Anna Shulpina
Moore, 4th Period
May 29th, 2014 Identity witnessed throughout movies and film
Identity plays a crucial role in the movies we have seen so far and the novels we have read.
It has a significant meaning in each of the selections and can be considered as a very important theme in each and every one of the selections. In True Grit, Mattie Ross learns to adapt to grow and learns about justice from Rooster Cogburn. In Gattaca, identity plays a massive role because Vincent has to undergo drastic changes in order to identify himself as
Jerome. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha has to learn to forget of his past ways of lifestyle in order to achieve peace. In All the Pretty Horses, John Grady Cole and Rawlins grow up and learn about the cruelty of life too early in their life, just like Mattie did in True Grit. In Nectar in a
Sieve, Rukmani’s family undergoes so many struggles throughout the novel that they all go through an identity change towards the end of the book. In True Grit, Mattie Ross is determined to chase down Chaney, the killer of her father. She hires Rooster Cogburn, and together along with LaBeaouf they track down Chaney.
Throughout the movie, Mattie witnesses many deaths and almost dies herself from a snake bite, which causes her to witness the cruelty of life too early in her life but at the same time she learns a lot about justice and respect from Rooster, whom she befriends and never forgets. She grows to become a courageous woman and undergoes a major identity change as a girl throughout the time she spends with Rooster. In Gattaca, Vincent must undergo drastic measures in order to become Jerome, a man he made a deal with to change identities with. Vincent was born as an “invalid”, meaning that he does not have the genetic capabilities like other children, making him prone to many diseases. Vincent has a dream since childhood to go to space and decides to pursue it. In
order to do that, he decides to change identities with Jerome, a healthy man on the genetic side, but his crippled legs stop him from being the “best”. Throughout the movie, Vincent proves that anything is possibly by achieving his dream and even outliving the predicted lifespan of doctors. He becomes brave and learns to adapt to the elite society of astraunauts, hoping to completely blend in with all the “Valids”. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha is achieving a different goal, that of peace. He forgets his rich lifestyle in order to understand the meaning of life and find himself. Throughout the journey, he learns to fast, to dress commonly, and to love unconditionally and passionately. Siddhartha has always been a curious man since childhood but his journey to finding himself changes him completely and by the end of the book, even his childhood friend does not recognize him, seeing only the “Enlightened” one in front of him. In All the Pretty Horses, John Grady Cole and Rawlins both grow up as individuals and learn a lot about living as adults in the real world. John Grady Cole learns a lot about love while Rawlins learns a lot about acceptance. John Grady Cole has a misfortune with his lover, who is in the end unable to be with him due to
