Individual+Identity

Identity **[** **i·den·ti·ty]** : The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known

Individual Identity **[ in·di·vid·u·al] ** **[** **i·den·ti·ty]** : Definition not found

Everyone has a certain identity to them, but how is individual identity created? What impact do others have on us, and do we let them have the ability to shape our "individual" identity? Is our certain identity truly individual or is it as individual to an extent? Or do others and society have a role in this, and warp our identity to a certain point of acceptance? Is deviance known, or are we merely as deviant as our surroundings will let us be?

//Individual identity is created by the impact of others on how the perceive you as a person.// Prejudice plays a big role in this when it comes to a persons identity. In the book __Kite Runner__, if you are a Hazara, you are of no importance, for you are just a servant for those who rank higher than you. Its even said in the book on page 75, "It's just a Hazara."Hassan was a Hazara, and Amir's best friend, but even though they were like brothers to one another, Amir's mind kept wondering, sometimes making excuses about Hassan being merely a Hazara, and that all the abuse Hassan went through was inevitable, because of his identity that was laid upon him as soon as he was born. Although that was not Hassan's individual identity. Hassan was a caring, concerned person who always looked for the best in life and people, and even if they did wrong, he still forgave them. Even though Amir made many mistakes, Hassan forgave him, no questions asked. Sometimes that's the worst kind of punishment you can give someone, as for Amir, this was complete torture that haunted him for years to come.

It's not just your heritage that makes you stand out, it's also your gender. In some places,being a woman is the worst thing that you could ever be. You can't do anything without a male aid, or you can't do anything at all, like working. Women are supposed to just stay home and cook, clean, and tend to whatever else the household needs, while the husband goes out and works. But what do you do if your male support has suddenly been taken from you? In the movie __Osama__, a widow decides to disguise her only child, a daughter, into a male, so that she can go work and get money for them to be able to survive. Her individual identity made her have to hide herself, and become someone she wasn't, but that only lasted for so long, and she was soon caught, which made her identity flare up, and it was taken advantage of by a 60 year old man.

In the book __Baghdad Burning II__ by Riverbend one can see that individual identity is unspoken for. Riverbend is a young Iraqi woman living in the outskirts of Baghdad and is in the middle of a tedious war. She explains what it's like living in open gunfire and being surrounded by missles and bombs. In her eyes Americans are nothing but evil people who invaded her country to look for weapons of mass destruction that were never found. Since the war began Riverbend and the other people who live in Iraq have been ignored. The people are ghosts and their opinions and beliefs mean absolutely nothing to the authorities in Iraq and the American troops. She is invisible to the outside world and is in danger. She and other people have so much to say about the elections, the war, and the living conditions but the media only cares about the big stories, the big stories that are barely even true. Riverbend knows the real truth. At one point in Riverbend's life she had an individual identity but the war and its sad outcomes have changed her and although she is still strong she has lost the ability to be an Iraqi civilian with rights.

Individual identity can be the right thing in a certain situation. A soldier fighting for their country. A mom taking care of her baby. But identity can also be a weight that drags you down. A drug addict. A liar. Individual identity, in the end, isn't really that personal. It's what people think of you when they see you. It's there first impression of you that can stick in an instant, but you can at least attempt to make it your own. Identity is something that must belong to you, and you don't let someone make you into someone else, or take your true identity from you. It may be easier to change yourself to fit a situation but the results you'll get won't be the ones that you were aiming for, and that's why you stay with the true identity that you are. Osama had no true choice when it came to what she had to do, but she was under different circumstances than us in America. It may be harder to get to the goal, and we can't stop other people from using prejudice, but at least the results you earn will truly be yours, along with your decision on what really is your identity.

**Bibliography**

 * Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Berkley Publishing Group, 2003**.
 * Osama. Dir. Siddiq Barmak. Perf. Marina Golbahri. DVD. MGM, 2003**.
 * Riverbend. Baghdad Burning. New York : Feminist Press, 2006**.