Identity is not something that can simply be explained in a few words. There are a variety of factors that can constitute a person's identity: family, friends, culture, environment, hobbies, interests, and gender are just a few. Many people use these factors to identify themselves. For example, someone can introduce themselves as a parent or a son/daughter, a Christian or an atheist, a woman or a man. Some may identify with their profession or with a certain organization. However one chooses to present oneself, it is certain that a person's identity cannot be summed up in a single word, although a stable identity (or set of identities) can be a source of comfort and stability. It's safe to say that people are safer when they are comfortable with their identity, but what happens when certain identity factors are removed?Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay This is what happens to Daniel Quinn's character in Paul Auster's City of Glass. In this story, the theme of identity is brilliantly woven throughout the story. It's obvious that the concept of identity is Daniel Quinn's biggest struggle from the beginning, and it lasts until the end of the story; at this point he is a completely changed person. Quinn's identity is made up of several different factors: her father, her husband, and her writer. The story begins after his wife and son pass away from an unspecified cause and lands on a version of Daniel Quinn who seems lethargic, hopeless, and aimless. This proves that if we lose these key factors of ourselves, we can eventually lose the very core of our identity. The true identity of Daniel Quinn immediately appears very biased: “A part of him was dead” (3). He walked around his apartment naked and his life was meaningless. Quinn gets the opportunity to take on a whole new identity when he starts receiving calls from Virginia Stillman. She asks for a man named Paul Auster, a name Quinn had never heard before. Having nothing better to do, Quinn accepts the mission and introduces himself to Virginia Paul Auster. Quinn's own life wasn't enough for him at the time: pretending to be "Detective" Paul Auster allowed him to transform into someone else and served as a distraction from his real life. Early on, the idea that Daniel Quinn had many personal identities is presented: “He was now writing detective stories under the name William Wilson. Quinn existed only for himself” (3). This story takes place in New York City, described as “a labyrinth of endless stages” (4). By representing the maze and the fingerprint side by side, we imply that these two elements are linked: the fingerprint is a widely known symbol of identity. Comparing it to a maze, Quinn's identity is established as something very complicated; something that consists of many twists and turns. Throughout the rest of the graphic novel, the complexity of identity is illustrated through different symbols. When Quinn first meets Peter Stillman, Peter enters the room in a sort of daze, and it quickly becomes clear that Quinn isn't the only one who has a strange relationship with his identity: "I'm Peter Stillman. That’s not my real name” (16). He goes on to say, “I’m new every day. I am born when I wake up in the morning, I grow old during the day and I die at night” (18). This brings back the idea that the definition of identity throughout.