Question: The formation of Identity is shaped by many circumstances.
How is this explored in your prescribed text and one other related text of your own choosing?
One’s initial identity is significantly nurtured by family ideals and beliefs in conjunction with the sheltered environment in which they are raised. However, we are all apt to be considerably shaped by society’s social and cultural influences. Consequently, our identities are a comprehensive construct of society’s values and one’s ethnic background in addition to our occupational duties and interactions with others. In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ and the film, “To Sir with Love,” the identities of the key characters are shown to be a constitute of such circumstances with a particular focus on the influence of relationships.
In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ the discriminative attitude of Venetian society towards people of black ethnicity is presented as a significant influential factor in the shaping of Othello’s identity. This is explored through the use language in which Othello is repeatedly referred to as the “Moor” and by the derogatory terms “thick-lips” and a “Barbary horse.” Othello’s black exterior denotes to his position as a ‘outsider’ and therefore his marriage to Desdemona, a white woman is considered unfathomable, “If she in chains of magic were not bound, whether a maid so tender, fair and happy, so opposite to marriage that she shunn’d,” Contrastingly, Othello’s elevated status in Venetian society, reflected in his high naval position, forms an identity that is greatly respected, so much so that not even the accusations of Brabantio affect his status. This is clearly demonstrated when the duke says, “Your son in law is far more fair than black,” thus signifying that Othello’s black skin hides an amiable interior. Othello’s important role in society is juxtaposed with society’s prejudices to illustrate how one’s identity is shaped by a variety of circumstances.
Similarly, in the film, “To Sir with Love,” the identity of Mr Thackeray is essentially shaped by the black and white society of the early 1960’s. In the opening scenes of the film, we get a view of Mr Thackeray from the back thus presenting him, a black man living in the discriminative society of East London, as a man with a ‘blank identity’. The distinction between black and white is established through the use of a long shot, showing Thackeray getting onto a black bus. As the bus travels into the white dominated area of society however, the bus changes colour from black to red and gains significance hence exemplifying the perceived superiority of white people over black members of society. It is only once the bus changes colour we first get a glimpse of Mr Thackeray’s face and superficial identity, a view exemplified through the use of a close up shot of his face. A long shot of the passengers on the bus is then used to illustrate the distinction between Thackeray dressed in a black suit and the white passengers dressed in vibrant, eye catching colours. The mediocre portrayal of Thackeray is juxtaposed with the perceived superiority of white people, to epitomize the divisions between black and white society and illustrate and the extent this social structure has on Thackeray’s idnetity.
The differentiating roles one plays in society is an imperative influential factor in the formation and moulding of their identity. Othello plays two contradicting roles, one as a highly disciplined military officer and another as a loving husband. As a military officer, Othello’s identity is formed into a trusted, powerful man and an eloquent speaker, “Most potent, grave and reverend seigniors, my very noble and approv’s good masters.” Contrastingly, as a husband, Othello’s identity is shaped by his infatuation of Desdemona, and he is weakened by the love he bares for her, “My soul hath her content so absolute that not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown fate.” The link between Othello’s identity and his love for Desdemona is further accentuated in, “But I do love thee; and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again. Othello’s two roles create contradictory attributes within his personality and his identity as a lover is superseded by his decisive military identity, “Ay, let her rot and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live,” which contributes to his swift decision to kill Desdemona.
The occupation of Mr Thackeray also plays a momentous role in the formation of his identity. Dialogue is used to exemplify the prejudices endured by the black and the impact such racial views had on their ability to get a job, “Why did you take up teaching?” to which Thackeray replies, “It’s always good to have some kind of a job.” As a teacher, Mr Thackeray is given the class commonly regarded as “no hopers” and “rejects,” to signify that he is of no significance and therefore just as not much is expected of a black man, not much is expected of that particular class. Thackeray’s true passion lies in engineering and despite the continual rejections he persists in submitting engineering applications thus presenting him as a fighter against society’s racial misconceptions and building upon his sense of identity. The overall importance of Thackeray’s occupation on his sense of identity is clearly demonstrated through the use of a close up shot, which shows him tearing up an engineering acceptance letter and thus finally accepting his role and identity as a teacher.
The relationship established between Othello and Iago is the most influential contributor to the formation and alteration of Othello’s identity. Iago, a sophisticated villain who relishes in his ability to destroy, is successfully able to instil in Othello a destructive jealously due to his exceptionally trusting nature and outsider status. Initially, Othello claims not to be a jealous man, “Do you think I'd make a life of jealousy, to follow still the changes of the moon with fresh suspicions?” He possesses a “free and open nature,” and this exceptional vulnerability allows Iago to manipulate Othello’s trusting character and twist his love for Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy, “O beware, my lord, of jealously: It is the green eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” As soon as Iago launches his deceptive plan and jealously is roused within Othello, it becomes so self-intensifying that he is taken over by an uncontrollable irrationality and his ability to make coherent decisions is superseded. Othello’s identity is transformed from a self-assured man into an envious persona and this is cemented in, “Trifles light as air, are to the jealous confirmations, strong as proofs of holy writ. Othello’s relationship with Iago causes a significant change in identity, “The Moor already changes with my poison,” and by the end of the play, Othello’s ‘blackness’ starts to show as his identity alters from a smart, sensible, ‘War like Moor,” to one characterised by wrath and jealously.
By the same token, Mr Thackeray plays an imperative role in the formation of his student’s identities. At the beginning of the movie the students are an exceptionally rowdy and disrespectful mob, with no form of discipline, “There’s something frightening about this school, do you know they don’t have any form of corporal punishment?” However, through Mr Thackeray’s effective teaching techniques he successfully alters the identities of his students a transformation reflected through respectful dialogue, “God bless you Sir,” and a gradual understanding of the importance of one’s inner identity not physical identity, “Well sir… your like us… but you’re not…it’s kinda scary but nice.” When Mr Thackeray initially enters the scene low camera angles are used to present him as superior and in control of the class. However as the students begin to undergo an identity transformation, there is a more frequent use of eye levels shots between Thackeray and the students thus showing them to be on the same level as their disciplined and affable teacher. The final transformation of identity which occurs within the students as a result of Mr Thackeray’s teachings, “I teach you truths, my truths,” is cemented in the quote, “For a second I thought I was walking into the wrong classroom,” signifying the full extent of the contribution Mr Thackeray makes to the formation of his students identities.
Identity is not formed by one specific circumstance but is a complex web comprising of various social, genetic and familial influences which combine to nurture one’s sense of self. The degree in which different circumstances alter the formation of identity is comprehensively explored in Shakespeare’s play ‘Othello’ and in the film, ‘To Sir with Love,’ to demonstrate the impacts of racial prejudices, occupational roles and differentiating relationships on forming a sense of identity.