identity essay themes

93 Personal Identity Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best personal identity topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ interesting topics to write about personal identity, ✅ simple & easy personal identity essay titles, ❓ research questions about identity.

• Personal Identity Under the Influence of Community In other words, how individuals are raised in society is essential in facilitating the ability to predict the conduct and even future roles within the group. The community values that are embraced and respected are […]
• Personal Information Use and Identity Theft The study provided a national scale analysis of identity theft patterns in the United States between 2002 and 2006. The form of government documentation and benefits of fraud have contributed to the increase in identity […]
• Music Role in Personal and Social Identities Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to answer the question ‘How does music contribute to personal and social identities?’ In answering this question, the paper will develop a comprehensive analysis of a number of […]
• Exploring a Personal Identity: What Defines Me as an Individual However, due to openness to new ideas and the ability to retain my cultural values, I have managed to shape my personal identity in a unique way that included both the core values of my […]
• Bernard Williams The Self and the Future and Psychological Continuity Theory of Personal Identity The researches and ideas of Bernard Williams are focused on the necessity of personal awareness about the experiment; “they [Person A and Person B] may even have been impressed by philosophical arguments to the effect […]
• Personal Identity & Self-Reflection In the reflection, Ivan examined his past life and the values that he had lived by in all of his life.
• Respect and Self-Respect: Impact on Interpersonal Relationships and Personal Identity It is fundamental to human nature to want to be heard and listened to.indicates that when you listen to what other people say, you show them respect at the basic level.
• Recognizing Homosexuality as a Personal Identity According to Freud, all human beings are inherently bisexual, and homosexuality results from a malfunction in the process of sexual development.
• Personal Identity and Teletransportation Moreover, according to his views, one soul can live in several bodies in different lives, which resembles the concept of reincarnation, but at the same time, a person is not the same.
• Personal Identity Description The topic of personal identity has been presenting a matter of interest for numerous philosophers throughout the whole history of humanity.
• Leisure and Consumption: Cell Phones and Personal Identity Foley, Holzman, and Wearing aim to confirm the improvement of the quality of human experiences in public spaces through the application of cell phones.
• Personal Troubles: Deviance and Identity It is therefore a violation of social norms and failure to conform to these norms that are entrenched in the culture of the society.
• The Trouble Distinguishing Personal Identity From Perception of Reality The play of Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman is a brilliant example of how perception of reality influences personal identity.
• Sexuality and Personal Identity Deployment by Foucault Thesis Statement: Foucault suggests that the “deployment” of sexuality is closely connected with the deployment of integrity, which is the main principle of the social and political welfare of the state.
• Cultural and Personal Identity: Mothers and Shadows Memory knots, as the term, have been employed to refer to sites of humanity, sites in time, and sites of physical matter or geography.
• Importance of Personal Identity The first stated that the continuity of personality is reliant on the sameness of the body, while the opposing view proclaimed that only the sameness of the soul could signify the sameness of a person.
• Personal Identity Change and Identification Acts It appears that, instead of being referred to as the agent of ‘identity change’, the act of ‘identification’ should be discussed as one among many strategies, deployed by people on the way of trying to […]
• Influence of the Fashion Attributes on the Social Status and Personal Identity In the end, the primary goal of the paper is to propose the suitable methodology and analysis of the information to find the relevant answer to the research question.
• Music and the Construction of Personal and Social Identities Despite the relative difference between the current and the past music experience, it is clear that music has increasingly been used in the construction of the youths’ identities.
• A.A. Bronson’s Through the Looking Glass: His Personal Identity as a Canadian Artist Thus, his work Through the Looking Glass is the one of the best works that reflect the author’s vision of reality and the one that reflects the author’s sense of Canadian identity.
• Locke and Hume’s Discussions of the Idea of Personal Identity He argues that, the identity of a soul alone in an embryo of man is one and same that is the identity of it in a fully grown up man.
• Ship of Theseus and Personal Identity Regarding the Ship of Theseus, the ship changed a lot but it remained the same in terms of its properties. Equally, Y could be said to be the same as Z in terms of properties.
• Human Freedom and Personal Identity In demonstrating a working knowledge of psychoanalysis theory of consciousness and personal identity it is clear that being conscious of my personal endowments, gifts and talents, in addition to the vast know how and skill […]
• Psychological Foundations Behind Personal Identity
• Behind the Scenes: The Effects of Acting on Personal Identity
• Psychology: Personal Identity and Self Awareness
• The Personal Identity and the Psychology for the Child Development
• Defining Yourself and Personal Identity in Philosophy
• Personal Identity Challenges and Survival
• Cultural Diversity, Racial Intolerance, and Personal Identity
• Identification Process: Personal Contiguity and Personal Identity
• Personal Identity and Career Management
• Habits: Bridging the Gap Between Personhood and Personal Identity
• Personal Identity and Psychological Continuity
• Gender Roles and Personal Identity
• Personal Identity and Social Identity: What’s the Difference
• Three Theories of Personal Identity: The Body Theory, Soul Theory, and the Conscious Theory
• Personal Identity and the Definition of One’s Self
• Creative Industries and Personal Identity
• Psychological Continuity Theory of Personal Identity
• Generation Gap: Family Stories and Personal Identity
• How Antidepressants Affect Selfhood, Teenage Sexuality, and Personal Identity
• Personal Identity, Ethics, Relation, and Rationality
• Philosophical Views for Personal Identity, Inventory, and Reflection
• The Role and Importance of Personal Identity in Philosophy
• Personal Identity and Its Effect on Pre-procedural Anxiety
• Self-Discovery, Social Identity, and Personal Identity
• Psychological Continuity: Personal, Ethnic and Cultural Identity
• Person and Immortality: Personal Identity and Afterlife
• Cultural Norms, Language, and Personal Identity
• Socialization, Personal Identity, Gender Identity, and Terrorism
• Personal Identity: Bundle and Ego Theory
• Society and the Importance of a Unique Personal Identity
• Political Issues Through Personal Identity
• Conflict Between Personal Identity and Public Image
• Difference Between Personal Identity and Online Identity
• Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Personal Identity: Ethical Consideration
• Personal Identity and Psychological Reductionism
• Bodily, Psychological and Personal Identity
• Memory Role in Personal Identity
• Unique and Different Types of Personal Identity
• Capabilities and Personal Identity: Using Sen to Explain Personal Identity in Folbre’s ‘Structures of Constraint’ Analysis
• Genetic Memory and Personal Identity
• Does Group Identity Prevent Inefficient Investment in Outside Options?
• Does Student Exchange Program Involve a Nations Identity?
• How America Hinders the Cultural Identity of Their Own Citizens?
• Are Education Issues Identity Issues?
• Are Persons With Dissociative Identity Disorder Responsible for Bad?
• How Do Advertisers Shape the Identity, Values, and Beliefs of Any Culture?
• What Factors Affect the Development of Ego Identity?
• Can Social Identity Theory Address the Ethnocentric Tendencies of Consumers?
• How Are Adolescents Responsible for Their Own Identity?
• Did the Mongols Create a More Diverse Islamic Identity?
• Why Corporate and White Collar Crimes Rarely Dealt in Criminal Courts Culture and Identity?
• What’s the Relationship Between Communication and Identity?
• Does Globalization Affect Our Culture Identity?
• What Does Ethnicity Affect a Person’s Identity?
• Does Trauma Shape Identity?
• What Does Identity Tell Us About Someone?
• How Beauty Standards Have Shaped Women’s Identity?
• How Has Bisexuality Been an Ambiguous Sexual Identity?
• What Does Identity Mean?
• How and Why Does Ethnic Identity Affect the Idea of ‘Beauty’ Cross-Culturally?
• Can Consumption and Branding Be Considered a Part of a Person’s Identity?
• What Has Caused Britain to Lose Its Sense of Identity?
• How Antidepressants Affect Selfhood, Teenage Sexuality, and Our Quest for Personal Identity?
• Does Identity Affect Aspirations in Rural India?
• Do Identity Contingencies Affect More Than Just One Race?
• Does Identity Incompatibility Lead to Disidentification?
• Does Social Inequality Affect a Person’s Identity?
• Why Is Identity Important in Education?
• Can People Choose Their Identity?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Essays About Identity: 18 Writing Prompts for Students

