novel, Holden tells us the story of Jane Gallagher and how they use to play checkers. Jane lived next door to him all summer long in Maine. Holden really adores Jane because he is able to comfortably talk with and is able to confide in her. Also, she is the only non-family member he has shown

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One can see that they are in a deep, passionate love, and that the love makes an immeasurable impact on Adams’ identity. The picture Soto receives from shows like Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best, is a happy, quiet, middle class family that always dresses and acts appropriately during dinner. Morrow, the mother of another Pency Prep student, Ernest Morrow, on the train he immediately lies to her about her son. He really thinks that Ernest is, “doubtless the biggest bastard that ever went to Pency…That guy Morrow was about as sensitive as a toilet seat” (Salinger 54-55). He wants acceptance from the white people because he does not like being an outcast. The main influence in Adams’ identity is his intelligent and lively wife, Abigail Adams. Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin’s illegitimate son verbally attack Adams by saying that he should resign, and that he is a horrible president.

Soto’s desires have so little impact on his family because his family is Mexican, and they have accepted and embraced their identity. He attempts to create an identity that does not resemble that of his peers. Soto asks his mother, “’…do you think we could get dressed up for dinner one of these days?’ ‘Ay, Dios,’ my mother laughed” (Soto 44). In order to gain this image of the perfect family, Soto asks his family to dress up for dinner, and he goes looking for work. Jefferson, among others, often compared Adams to the great orators of ancient Greece by saying that, “he moved his hearers from their seats” (McCullough 650). Soto’s reason for trying to gain the image of the “perfect family” is because he wanted acceptance from the white people.

Approximate Word count = 1477
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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