Identity in the Face Of Discrimination

The thought of identity is an ever-present theme in society. From the moment of birth till death, humans persistently search to piece together who they are in this world. Humans seek to foster their identities by selecting values, beliefs, and assumptions perceived to define who they are. In extreme cases collective identities can be destructive. Defining one’s self as belonging to a collective group, more often than not, leads other groups to be labeled different, or outsiders. Stereotypes and discrimination, driven by the concept of identity, can cause untold amounts of pain for their victims. However, throughout all stages of life, a defined sense of identity also can be a reassuring coping mechanism. This personal resource we call identity has a tremendous effect on an individual’s psychological state. In uncomfortable or new situations, a healthy and defined sense of self can help individuals navigate society. When the characteristics that define person are those targeted by discrimination identities are questioned. One can either embrace who they are with pride and rise above the ignorance, or they can be invisible. The works “Battle Royal” and “This Morning”, present both sides of the balance between embracing and abandoning one’s identity, together they demonstrate the importance of a clear sense of self in the face of discrimination.
In uncomfortable surroundings, such as a new situation, sometimes people find it easier to distance from their identity to better fit in. Ralph Ellison’s short story, “Battle Royal” is a great example of an identity dissolving amidst discrimination. In this story the narrator, similar to his grandfather, distances himself from his ethnic identity in order to fit in and gain praise from white community. Ellison conveys this distancing from identity by leaving the narrator nameless. In the beginning of the story the narrator mentions, “I am an invisible man” (184). This is significant as his actions begin to reflect this statement. Instead of looking to be accepted as an academic and an equal he subjects him self to acting in an inauthentic manner, one in which he embodies the identity the whites project onto him. The narrator is unable to be himself and takes on a passive personality. This idea of an invisible identity really shines during his speech at the end of the evening. Though at the podium he is disregarded as an academic because of his ethnic identity. The crowd rudely continues to interrupt his speech leaving the narrator concluding that he is invisible, in the sense that the world is filled with blind people who cannot or will not see his authentic nature. Ultimately the narrator’s lack of identity continues to allow him to be exploited, discriminated against, and more importantly overlooked for who he really is.
Unlike in Ellison’s “Battle Royal”, Lucille Clinton in her poem “This Morning (for the girls of eastern high school” conveys a very different approach to coping with discrimination by means of embracing identity. In this poem the narrator, a young black girl presumably in high school, talks about a specific morning in which she “met herself”. She describes herself in language often used in racial slurs, however these words do not carry the same meaning here. She is compared to primitive things, such as “bright/jungle girl” and “quick as a snake” (563). Instead of being ashamed of these attributes the narrator embodies them. She reclaims the negative characteristics of her identity racism used to pin her down, and this brings her the confidence to get by in her new environment. This narrator, also nameless, mentions in line 3, “I met myself” (563). Lucille Clifton uses this language most simply to show the narrator’s realization of identity. She goes on to repeat that same line in between stanzas, giving it weight in the overall poem. The narrator, unlike in “Battle Royal”, is proud of who she is. Instead of hiding from her identity as an African American girl she exudes it. This can be seen when the narrator writes, “I have been a black bell ringing I survive survive survive” (563). Now having met herself she is comfortable with who she is, and accepting of her identity’s perceived negatives instilled by racism. No longer do the stereotypes seem to cut through her confidence. She is liberated and her identity will survive, instead of being defeated like we see in the narrator of “Battle Royal”. Although others view her as less than an equal, the speaker manages to get through the day because she holds fast to her own identity in the face of immense opposition.
Finding one’s identity can be complicated especially in the midst of discrimination. When society discriminates against the very characteristics that define an individual, it often calls for them to reexamine how they identify themselves. Either you can embrace your identity, or you can distance from it and formulate a new one. Finding the balance between preserving one’s identity and interaction with the environment is an issue that closely relates to the experience of African American narrator’s mention above. In both Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” and Lucille Clifton’s “This Morning” there is a clear theme of searching for identity, especially in the mix of racism. Such hostile social climate causes both narrators to struggle with their identities, in one case preserving it and in the other abandoning it. This sense of identity can either help or hurt one cope with the effects of racism. In the case of “This Morning”, the narrator’s approach to dealing with racism and accepting her identity displays integrity, she is truthful with her self and it brings her a huge degree of confidence and comfort.

Works Cited
Clifton, Lucille. “This Morning.” Literature to Go. Ed. Michael Meyer. 1st Ed. Boston: Bedford, 2011. 563. Print.
Ellison, Ralph. “Battle Royal.” Literature to Go. Ed. Michael Meyer. 1st Ed. Boston: Bedford, 2011. 184-195. Print.