Get inspiration for your essays about identity with these 18 inspiring writing prompts.

There are many times when a student needs to write an essay. Many colleges will ask for a personal essay when entering college, and the topic may be open-ended for these projects. You may also be asked to write a “who am I” essay for this.

Who am I essays are a great opportunity for self-reflection. You can delve into what makes you tick and what actions have defined your character over the years. Writing these essays also allows you to showcase your writing skills. However, this is one place where you have to do the writing yourself, not ask for help from a writing service with professional writers because you need to write about your own life and your experiences. Someone else cannot do this for you.

Essays about who am I can be challenging to write because they are so open-ended. Unless you have a clear direction from the assignment, you may need to get a little creative with the direction you take this essay. Here are some sample essay topics that deeply explore “who am I.” Consider using one to start your ideas flowing as you create an excellent personal essay.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

1. I Am a Good Leader

2.  exploring my future, 3. who i want to be, 4. who i am and how i change, 5. my likes and dislikes, 6. my worldview, 7. how i am similar to my father/mother, 8. who i am in three words, 9. i am a survivor, 10. my ethnicity, 11. i am more than just good grades, 12. my bravest moment, 13. how my childhood experiences made me, 14. i am a good friend, 15. why i will succeed, 16. i am a product of my choices, 17. i am a failure (and what i learned from it), 18. i am my role in the family.

