Identity in E-LitMain MenuIntroduction"Pieces of Herself"The first work of E-Lit with a theme of identity that we are showcasing is "Pieces of Herself" by Juliet Davis. The author of this path is Colin Crago."Fitting the Pattern"The second identity-themed E-Lit work is "Fitting the Pattern" by Christine Wilks. The author of this path is Kalan Hurdle."My Body - a Wunderkammer"The third E-lit work that has a theme of identity is “My Body - a Wunderkammer” by Shelly Jackson. Jackson embodies this theme through exemplifying the relationship a woman has with her body and how it adds to her identity. The author of this path is Freddie SanabriaAbout the AuthorsWorks CitedColin Cragobde30c21d820ae3e63a45de198178f1f4a0b4b8cKalan Hurdle72777df5ad8a17476da8fe9a899e5ebfb5327de1Freddie Sanabriad21117d75d281156e3dfd2b31c08ce24052b98b5
12017-11-14T22:06:57-08:00Theme in "My Body - a Wunderkammer"11plain2017-11-19T00:07:25-08:00The theme that is present in “My Body - a Wunderkammer” is that a woman’s body is her identity, but not in the way that society believes it to be. Jackson’s work describes how every part of her body has a story that adds to her identity. Whereas society makes it seem that a woman’s identity is simply her body, Jackson argues this by showing that her identity is within her body and that each body part represents a part of her identity. Her muscular shoulders, she describes with pride because it is a result of swimming and tennis. Muscles are typically associated with men since it is considered more “masculine”, yet Jackson is prideful because it shows a part of her identity since it is a result of her sports-playing. Too many times is a woman asked to suppress her "masculine" aspects and be more "feminine" whether it be physically or otherwise. As Rosemary Balsam's article, Intergrating Male and Female Elements in a Woman's Gender Identity, states that "...in order for a woman to claim femininity according to this early theory, her masculine trends in development must be repudiated and 'overcome'." Instead of "overcoming" her masculine trends though, Jackson highlights them since they are a part of who she identifies as.“...I knew the womanly hip was supposed to be a desirable entity… My hip was an indeterminate straight stretch connecting my stomach to my legs. There was nothing to linger over” (Jackson). Jackson also doesn’t let society define who she is and reassures the reader that her hip is simply a part of her body and lets herself choose what parts of her body should be used to identify her and tell her story of how she got those features or aspects.