Emily Maher -- Analyzing Identities I agree that finding a unique personal identity can be difficult (and in fact some people might not even try to do that because they find their identity primarily by being a part of a group in one way or another). But unfortunately, your paper doesn't really go very far beyond that statement and I think you haven't gone very deep into the examples from the story "One Good Man" that you single out as particular responses to the "What is an Indian?" question that is a recurring theme there. For instance, you point out the way the narrator's professor asks the narrator's father "why weren't you there?" at protests like the one at Wounded Knee (in a confrontation that I think really takes place only in the narrator's imagination). But you don't really analyze the way that interaction shows that the professor defines his own identity in political terms, while the narrator's father (at least as his son describes him) seems to be entirely focused on his relationships within his own family. He sees helping his son learn to ride a bicycle as more important, and he thinks he is keeping a promise to his family (and maybe his Native American heritage too) by living his life that way. It's the difference between defining identity externally and internally to one's family. Similarly, I think your discussion of your own family's Irish heritage stays on a bit of a superficial level. Maybe it hasn't come up in your interactions with older members of your family, but you should be aware that many Irish immigrants to the US in the 19th and early 20th centuries experienced the same kind of racism and discrimination that other groups have found here more recently. Think of the stereotypes of Irish people as heavy drinkers and then consider the parallel with the stereotypes of Native Americans. Does the phrase "no Irish need apply" mean anything to you? If not, look it up. I'm certainly not saying you need to develop a sense of resentment over these past attitudes, but there's more history there than you may be aware of. Paper 2 grade: 88 (B+) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Liz Daskalakis -- Views of Nature in Art "My bad" for not catching the "left-over" title from the first paper assignment(!) I'm glad that Martha Redbone's performance and reading the Alexie story were meaningful for you. I agree that her use of music added a vivid extra dimension. I think the broad range of different styles of music she used (Native American songs for sure, but also Gospel, country, funk, Broadway, ...) highlighted just how mixed her background is and how many different strands there are to her family history. I have a few questions for you to think about related to what you say about individuals and the way you claim they can create and choose their own identities. If people really have so much choice and independence there, why do you think that the narrator in "One Good Man" keeps coming back to that question "What is an Indian?" You seem to be saying that he has just not been entirely successful at finding an identity for himself. But isn't another part of it that, whatever the narrator wants to claim as his own identity, there is an external society that makes assumptions about him and sometimes interferes with him being seen as the person he wants to be? In other words, might he have an idea who he is, but the rest of society is trying to define his identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes? By the way, I'm also from a half-Italian family and we always do a version of the Christmas Eve dinner too(!) Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Ryan Gifford -- Views of Nature in Art "My bad" for not catching the "left-over" title from the first paper assignment(!) I think it is interesting that, as you say, you don't know very much about your family's history. That's not at all unusual among people in the US, by the way. But it's still worthwhile to ask why it is so common and what the ultimate effects of that attitude are. I think part of the reason for this attitude about the past is tied to the fact that so many of the people who came to the US as immigrants in the past were trying to make a new start here and get away from their pasts. I know that was true for my mom's parents, for instance, who came to the US from southern Italy in the early 1900's. They were looking for new economic opportunities and a different life than they knew in the small villages they grew up in. I have a few questions for you to think about related to what you say about individuals and the way you claim they can create or choose their own identities. If people really have so much choice and independence there, why do you think that the narrator in "One Good Man" keeps coming back to that question "What is an Indian?" (By the way, I don't think the narrator is supposed to be Alexie himself. This is fiction and the narrator is a fictional character even if he is from something like the same background as Alexie himself.) It could be that he has just not been all that successful at finding an identity for himself. But isn't another part of it that, whatever the narrator wants to claim as his own identity, there is an external society that makes assumptions about him and sometimes interferes with him being the person he wants to be? In other words, he might have an idea who he is, but the rest of society is trying to define his identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes, and he then has to deal with that too. Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Andrew Sisitzky -- Identity I think you have put your finger on an important and interesting subtext in "One Good Man" -- namely the idea that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question posed by the narrator could be a feeling of guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life could be read as choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular by not living on the reservation and contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). There's also pretty clearly not an element of that sort of guilt in Martha Redbone's performance. But maybe that is because she feels that she has actually found strong connections with her family's past and she wants to showcase that part of her identity through her singing and music-making. Isn't another part of it that, whatever the narrator of "One Good Man" wants to claim as his own identity, there is an external society that makes assumptions about him and sometimes interferes with him being the person he wants to be? In other words, he might have an idea who he is, but the rest of society is trying to define his identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes, and he then has to deal with that too. I'm not sure I entirely understand what happened in the story your grandfather told about his grandfather's efforts to emigrate to the US. Why would the fact that he had lost a finger disqualify him to enter the US? I know that people were excluded for various illnesses or if they were unlikely to be able to support themselves. But have you ever thought about whether the missing finger was the whole story? Could it have been something different or more serious? Good work. Paper 2 grade: 95 (A) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Matt Lane -- Identity Focusing almost exclusively on the Native American angle in the discussion of Martha Redbone's performance and "One Good Man" is OK, but I think you miss some things that way. For instance, I'm glad you thought to bring up the "Census" number in Martha Redbone's performance. I think there's another aspect of what she was trying to say there. Whatever she wants to claim as her own identity, there is an external society that makes assumptions about her and sometimes interferes with her being the person she wants to be. In other words, she might have an idea who he is, but the rest of society is trying to define her identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes, and she then has to deal with that too. And part of the issue for Martha Redbone was also her mixed Native American/African American background and the conflicts created by that. Don't forget the reaction her mother provoked when she said wanted to marry Bone, the African American miner. If you look at it that way, there are actually some strong connections with the situation in "One Good Man." A part of the continual need to pose the question "what is an Indian?" that the narrator seems to feel could be the fact that he feels he needs to fight against the negative stereotypes of Native Americans that many people hold. The narrator seems as though he has not necessarily answered that question for himself, so it comes to form a recurring theme throughout the story. By the way, I don't think the narrator is supposed to be Sherman Alexie himself. The story is fiction and the narrator is a fictional character, even if he is from something like the same part of the world and the same background as Alexie himself. Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Eve Smith -- Family History and Personal Identity Thanks for sharing this. I understand that being adopted adds a whole different layer to these issues and raises questions for you that most people don't ever really need to address. And from what you say, I think you have learned from personal experience an important aspect of what Martha Redbone wanted to say. Namely, whatever she wants to claim as her own identity, there is an external society that makes assumptions about her and sometimes interferes with her being the person she wants to be. In other words, she might have an idea who he is, but the rest of society is always assuming things about her identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes, and she then has to deal with that too. I think you have put your finger on an important and interesting subtext in "One Good Man" -- namely the idea that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question posed by the narrator is probably a feeling of guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life could be read as choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular by not living on the reservation and contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). There's also pretty clearly not an element of that sort of guilt in Martha Redbone's performance. But maybe that is because she feels that she has actually found strong connections with her family's past and she wants to showcase that part of her identity through her singing and music-making. Paper 2 grade: 95 (A) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Madison Ward -- Views of Nature in Art Assignment "My bad" for not catching the "left-over" title from the first paper assignment, although I guess you could make it fit here too if you think "human nature" at the individual level (!) Your essay is particularly good at analyzing the differences between the ways the narrator in the Alexie story and Martha Redbone seem to have dealt with these questions of finding identity and making sense of their different family heritages. I think there is a common aspect too, though, that you might have discussed. Namely whatever either the narrator or Martha Redbone wants to claim as her own identity, there is also an external society that makes assumptions about them and sometimes interferes with them being the people they want to be. In other words, one might have an idea who he or she is, but the rest of society is also trying to make sense of identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes. They both have to deal with that too -- that is, in addition to whatever underlying questions they might have about themselves or guilt they might feel for the choices they have made. I would say that it is pretty clear that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question posed by the narrator of "One Good Man" could be a feeling of guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life could be read as choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular by not living on the reservation and contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). I don't think