Depending on the purpose of your who am I essay, describing your leadership skills could be a great option. You could explain how your life experiences have transformed you into someone with strong leadership potential. You could explore the character traits that lend themselves well to leadership.

This essay topic has a lot of room for interpretation. For example, even if you don’t see yourself as a leader, you might have much leadership potential when you dig into your character. So, pull out that leadership and build it into a personal essay.

This personal essay topic allows you to explore what you anticipate for your future. If you are writing an essay in high school as part of the college application process, you can incorporate why you are a good fit for the school into this essay to help your essay stand out.

When exploring your future in an essay, be sure to explore who you are as a person and why your future goals make sense based on your character traits and passions. This self-reflection will make for a powerful essay.

Not all who I am essays need to be about who you currently are. Instead, you can write a powerful essay about the person you hope to become. Every human being has tremendous potential, and you can showcase that potential in an essay sample.

Think about your character traits and life goals. What could you do with those traits to reach those goals? Exploring these ideas could create a strong essay example.

The human experience is all about change. We change as we grow and develop into more mature individuals. You could explore how you change in an essay that would talk about how your growth and development make you into a better person.

Exploring things that are the catalyst for change in your life can be a good starting point for a personal essay. Since you are unique, your changes will come from a different place than other people. There is quite a bit to talk about with this topic.

Your likes and dislikes are what make you who you are. If you are focused on personal essay writing, this can be a good place to start. Because you have many things that you like or do not like, this can be a lengthy essay topic idea.

Go beyond the surface here. While you could talk about foods you like and dislike, is there something deeper you could explore? Are there particular topics that inspire you and others that turn you away? The answers to these questions will help you explore this essay topic.

A worldview is a platform through which you view the world, politics, and social concerns. It could be religious, sociological, or even ethical. Spending time figuring out your worldview helps you understand your way of relating to the world.

Once you know what your worldview is, you will be able to expound on it in your essay. Explain what you believe, but also explain why. Being able to support your reasons with self-reflection and logic will make your final essay exceptional.

Do you take after one of your parents? Compare your character traits to theirs to see how you connect. Seeing yourself in another person is a great way to reflect on what makes you, you.

Again, this is a place to dig deep. Look beyond the surface like physical characteristics and look at your character traits and how they are similar to your parent. You might find that you have quite a bit in common as you start analyzing the answer to this question.

Can you describe yourself in just three words? This essay topic is an exercise in brevity, giving you the chance to hone in on who you are. But, of course, an essay is not just three words.

Once you decide what your three words are, you can expound on them. For example, if one of your words is “student,” you can explore what that means. Likewise, if you choose to state your race, you can discuss why that is a defining feature.

Have you survived something traumatic in your life? If so, you could write an engaging essay about how you are a survivor. Many people who go through traumatic circumstances suffer a victim mentality, but you could focus on how you are choosing to be a survivor, not a victim.

Focus on the trail a little, but discuss how the trial has grown you as a person. You can show in your essay how you can move past difficulties and embrace the change that they bring. This essay can clearly show your resistance as a human being.

A person’s ethnicity is an important part of who they are. This can be an engaging essay topic, as it gives you the chance to celebrate your ethnicity, beliefs, and family history.

This topic is quite fascinating to delve into, but be careful. You do not want to come across as being fully defined by your race alone. Be sure to weave other character traits into this particular essay topic so that you come across as a well-rounded, balanced person. Remember, your ethnicity is just a portion of who you are as a whole person.

The academic world often gets too focused on grades and reports. While grades are important, you should be more than just a grade card. Hard work should matter just as much as the actual score, especially if you have some challenges that make learning and test-taking more difficult.

If you are more than just good grades, what does define you? When writing this essay, make sure you define your character traits in a positive light. Keep the essay upbeat and show how your hard work will define you even when grades do not.

Is there a time when you expressed a significant amount of bravery? It does not have to be a mountaintop rescue or a near-death experience. It could be as simple as standing up in front of a class for the first time to deliver a speech.

Find an example of bravery from your life and expound on it in your essay. Explain what made you feel afraid and how you overcame the fear to do something truly brave. Use this exploration to showcase some characteristics that help you act bravely in frightening situations.

Most people have quite a bit of development from their personal childhood experiences. Can you find some of these and point to specific ways they influenced your character as an adult? This idea could be a great way to explore who you are today.

Are you a social person because you spent a lot of time with people when you were young? Are you more introverted because you did not? You might find that your childhood significantly impacts your character, giving you an engaging essay topic to explore.

