Essay On Search For Identity In Song Of Solomon

How have you handled your academic career at RL? Do you prefer to work into the early hours of the morning, devouring page after page of English readings and contemplating complex math problems? Or are you in bed by 9 o’clock every night, with the knowledge that a good night’s sleep is crucial to your health? The next day at school, you might treat yourself to two Dunks runs and a trip to Los during your frees. It is more likely that you fall somewhere in between these two extremes. I would argue that finding the balance between work and play that is right for you is a judgment that must be made in order to succeed. Knowing who you are as an individual; what your goals are, and how best to achieve them is of paramount importance. Having a strong sense of self – a personal identity – and finding balance in your life is absolutely necessary. In my speech, I will expand upon this need for having an identity and a balanced lifestyle, as well as look at how these themes have been explored in some of the works of literature we have read over the past few years. (Identity) Search for identity is key in several books we read here at RL. Last year, we explored Milkman’s quest to understand himself and his family’s history in “Song of Solomon.” “The Catcher

Convinced that if he becomes class valedictorian he can equal Finny’s success, Gene begins to study obsessively, consumed by his new goal. When Finny invites him to go to the river to watch another boy jump from the tree, Gene explodes in anger at first, crying that he must study, else he will “ruin (his) grade” (p. 57). Moments later, after Finny tells him that it’s not a big deal and that he can and should stay to study if he so desires, Gene changes his mind, saying “wait a minute… I’m coming… Never mind my studying” (59). He at first feels an obligation to study, but then convinces himself