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MarianaGarcia
ProfessorJonBeadle
English113B
April042016

SelfIdentityin
EveryDay
Selfidentityhelpsanindividualunderstandthemselvesbetter.Selfidentityincludes
gender,ethnicity,andwhatonedefinesthemselvesas.Inthenovel
EveryDay
byDavid
Levithan,theauthorcreatesacharacterthatwakesupinadifferentbodyonadailybasis.
Wakingupinanewbodymeanschanginggenders,ethnicity,beliefs/values,family,and
experiencingadifferentbackground.Littlebylittlethecharacterstartstowonderwhoheorshe
isandwhyhisorherlifeisthewayitis.Inordertomakelifelesscomplicated,thecharacter
nameshimorherselfA.Eventhough,Achangesbodieseverydayandfacesdifficultieswith
selfidentity,thecharactershowsgenderfluiditybybeingeasilyadaptabletonewformsandby
acceptingthepersonalfeelingstheyhaveinthebodies.
BeforethecharacterwentbythenameofA,thecharacterwouldjustgoalongnot
thinkingforhimorherself,butthebodyAwasin.Asmentionedpreviouslyselfidentitydoes
notjustincludeoneaspect,italsoincludesethnicity,beliefs/values,family,andbackground.
Therearetimeswhenanamehassomuchmeaningbehinditbecauseitrepresentswhereone
comesfromoritiscommoninthatculture.Adoesnothaveacommonlifewhereaparentor
guardianprovidetheirchildaname.SinceAdoesnotexactlycomprehendwhyhisorherlifeis
thewayitis,providinganameforhimorherselfwasimportantbecauseitcanhelpwithself

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identity.Adidnotchoseanamethatiseithermeanttobeformaleorfemale.Adidnotchosea
namethatispopularinacertainethnicity.Therefore,Ajustwantstofacetherealityheorshe
lives,buthaveaname.
Accordingtoanarticlecalled
SelfIdentityandCulture
,theauthorstalkabouthowones
realityandselfidentityplaysasignificantroleinlife.Inordertounderstandhowyoudevelop
yourselfidentity,youmustfirstunderstandhowyouarriveatyoursenseofrealityandlearn
aboutwhoyouarethroughcommunicativeprocess,(Jackson,Glenn,andWilliams).Asreality
ischangingbodiesandquestioningthepersonheorsheis.Asthoughtshelphimorhergetan
ideaofhisorherselfidentity.Asrealityisevenifheorshewishestostayinonebodyorhave
hisorherownbody,Acomprehendsthatthelifeheorsheexperiencesisinsideadifferentbody
everyday.AsaresultoftherealityAfaces,Alearnstocommunicatehavinghisorherown
mindofhowheorshefeels.
Inthenovel,withoutknowingwhatgenderfluidis,Amentionsathoughtabout
selfidentitythatdefineswhatagenderfluidpersonwouldfeel.Identifyingasgenderfluid
meansapersonfeelslikeamaleorfemaleattimes,neither,orsomecombinationofboth
genders.TherearedaysIfeltlikeagirlanddaysIfeltlikeaboy,andthosedayswouldnt
alwayscorrespondwiththebodyIwasin.IstillbelievedeveryonewhentheysaidIhadtobe
oneortheotherIhadtolearnthatwhenitcametogender,Iwasbothandneither,(Levithan
254).ThisshowsthatAwonderingaboutwhoheorsheishelpshimorhergetanideaof
selfidentity.Forthatreason,understandinggenderisapartofselfidentity.
Lifecanteachsomeonetobalancetwolives.Accordingtoanotherarticlecalled
MyHips
MyCaderas
byAlisaValdesRodriguez,theauthorwritesabouthowshefeelsabouther

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identifyingasbothLatinaandAmerican.ValdesRodriguezmentionshowshefeelsdifferent
withacertaingroupwhentheylookatheraseitherLatinaorAmerican,howeverthatlifehelps
herlearnaboutthewaysheviewsidentity.InsomewaysIamluckytobeabletomove
betweentwoworlds,(ValdesRodriguez75).ThiscanrelatetohowAlivesadoublelife
meaningAhashisorherownlifeandsodoesthebodyAisin.Alearnstounderstandsthatif
changesaregoingtobemadethatdayAencountersabody,therecanbeconsequences,thatis
whyAhastomakeadecisionthathelpsboththebodyandAsmind.Andso,onadailybasisA
learnsmoreaboutselfidentity.

Discoveringpersonalemotionsisoneofthefirststepstounderstandingselfidentity.
Forinstance,whenAfallsinlovewithacharacternamedRhiannon,Abecomesselfconscious
aboutthelifeAisexperiencingwhichischangingbodiesfromdaytoday.AwantsRhiannonto
seethepersonheorsheisinsideandfallinlovewith,howeverAknowsthathisorherlifeisnot
aseasyasthat.ThisisthepartwhereIshouldbeabletosayIllchange.ThisisthepartwhereI
shouldassureherthingscanbedifferent,showheritspossible,(Levithan278).This
demonstrateshowAwantstobeabletostayinonebodyinordertoloveRhiannon.Stayingin
onebodywouldhelpAmakeaclearunderstandingofwhattoidentifyas.
Everypersonshouldchoosethegendertheywanttoconsiderthemselvesas.Inanarticle
called
FromGenderIdentityDisordertoGenderIdentityCreativity:TrueGenderSelfGender
Child
writtenbyDianeEhrensaft,theauthortalksabouthowitcanbeharmfulforachildtobe
expectedtobethegenderheorshewasbornaswhenthechildfeelsasiftheywereborninthe
wrongbody.Inessence,thebrainandmindworktoestablishaninnersenseofselfasmale,
female,orother,basedonbody,onthoughtsandfeelings,andabsorptionofmessagesfromthe