If you are a good friend to others, it says quite a bit about your character. Can you showcase how you are a good friend to others in your essay? What makes you someone people want to spend time with?

Character traits that make you a good friend can also make you a good student. Are you trustworthy or particularly friendly? These traits will help you in the classroom and your social life, so highlight them in your essay.

Do you picture yourself as a success in the future? If so, explain why in your essay. For example, you may think that you will succeed in starting your own business . Or maybe you have specific skills that make you confident of your abilities in the classroom.

Showing your confidence in your essay is helpful as you try to promote yourself to your potential college or your high school teacher. First, spend some time evaluating what it is about you that means you are likely to succeed, then compile that into an essay that shows your skills in the best possible light.

Our choices define us. Can you turn that into an essay topic? Can you showcase how your choices have created the person you are today, or can you write about one particular choice that was defining in your life?

This essay topic gives you quite a bit of time for self-reflection. You can easily highlight a particularly good choice you made or focus on a mistake and how you overcame the consequences of that mistake. Either way, you can use the choices in your life to outline who you are and why.

We all have failures in our life. This essay topic shocks the reader and gets their attention, which can make it powerful, but it also gives room to discuss failure positively. Talk about one of the biggest failures you have had in life and what you learned from it.

You can use this essay topic to transform something negative into something positive. First, think about how that monumental failure defined you and how the lessons you learned from the failure have made you a better person today.

Are you a parent, sibling, or child? Are you the only child or one of many? These family dynamics can significantly impact who you are as a person, so consider exploring them as part of your essay.

Discuss how your role within your family has defined you and what it means for your future. Focus on the strengths that your role gave you rather than any drawbacks. Remember, your essay promotes you as a person and a writer, so keep it positive.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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106 Cultural Identity Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Cultural identity is a concept that refers to the sense of belonging and identification individuals have with a particular culture or ethnic group. It plays a significant role in shaping one's values, beliefs, traditions, and behaviors. Writing an essay on cultural identity allows individuals to explore and understand their own cultural backgrounds, as well as those of others. To help you get started, here are 106 cultural identity essay topic ideas and examples:

• Exploring the concept of cultural identity.
• How does cultural identity impact an individual's perspective on the world?
• The role of language in cultural identity.
• The influence of cultural identity on personal relationships.
• The impact of globalization on cultural identity.
• The challenges faced by individuals with a multicultural background.
• How cultural identity shapes one's perception of beauty.
• The connection between cultural identity and self-esteem.
• The portrayal of cultural identity in literature and art.
• The impact of cultural identity on educational achievements.
• How cultural identity affects one's career choices.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping political opinions.
• The influence of cultural identity on religious beliefs and practices.
• The impact of cultural identity on gender roles and expectations.
• The challenges of maintaining cultural identity in a foreign country.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping fashion trends.
• The impact of cultural identity on food and cuisine.
• The connection between cultural identity and music preferences.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping sports and athleticism.
• The influence of cultural identity on parenting styles and values.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards health and wellness.
• The impact of cultural identity on social media usage.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping travel preferences.
• The connection between cultural identity and environmental attitudes.
• The influence of cultural identity on communication styles.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards technology.
• The impact of cultural identity on social justice and activism.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping concepts of time and punctuality.
• The connection between cultural identity and storytelling traditions.
• The influence of cultural identity on celebrations and holidays.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards marriage and family.
• The impact of cultural identity on body image and beauty standards.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping leadership styles.
• The connection between cultural identity and historical narratives.
• The influence of cultural identity on funeral and mourning practices.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards disability and inclusion.
• The impact of cultural identity on concepts of privacy and personal space.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards immigration.
• The connection between cultural identity and social class.
• The influence of cultural identity on leisure and recreational activities.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards mental health and therapy.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of justice and fairness.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping concepts of beauty and attractiveness.
• The connection between cultural identity and social media activism.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards climate change.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards animal rights and conservation.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of technology and innovation.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards entrepreneurship.
• The connection between cultural identity and political engagement.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards globalization.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards multiculturalism and diversity.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of patriotism and national identity.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards immigration policy.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural appropriation.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural preservation.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural assimilation.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural imperialism.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural exchange.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural relativism.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural heritage.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural diplomacy.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural authenticity.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural tourism.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural genocide.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural nationalism.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural diversity.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural appropriation in fashion.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural preservation in architecture.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural exchange in music.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural assimilation in literature.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural imperialism in media.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural authenticity in food.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural heritage in museums.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural relativism in philosophy.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural diplomacy in politics.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural diversity in education.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural appropriation in art.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural preservation in language.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural exchange in dance.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural assimilation in film.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural imperialism in literature.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural authenticity in fashion.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural heritage in music.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural relativism in history.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural diplomacy in sports.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural diversity in the workplace.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural appropriation in music.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural preservation in theater.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural exchange in visual arts.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural assimilation in cuisine.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural imperialism in architecture.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural authenticity in literature.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural heritage in film.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural relativism in music.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural diplomacy in fashion.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural diversity in media.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural appropriation in theater.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural preservation in film.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural exchange in literature.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural assimilation in visual arts.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural imperialism in music.
• The impact of cultural identity on perceptions of cultural authenticity in theater.
• The role of cultural identity in shaping attitudes towards cultural heritage in dance.
• The connection between cultural identity and attitudes towards cultural relativism in fashion.
• The influence of cultural identity on attitudes towards cultural diplomacy in literature.
• How cultural identity affects attitudes towards cultural diversity in politics.

