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  • Essay / The Development of Character Identity in Contemporary British Literature

    In the film “Everyday,” the main character is a person who wakes up in a different body every day. They never wake up in the same body twice and never know which body they are going to next. It's always a mystery what kind of mood or feelings they will have, because they don't really know who they are as a person. Throughout contemporary British literature, poets and authors use narrators who tell their own stories and life experiences to discover their true identities. Margaret Atwood, furthermore, uses the external environment to influence the individuality of the characters in the short story “Death by Landscape”. In the poem "In the Origin", Carol Ann Duffy gives the characters distinctive characteristics through life experiences, similar to Duffy's Scottish immigration. In the poem “This is a Photograph of Me,” Margret Atwood also gives a character the ability to look at themselves in a different way than they did before their death. Overall, authors and poets use many factors to help the character find their identity throughout the story or poem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In Atwood's short story, she begins by giving Lois the environment she needs to recognize herself in "Death by Landscape." Additionally, when she was at the camp, the environment around her was better than it was at home, where she lived. Lucy realizes that "it would be nice not to go back there" when they sleep outside under the stars. The dynamic characterization forces Lois to realize that she is free at camp and that she is on the right path to finding her true, happy self. Meanwhile, Lois has a lot more freedom while at camp because her parents aren't constantly watching and controlling her. After Lois "travels here, through all of this water, with nothing to propel them but their own arms", she realizes how capable of many activities she is. It's ironic because Lois had two camp counselors who were always watching the girls and she doesn't have as much freedom as if she were alone, but has a lot more than at home, which allows her to understand what makes her happy . The framework in which Atwood places Lois further gives her the independence she needs to truly find her own identity. When the girls “begged to be able to sleep outside,” it showed their counselors that they were responsible. Through indirect character development, Atwood shows Lois to be more independent rather than just telling the reader. Overall, the setting plays a key role in how authors deepen the understanding of their characters. In "Originally", Duffy also uses a narrator who has a life-changing experience that will later change the character's identity. . Additionally, Duffy uses the traumatic experience of immigration to tell the story of a young narrator on her journey of personal growth. “As the miles rush toward the city,” immigrants are already missing their country and their home. This flashback of this frightening journey illustrates the speaker's memory of the sorrow he felt upon leaving his own home. Likewise, often when people move to a new place, they want to return to the house they grew up in, but they find it difficult to return. They arrive in a new country with all their belongings.