Prompt: Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves?
The assumption that people are born with or given identities is a categorical falsehood. Although many advocates of the notion that identities are predestined would argue that circumstances and upbringings define a person, these critics are too dogmatic in their provincial ideology. It is not the world that shapes the individual’s identity, but the individual who shapes their identity. Three prominent examples that exemplify how an individual is the creator of their identity are Edmund Dantes from the Count of Monte Cristo, Andrew Jackson, and Steve Jobs.
Set in the middle part of the 19th century, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas illustrates how an individual can fabricate their own identitty with the main character and Byronic hero, Edmund Dantes. Framed and consequently imprisoned for life, Edmund decides to create multiple identities and personas to wrought his revenge upon his assailants who framed him for a crime that he is not responsible for. After reviewing new riches following his escape from prison, Edmund Dantes became the Count of Monte Cristo, which to him, was reaching a higher level than any other human. He believe that his new identity commensurated himself to God. Edmund’s rebirth into the Count reiterates the truth that individuals have the puissance to create their identity at their will.
Another paradigm that prominently displays an individual’s power to create their own identity, regardless of their upbringing, is Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson, also known as “Old Hickory”, which was a nickname given to him that refers to his humble countryside childhood, appealed to voters through the appeal of his Southern identity. Throughout his presidency, his revolutionary changes in electoral rules and campaign styles were making his political ethos more democratic. By becoming a leader of democracy and creating his own identity as a proud Southerner, his presidency came to be known as the age of Jacksonian Democracy.
Yet another archetype of a person’s ability to paint their own identity is Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs grew the world’s most powerful company, Apple, with a clear vision of what kind of company he wanted it to be. As the master for projecting the identity of Apple, he began to project an identity for himself. He, and he alone was responsible for the projection of Apple’s core values. By becoming the face of Apple, the world’s most influential company, Steve Jobs created a name for himself as the world’s most influential man.
In summation, the notion that a world molds a person into who they are is a fallacy. Anybody can create a name or legacy for themselves, fueled by their own will, regardless of their circumstances.