These cultural identity essay topic ideas and examples offer a wide range of options for exploring the intricate aspects of cultural identity. Remember to choose a topic that resonates with your personal experiences, interests, and perspectives. Good luck with your essay!

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Alternative Pathways to a Career in Computer Science

Recent posts, subscribe here, more expert advice, let's get existential: how to write a college essay about identity.

When you’re a teenager, you’re probably too busy to sit down and think about your own identity. No one exactly assigns you “introspection time” as homework (though, if you’re my student, this has very likely happened). So when you start working on your college essays, it might be the first time you truly start thinking about how you can express who you are in a way that will help a group of strangers understand something about you. Let’s be honest—it feels like a lot of pressure to sum up your identity in 250 words or less. But we’re here to help.

There are many different types of application essays you’ll need to write, as my colleague Annie so perfectly laid out here . But we’re going to talk about one type in particular: the essays about identity and diversity. These are powerful college essays that give admissions officers an opportunity to glimpse into your daily life and understand your unique experiences. For some students, though, these essays can be daunting to think about and write.  

Ever wonder why colleges are asking these questions? Well, the simple answer is that they want to get to know you more. Aside from your academic interests, your activities, and your accomplishments in the classroom, there really isn’t that much space to talk about things like your ethnic background, religion, gender identity, or local community. And these are things colleges want to know about you, too!

How Do You Write a Good Identity and Diversity Essay?

Before you start writing, let’s define a few terms you might run into while drafting your college essays about identity and diversity.

Who are you? I know what you’re thinking—it’s way too early in the morning to get this existential. I hear you. But let’s break this down. Identity is made up of many qualities: personality, culture, ethnic or racial background, sexual orientation, gender, physical ability, and linguistic background, among others. Maybe you identify really strongly with the religion on Mom’s side of the family, but not Dad’s. Maybe you speak a language not typical of folks from your culture. Maybe you have recently come into your gender identity and finally feel like yourself. Why is that identity important to the way you define who you are? Think of it like this: If you’ve met someone new, and your goal is to help them get to know you in the shortest amount of time possible, how would you be able to accomplish this? What’s your tagline? That’s how you’ll want to tackle this type of college essay.

Diversity  

One individual person can’t be diverse. But when a college is referring to diversity, they’re usually looking to their student body and asking how you, as an individual with your own identity, can add to their diversity. What experiences have you had in your life that might help you make the student body more diverse? Have you dealt with dyslexia and come to terms with how best to learn, keeping your abilities in mind? If so, how can you contribute to other students who might learn differently? Did you grow up as the oldest of 10 siblings and have to take care of them on a daily basis? What kind of responsibilities did you have and how did that influence you? These don’t need to be visible qualities. The goal of the diversity college essay is to understand how these identifying factors can help you contribute to a school in a way they haven’t seen before.  

Let’s define community. You may associate it with the city or neighborhood you live in. But a community doesn’t have to be geographical. It doesn’t even have to be formal. Community can come from that sense of connection you have with like-minded people. It can be built with people you’ve shared experiences with. So, when we think of community in this sense, we could be thinking about the community that exists within your apartment complex. We could be thinking about the youth group at your mosque. We could be thinking about your little group of artists within your science and tech magnet school. Think about what communities you are a part of, and be prepared to talk about your place within them.

You might think that these questions are only being asked by small liberal arts schools—but that’s not true. Bigger schools and colleges also want to get to know all of the thousands of students they’re bringing to campus as part of their class.

Big Name Colleges that Care About Diversity

To give you a glimpse of the variety, here are a few examples of college essays where these identity and diversity may come into play:

University of Michigan

“Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.”

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

“Expand on an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?”

Pomona College

“Tell us about an experience when you dealt with disagreement or conflict around different perspectives within a community.”