there's any element of that sort of guilt in Martha Redbone's performance. But maybe that is because she feels that she has actually found strong connections with her family's past and she wants to showcase that part of her identity through her singing and music-making. Paper 2 grade: 95 (A) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Christian Boire -- Personal Identity Focusing almost exclusively on the Native American angle in the discussion of Martha Redbone's performance and the story "One Good Man" is OK, but I think you miss some things that way. Namely whatever either the narrator or Martha Redbone wants to claim as her own identity, there is also an external society that makes assumptions about them and sometimes interferes with them being the people they want to be. In other words, one might have an idea who he or she is, but the rest of society is also trying to make sense of identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes. They both have to deal with that too -- that is, in addition to whatever underlying questions they might have about themselves or guilt they might feel for the choices they have made. I would say that it is pretty clear that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question posed by the narrator of "One Good Man" could be a feeling of guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life could be read by others as choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular by not living on the reservation and contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). Maybe he feels that way himself, in fact. On the other hand, I don't think there's any element of that sort of guilt feelings in Martha Redbone's performance. Maybe that is because she has actually found strong connections with her family's past and she wants to showcase that part of her identity through her singing and music-making. But note that there too there is also a different element because of the strongly mixed background of her family -- Native American, African American, Appalachian, etc. She seems to be glorying in all the different sides there are to her family's history. I'm not being critical, but I think both Sherman Alexie and Martha Redbone would say that your emphasis on "family, friends, hobbies and sports teams" as the way you find your own identity is a bit superficial. But the same could be said of many of us in the US at present. Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Connor Degenhardt -- Authentic Identity "Loss of identity" is an interesting way to describe the narrator's situation in "One Good Man" and I agree that that is a pretty good description of the situation he finds himself in in the story. I think you could say more, though, about how that affects him and how the events of the story illustrate that. For instance, I would say that it is pretty clear that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question posed by the narrator is a feeling of guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life could be read by others as choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular by not living on the reservation and contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). He might feel that way himself, in fact. As you point out, the fact that his ex-wife is now married to a white man and they are raising his son is almost certainly another source of shame and guilt, although I think you would have to say that he deals with that situation in a reasonable and adult way. It seems to me that we are supposed to read the end of the story (the way the narrator cares for his dying father and the perhaps imaginary trip to the Mexican border) as the way the narrator regains at least some sense of his identity. But I can see you don't agree that's what happens. Did you notice that the last "What is an Indian?" question is the only time the response is not just another question. This time, the narrator responds "I lifted my father and carried him across every border." Can he be saying "I found what it means to be an Indian by reconnecting with my father?" Would you say he is wrong if he does feel that way? Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Grace Peluso -- Views of Nature in Art "My bad" for not catching the "left-over" title from the first paper assignment, although I guess you could make it fit here too if you think "human nature" at the individual level (!) I mostly agree with you that "while personal identity can be influenced by external forces, at the end of the day you choose what is integrated and what is disregarded." You seem to have had a very strong upbringing and to have integrated many of the good influences you have experienced. Another question, though, is whether people always have so much choice and independence there. Why do you think that the narrator in "One Good Man" keeps coming back to that question "What is an Indian?" It could be just that he has just not been entirely successful at finding an identity for himself. But isn't another part of it that, whatever the narrator wants to claim as his own identity, there is an external society (both the Native Americans on the reservation where he grew up and the larger white society outside) that makes assumptions about him and sometimes interferes with him being seen as the person he wants to be? In other words, might he have an idea who he is, while the rest of society is trying to define his identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes? You have pointed out some of this aspect of the story in the first full paragraph on your page 2 when you say "Through the identity he found within his father, mother, and the other people on his reservation, he realized that the stereotypical label placed upon Indians was not the reality." But I think it really goes the other way too. Namely, I would say that it is pretty clear that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question is a sense of shame and guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life might seem to be choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular since he has chosen not to live on the reservation and he is in effect contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). He might feel that way himself, in fact. The fact that his ex-wife is now married to a white man and they are raising his son is almost certainly another source of shame and guilt, although I think you would have to say that he deals with that situation in a reasonable and adult way. Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Najee Quashie -- Views of Nature in Art "My bad" for not catching the "left-over" title from the first paper assignment, although I guess you could make it fit here too if you think "human nature" at the individual level (!) I understand why you say you think the live performance was more successful than the story because of the way Martha Redbone could bring so many different elements (different styles of music, story-telling, dance, ... ) into the mix. But Sherman Alexie is a really good writer, I think, and this story has a lot of interesting aspects when you start digging into it. You say "You could argue that because he [i.e. the narrator of "One Good Man" grew up in a strong, close-knit native community that based on his answer to “What is an Indian”, unknowingly it is something he knows is a part of the culture." But isn't at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question really a sense of shame and guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life might seem to be choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular since he has chosen not to live on the reservation and he is in effect contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). The fact that his ex-wife is now married to a white man and they are raising his son is almost certainly another source of shame and guilt, although I think you would have to say that he deals with that situation in a reasonable and adult way. In the discussion of Sweetwater and Wonderhorse's conversation, I think you meant "willingness," not "unwillingness" to help others in the community. I mostly agree with you that "a person can create an identity for whatever they choose to identify with." You seem to have a strong sense of who you are. An important question, though, is whether people always have that much choice and independence to. Why do you think that the narrator in "One Good Man" keeps coming back to that question "What is an Indian?" It could be just that he has just not been entirely successful at finding an identity for himself (the feelings of guilt and shame I was suggesting in the previous paragraph). But isn't another part of it that, whatever the narrator wants to claim as his own identity, there is an external society (both the Native Americans on the reservation where he grew up and the larger white society outside) that makes assumptions about him and sometimes interferes with him being accepted as the person he wants to be? In other words, might he have an idea who he is, while the rest of society is trying to define his identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes? Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Genevieve Gibbons -- Views of Nature in Art "My bad" for not catching the "left-over" title from the first paper assignment, although I guess you could make it fit here too if you think "human nature" at the individual level (!) I was hoping that you would address *both* the Martha Redbone performance and the Sherman Alexie short story "One Good Man" in this paper. But I see you don't mention the story at all. That's a shame because there are definite differences and contrasts that you could draw out. Even in your discussion of the performance, I think there are some aspects that you are not taking into account. You say "I think that people can create personal identities apart from where they and their family come from" and I mostly agree with that. But isn't another part of it that, whatever someone wants to claim as his or her own identity, there is an external society (like the census takers in that song you mention from Martha Redbone's performance) that makes assumptions about them and sometimes interferes with them being accepted as the people they want to be? In other words, might someone have an idea who he or she is, while the rest of society is trying to define their identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes? That's the other side of the equation that you aren't really acknowledging, but that is a part of the lived experience of a lot of people. Paper 2 grade: 85 (B) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Lily Droesch -- personal identity This is a very good improvement over the first draft and I like the fact that you have put your finger on an important and interesting subtext in "One Good Man" -- namely the idea that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question posed by the narrator could be a feeling of guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life could be read as choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular by not living on the reservation and contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up -- sort of the same thing that the professor Dr. Crowell was trying to get at, in fact!). I would say that there's also pretty clearly no element of that sort of guilt in Martha Redbone's performance. But maybe that is because she feels that she has actually found strong connections with her family's past and she wants to showcase that part of her identity through her singing and music-making. Another point to consider: whatever the narrator of "One Good Man" or Martha Redbone want to claim as their own identities, there is an external society that makes assumptions about them and sometimes interferes with them being the people they wants to be? In other words, each of them might have an idea who they are, but the rest of society is trying to define their identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes, and they have to deal with that too. This point was made pretty strongly in Martha Redbone's performance in the song satirizing the way the census takers treated her family in the past! Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Joe Lang -- Reflection Paper Why do you think that the narrator in "One Good Man" keeps coming back to that question "What is an Indian?" It could be just that he has just not been entirely successful at finding an identity for himself. But isn't another part of it that, whatever the narrator wants to claim as his own identity, there is an external society (both the Native Americans on the reservation where he grew up and the larger white society outside) that makes assumptions about him and sometimes interferes with him being seen as the person he wants to be? In other words, might he have an idea who he is, while the rest of society is trying to define his identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes? I would say that it is pretty clear that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question is a sense of shame and guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life might seem to be choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular since he has chosen not to live on the reservation and he is in effect contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up). He might feel that way himself, in fact. The fact that his ex-wife is now married to a white man and they are raising his son is almost certainly another source of shame and guilt, although I think you would have to say that he deals with that situation in a reasonable and adult way. One comment: In discussing your own family background, you take a pretty substantial paragraph describing the ways everyone in your family is so similar, and then you say "I do not base who I am off of the person anyone in my family was or is, but I do believe that I am a product of the environment that those people created for me to mature in." Even if you don't consciously choose to be like the other people in your family, I think they have probably been a *big* influence. I would be surprised if you have you have effectively chosen to fit in out of a sense of admiration for one or more of your relatives or out of a desire to emulate who they are. This might not seem like a big distinction, but my point is that there has probably been somewhat less individual choice on your part than you might think when you say "I base my personal identity off of the activities I participate in, who I surround myself with, and my actions in situations where I am challenged." Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Kyle Copeland -- Self Identity I was hoping that you would address *both* the Martha Redbone performance and the Sherman Alexie short story "One Good Man" in this paper. But I see you don't mention the story at all. That's a shame because there are definite differences and contrasts, as well as similarities, that you could draw out. Even in your discussion of the performance, I think there are some aspects that you are not taking into account. You say "personal identity is how you perceive yourself" and I mostly agree with that. But isn't another part of it that, whatever someone wants to claim as his or her own identity, there is an external society (like the census takers in that semi-humorous song from Martha Redbone's performance) that makes assumptions about them and sometimes interferes with them being accepted as the people they want to be? In other words, might someone have an idea who he or she is, while the rest of society is trying to define their identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes? That's the other side of the equation that you aren't really acknowledging, but that is a part of the lived experience of a lot of people. I think it's probably even a big part of your own experience from what you said in the last section of your paper. Thanks for sharing that. Paper 2 grade: 85 (B) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Logan Milliken -- Creation of a Personal Identity "Loss of identity" is an interesting way to describe the narrator's situation in "One Good Man" and I agree that that is a pretty good description of the situation he finds himself in in the story. I think you could say more, though, about how that affects him and how the events of the story illustrate that. For instance, I would say that it is pretty clear that at least part of the reason for the repeated "What is an Indian?" question posed by the narrator is a feeling of guilt on his part. He realizes that his choices in life could be read by others as choices to deny his Native American heritage (in particular by not living on the reservation and contributing to the "brain drain" out of the community where he grew up as you mention). He might feel that way himself, in fact. The fact that his ex-wife is now married to a white man and they are raising his son is almost certainly another source of shame and guilt, although I think you would have to say that he deals with that situation in a reasonable and adult way. You say "A person can form whatever identify they feel best suits them" and I agree with that up to a point. But isn't another part of it that, whatever someone wants to claim as his or her own identity, there is an external society (for the narrator of "One Good Man" that would be both the Native Americans on the reservation where he grew up and the larger white society outside) that makes assumptions about them and sometimes interferes with them being accepted as the people they want to be? In other words, might someone have an idea who he or she is, while the rest of society is trying to define their identity and character in different ways using stereotypes and negative attitudes? That's the other side of the equation that you aren't really acknowledging, but that is a part of the lived experience of a lot of people. You point out incidents from the story that touch on a lot of these issues but you never really come out and explicitly say what you think they mean and how they relate to the theme of developing or losing an identity. A small point -- the author of "One Good Man" is Sherman Alexie, not Alexis. Paper 2 grade: 92 (A-)