In this profile article “Finding His Place, Reluctantly, in the Tribe of Judaism”, Steve Erlanger writes about Philippe Sands, a Jewish lawyer whose history he did not fully understand because his parents always avoided the subject. This lack of knowledge always gave him a sense of insecurity. He then began to do his research about the horrible history of his ancestors and the many ways in which they were suppressed.
The angle of the story was to understand the importance of an individual’s personal identity, separated from the association others give us with a larger group.
In terms of the way the profile article was written, I believe the author was very effective giving us a brief summary of Sand’s life. Erlanger not only described who his parents and grandparents were but, he also connected it to the angle of the story. He also gave us a few details about his personal life. In several occasions the author quoted Sands and described his physical reactions as Sands spoke. This gave the profile article a more intimate feel and more color.