Sarah Lawrence College

“Sarah Lawrence College's community places strong value in inclusion and diversity. In 250-500 words, tell us about what you value in a community and how your perspective, lived experiences, or beliefs might contribute to your College community.”

Remember what these colleges are trying to understand: who you are and what has influenced you to become the person you are today (identity), where you come from (community), and how you might be able to add to the diversity of their college campus. Once you really get to the core and understand the intent of these types of college essays, you’ll absolutely be able to write in an earnest and genuine way. We say this frequently at Collegewise, but it’s worth repeating here, especially when it comes to essays about identity and diversity. Just be yourself.

About Us:  With more than twenty years of experience, Collegewise counselors and tutors are at the forefront of the ever-evolving admissions landscape. Our work has always centered on you: the student. And just like we’ve always done, we look for ways for you to be your best self - whether it’s in the classroom, in your applications or in the right-fit college environment. Our range of tools include  counseling ,  test prep ,  academic tutoring , and essay management, all with the support of our proprietary platform , leading to a 4x higher than average admissions rates. 

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Identity Writing Prompts: Explore Themes of Self-Discovery

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

– Unveiling the Layers Within: Dive into Identity Writing Prompts to Uncover Your True Self

– a journey of reflection: write about your background and how it has shaped your identity, a journey of reflection: write about ‍your background and how it ⁤has shaped your ⁣identity, embracing the present: explore identity writing prompts to discover who you are now, – boundaries and beyond: delve into identity writing prompts to explore your limitations and potential, boundaries and beyond: delve into⁣ identity writing prompts to explore your limitations and potential, -​ unmasking your passions: use identity writing ⁤prompts to uncover your true desires, unmasking your passions: use identity writing prompts⁢ to uncover your true desires, – owning your narrative: express yourself freely with identity writing prompts, – embracing ‌authenticity: how identity writing prompts can ⁣help you live your truth, – navigating cultural identity: discovering who⁢ you are through writing‍ prompts, frequently asked questions, concluding remarks.

Identity writing prompts offer⁢ a transformative journey⁢ into the ‍depths of one’s being. With each layer that we uncover, we gain a ‍deeper understanding of ourselves, our values, and our true passions. These prompts act as mirrors, reflecting our innermost thoughts and emotions, enabling us​ to explore and express the multifaceted nature of our identities.

Embark on this introspective ‍adventure and prepare to explore uncharted territories within your own mind. Let the power of the written word guide you as ‌you peel back the layers and discover the essence ‍of your true ⁢self. Here are some thought-provoking ‌identity writing prompts to ignite‍ your creativity:

• 1.‍ Embracing Diversity: Write about a time when​ you felt truly connected to someone from⁢ a different culture or background. How did this experience shape your understanding of ‌identity and ​broaden your perspective?
• 2. Defining Moments: Describe a significant‌ event or encounter that ⁢changed your perception of yourself. How did this pivotal moment contribute to your growth and transformation?
• 3. Masks and Authenticity: Explore the masks you⁢ wear in ‌different facets of your ​life. Reflect on how these masks influence the way you ⁢perceive yourself and how others perceive you. How does embracing authenticity impact your sense of identity?
• 4.‍ Nature versus Nurture: Examine the interplay between nature and nurture ⁤in shaping your identity. How ⁣have your genetic makeup and life experiences ​molded you ⁢into the person you are today?
• 5. Uncovering Passions: Delve into your ​passions and ‍interests that make ⁤you feel most alive. How do these activities or hobbies reflect your true self and contribute to your sense of identity?

Allow these prompts to guide your introspective writing. Through self-reflection and examination, you⁤ will navigate the intricate layers of your identity, gaining a profound understanding‍ of who you are and what drives you. Embrace this creative process and be open to ‍the revelations that lie within.

As I reflect⁣ on my journey and explore the ⁤path that has led me to where I ​am today, I cannot help but ‌acknowledge the‍ immense impact my background has had on my identity. Born and raised in a ⁢small, close-knit ‌community ⁤nestled in the heart⁤ of the countryside, nature has become an integral part of my upbringing. The ‌vast green fields and towering mountains not only provided a breathtaking backdrop to my childhood ​but also instilled in‍ me a deep sense of appreciation and respect for⁣ the environment.‌ This connection to nature has⁤ significantly shaped my identity by fostering a love⁣ for ⁢outdoor activities and nurturing a strong desire‌ to protect our planet.

Moreover, growing up in a multicultural household has exposed me to a rich tapestry‌ of traditions, ‍languages, and belief systems. My parents, a vibrant fusion of ⁣two distinct cultures, have empowered me to embrace diversity, fostering an open-mindedness and acceptance of ‍others. ‍This exposure has fueled my desire to explore and understand different cultures, constantly seeking out new experiences and ‌perspectives. My background has shown me the​ beauty in embracing different viewpoints, allowing me to build bridges of⁤ understanding and empathy, ultimately shaping ⁤my‍ identity as someone who champions inclusivity.

