Emily Dickinson
Dickinson’s poem, “My Life has Stood—a Loaded Gun,” focuses on the complicated nature of Personal identity, the internal battle for independence, and focusing on the power of the self. By comparing the self to a loaded gun, the poem highlights the potential and strength that lies within each individual. It symbolizes the exploration of the individual’s capabilities and their ability to shape their own identity.
Quote: “My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun—In Corners—till a DayThe Owner passed—identified—
And carried Me away—”
Virginia Woolf
Woolf’s essay “A Room of One’s Own,” focuses on the complex exploration of identity. She narrows her focus more on female identity within a male-dominated society. The essay is formed as an analysis of her thoughts while she walks across a college campus that invited her to speak with a group of young women. Her thoughts provoke both the importance of financial autonomy and personal space for women, as the writing encourages women to feed into their creative expressions and to figure out their individualities.
Quote: “Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”
James Baldwin
Baldwin’s essay “Notes of a Native Son,” focuses on the complex variations of racial identity, the quest for belonging, and the deep sense of alienation. Through experience, he expresses his personal encounters as an African American man in the United States, skillfully navigating the complexity of social expectations. While navigating racial tensions he was trying to make sense of the self.
Quote: “I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also, much more than that. So are we all.”
Doris Lessing
Lessing’s essay “The Old Chief Mashlanga,” focuses on the exploration of the structure of racial and colonial dynamics. Through the lens of a young girl, the narrative portrays an important transformation in her self-perception and understanding of the world around her. The writing sheds light on the major influence of colonialism on individual identity and the discovery of consciousness.
Quote: “I had never thought about it before, but now, for the first time, I felt the callous cruelty of the white people in our society.”