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externalworld,asenseofselfthatmayornotmatchthesexthatisfoundbetweenoneslegs.In
thistheoryofgenderdevelopment,individualsaretheexpertsoftheirowngenderidentitiesand
whilegenderexpressionsmayvaryovertime,genderidentityshowsmoretemporal
consistency,(Ehrensaft339).ThisarticlerelatestowhatAexperiencingwithsocietyconsulting
genderandidentity,butsocietynotbeingabletoconstructAsfeelings.Forinstance,Aknows
thattherearelifeexpectationsandthereareviewsonwhatisnormalandwhatisnot.A
understandsthatheorshecantjusttellpeopleabouthowheorshechangesbodiesonadaily
basisbecausetheywontunderstand.SocietywillbeconfusedandnotbelieveAbecausethey
viewnormalasonepersonstayinginthebodytheywerebornin.However,societyconsulting
genderdoesnotconstructAsfeelingstowards.
WakingupaseithermaleorfemaleisnotgoingtochangethefactAlovesRhiannon.In
Ascase,AwantstochoosehisorherownidentitytomakeiteasiertoloveRhiannon.Awas
notborninonebodythatheorshecanstayin.ItisnoteasyforAtojustsimplysayheorshe
wantstoidentifyasmaleorfemale.Forthatreason,Amentionedthattherearetimesheorshe
feelslikeamale,female,neither,orbothgenders.Thetruegenderselfbeginsasthekernelof
genderidentitythatistherefrombirth,residingwithinusinacomplexofchromosomes,gonads,
hormones,hormonereceptors,genitalia,butmostimportantlyinourbrainandmind,(Ehrensaft
342).AhashisorherownmindandisabletothinkasanindividualthatiswhyAunderstands
loveandislearningaboutselfidentityeveryday.
Somemayarguethatselfidentityisnotalearningprocess.Somemightsaythatone
knowsabouttheiridentitythemomenttheyareborn.Yes,thismightbetruetoanextinct,
howeverselfidentityincludesmanyaspectsofwhatitmeansnotjustone.Onadailybasis

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peoplelearnabouttheirgender,ethnicity,beliefs/values,family,andbackground.Allthose
aspectsdefineselfidentityandtheyrealearningprocess.Forexample,astimegoesonone
mightchangetheirviewonhowtheyseeoneoftheaspectsoftheirselfidentity.Onemight
questiontheirgenderatanearlyageorhavetroublechoosinganethnicitybecausetheirparents
havedifferentcultures.Itisnoteasyforonetounderstandeverythingabouttheiridentitythatis
whyselfidentityisalearningprocessoneexperiences.
Growingupisaprocessofdiscoveringselfidentity.Inanarticleresearchcalled
Identity
DevelopmentinAdulthood:Introduction
writtenbyPaiviFadjukoffandJaneKroger,theauthors
talkaboutErikEriksonviewonissuesadultsmightfacewithbothpersonalitycharacterand
identity.
Heacknowledgedthatafterinitialidentitycommitmentsinadolescence,changing

lifecircumstances,coupledwithchangingbiologicalandpsychologicalneeds,werelikelyto
spurongoingidentitydevelopmentsoverthecourseoftheadulthoodyears,(Fadjukoffand
Kroger1).InAscase,Aslifecircumstanceschangeandsodoeshisteenagelife.Notonly
that,butAchangesphysicalappearanceandbiologicalgendereveryday.Ahasnt
experienceanadulthoodyear,howeverAsmindhasgrownmaturelytounderstandhisor
heridentity.
Therefore,experiencingnewchangesinlifehelpsAunderstandselfidentity.Asself
identityisuniquefromotherindividuals,butthatmakesAthatpersonheorsheis.Itmight
notbeeasyforAtocomprehendeveryaspectofhisorherselfidentity,buthisorher
thoughtabouthowheorshefeelsaboutselfidentityhaveadefinition.Asmentioned
previouslyAhadnoideathathavingthoughtsaboutdaysthatheorshefeltlikeeithermale,
female,neither,orbothisactuallyanidentitypeopledefinethemselvesasbeinggenderfluid.

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Forthosereasons,asdaysgobyAhashisorherownmindandlearnsaboutselfidentity
everyday.

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WorksCited
Ehrensaft,Diane.FromGenderIdentityDisordertoGenderIdentityCreativity:TrueGender
SelfGenderChild
Tandonline.com
.TaylorandFrancisGroup,n.d.Web.2Apr.2016.
Jackson,L.Ronald,Glenn,L.Cerise,andWilliams,MorantKesha.SelfIdentityand
Culture
Kurylo,Anastacia.Inter/CulturalCommunication.LosAngeles:Sage
Publications,2013.Print.118.
Levithan,David.
EveryDay.
NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf,2012.Print.
Fadjukoff,Paivi,andJaneKroger."IdentityDevelopmentinAdulthood:Introduction."
Tandonline.com
.TaylorandFrancisGroup,n.d.Web.2Apr.2016.
ValdesRodriguez,Alias.MyHipsMyCaderasFaigley,Lester.Writing:AGuideforCollege
AndBeyond.3rdedBoston:Pearson,2012.Print.pg.75.