– Embracing the‌ Present: Explore Identity Writing Prompts to Discover Who You Are⁤ Now

Writing has always been a powerful tool for ⁤self-reflection and self-discovery. As we grow and evolve,⁣ it’s ⁣important to take the time to explore our current identity and⁤ understand who we are in the present moment. This collection of identity writing prompts is designed to guide you on a journey of introspection and⁣ help ‌you uncover new aspects​ of ​yourself. So grab your pen and paper, and let’s ⁣dive in!

1. Reflect on your values: Take a moment to think about what truly matters to you. What are the core principles that guide your decisions ‍and actions? Write ⁣about how these values shape your identity and how they have influenced your choices in different areas of your life.

2. Explore your passions: What makes your heart sing? What activities or hobbies bring you ‌joy and fulfillment? Dive deep into⁤ the things that ignite your passion and⁤ write about how they contribute to your sense⁤ of self. Consider how these passions ‌have evolved over time and how​ they make you ⁢unique.

3. Examine your strengths and weaknesses: We all have strengths that‌ make us shine and weaknesses that challenge us. Reflect on what you excel ‍at and areas where⁣ you could use improvement. How ⁢do these strengths and weaknesses shape your identity? Write about how you navigate through these traits and how they contribute to your growth and personal development.

4. Consider⁣ your relationships: Our relationships play a significant role in shaping our‍ identity. Think about the⁤ people who are important to you – friends, family, mentors – and how they have ⁣influenced the person you are today. Write about the impact these relationships have had on your values, beliefs, and overall sense of self.

5. Embrace ⁤your quirks: We are⁣ all beautifully unique,⁣ with our own quirks and idiosyncrasies. Embrace these quirks and explore how they define who you are. Write about the aspects ​of your personality or behavior that make you stand out, and celebrate the characteristics ‌that make you wonderfully imperfect.

Using these identity writing prompts as a starting point, embark‍ on a journey of self-discovery. Embrace the present​ moment‌ and allow your pen to uncover the depths of⁢ who you are now. Happy writing!

Ready to embark on‌ a thought-provoking journey of self-discovery? Our collection of identity writing prompts is here to challenge and inspire you to‍ push past your boundaries and ⁣unlock your true potential. Through introspective exercises, these prompts will guide you ⁢to explore ⁢the various facets of your identity, helping you‍ gain⁣ a deeper understanding of⁢ yourself and the limitations that may be holding you⁣ back.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just ⁢starting out, consider these prompts​ as doorways into uncharted territories of the self. Use the power of words to delve into your past⁢ experiences, present aspirations, and future dreams, cultivating a stronger sense ​of your individuality. Embrace ‍this opportunity to reflect on your unique qualities, values, and beliefs, while shedding light on areas where personal growth is desired.

• Imagine yourself living your ideal life without any limitations. What does it ⁤look like? How does it feel?
• Write a letter to your younger self, offering advice and reassurance based on​ the person you are today.
• Explore a time when you felt completely out of your comfort zone. How did it shape you?
• Describe⁤ a person or event that ‍significantly influenced ‌your identity and explain why.

Allow these‍ writing prompts to kindle your creativity and ‌curiosity, ​embarking on​ a journey to surpass the limitations that may have held you back. Remember, the possibilities are endless, and your potential⁣ knows no bounds. Discover new perspectives, challenge preconceptions, ⁣and become the architect of your own narrative. Embrace the transformative power of introspection as you expand your horizons and discover the limitless⁢ depth of your identity.

Discovering one’s true⁢ passions can be both exhilarating and challenging. Often, we get so caught up in the expectations and demands of daily‍ life that we lose touch with our ‌authentic selves. ⁢However, with the help of identity writing prompts, a⁣ powerful tool for self-reflection,‌ you can embark on a journey of self-discovery and unmask the⁢ desires that lie hidden within.

Identity writing prompts encourage introspection​ and provide a safe space for exploration. ⁣They allow you to delve deep into your experiences,⁣ values,​ and aspirations, helping you uncover the underlying⁣ motivations that drive you. Embrace this opportunity to reconnect with your passions and gain⁣ a clearer understanding of what truly fulfills you. ⁢Here are a ⁣few ways identity writing prompts can ‍aid in ⁤unmasking your passions:

• Reflection: Identity writing prompts encourage you to reflect upon your life experiences, both past, and present. This reflection can help you identify patterns, ⁢recurring themes, and ​pivotal moments that have shaped your desires and interests.
• Exploration: ‌ Through writing prompts, you can explore various aspects of your identity, including your values, strengths, weaknesses, and unique qualities. This exploration opens ​doors to new possibilities and ‌sheds light on previously⁢ overlooked passions.
• Clarity: By engaging in identity writing, you gain clarity about what truly excites and ⁤motivates you. ‍As you consistently explore and ⁢write, you’ll uncover patterns and themes that point you towards your authentic passions, providing a clearer roadmap to follow.
• Growth: Writing prompts allow you to embrace ‍your growth journey and evolve as an individual. As you unmask your passions through writing,⁣ you’ll learn from experiences, refine your⁤ goals, and develop a stronger sense of self.

Unearthing your‌ passions and desires is a beautiful journey of self-discovery. Through the powerful medium ‍of identity writing prompts, you can peel away⁤ the layers and uncover your true essence.⁢ Allow yourself the space and time to engage in this introspective practice, and watch your passions ⁣come⁤ alive.

Owning Your Narrative: Express Yourself Freely with ‌Identity Writing Prompts

Writing is more than just ⁣putting words on paper; it’s a powerful means of self-expression. If you’re looking to explore and embrace your identity through writing, our collection of Identity Writing Prompts ⁣is the perfect tool for you. Designed to ⁢delve deep into ​the⁢ core of ​who you are, these prompts will ‍empower you to unleash your true self on the page.

With Identity Writing Prompts , you have the freedom to share your unique experiences, ⁣thoughts, and emotions, allowing ⁤you to connect ⁣with your inner self in a profound way. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting your writing journey, these prompts will challenge you to examine your identity from various perspectives, paving the way ⁤for personal growth,‌ self-discovery, and a stronger‍ sense of self.

• Reflect on pivotal life experiences that shaped your identity
• Explore the intersectionality of your various social identities
• Examine the challenges you’ve faced and the lessons you’ve learned
• Imagine alternate realities where your identity is different and reflect ⁤on the ⁤implications
• Describe the people or communities that have influenced your sense of self

Our Identity Writing Prompts are not ​just about writing; they’re about‍ taking control of your narrative and expressing yourself freely. So, grab a pen and paper or open a blank document and let your genuine⁢ voice be heard. Dive deep into your thoughts, embrace‌ your identity, and let your unique story unfold.

Embrace the power of authenticity and discover how identity writing ⁢prompts can truly help you live your truth. In a world where societal norms​ often​ dictate our behaviors and⁣ perceptions, it becomes crucial to delve deep⁣ within ourselves⁢ to reconnect with our authentic selves. Identity writing prompts serve as a‍ catalyst for this introspective journey, offering an‌ opportunity to reflect on our unique experiences, beliefs, and values.

Through identity writing prompts, we can tap into the core of our being, shedding societal expectations and embracing our true passions, desires, and aspirations. These prompts aim to unleash the authentic voice that often remains dormant within us, allowing us to express our thoughts ​and emotions freely without judgment⁢ or inhibition. By ⁣exploring various aspects of our identity,⁢ including cultural background, personal interests, dreams, and personal growth, ‌we gain⁣ a better understanding of ourselves and develop a stronger sense of ‍self-awareness.

Unleash⁣ the power of authenticity with​ these benefits of practicing identity⁢ writing prompts:

• Self-Reflection: Engaging in identity writing prompts ‌promotes⁣ deep self-reflection, helping you‌ to decipher your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
• Personal Growth: By exploring and embracing‌ your true identity through writing, you ⁣create space for‍ personal growth and development.
• Empowerment: Authenticity empowers⁤ you to break⁣ free from societal constraints, enables you to stand tall in your ⁢values, and fosters self-confidence.
• Uncovering Hidden Passions: Through identity writing prompts, you might ⁣uncover hidden passions or rediscover forgotten dreams, leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Unlocking your authentic self through identity writing prompts opens the door to living a life that ⁢is truly aligned​ with who you are. Embrace the transformational power of‌ authenticity and embark on a journey of self-discovery today!

Exploring⁣ cultural identity can be a deeply personal ⁣and⁢ enlightening experience. Writing prompts provide​ a powerful tool for delving into this journey of self-discovery. As‌ we navigate through the ​intricate tapestry of our cultural heritage, writing allows us to explore our thoughts, ​emotions, and experiences with vulnerability and authenticity.

Through writing prompts, you can unravel the complexities of your cultural identity, uncovering hidden layers and gaining⁣ a deeper understanding of who you truly are. These prompts serve as a guide, igniting introspection and encouraging you to reflect on various aspects of your heritage, traditions, and upbringing. They invite⁢ you to examine the influences that have shaped you and the‌ impact your cultural identity has on your life.

By engaging in this creative process, you can embark on‌ a journey of self-discovery and self-expression, gaining insights into your‍ values,‌ beliefs, and unique perspective. Writing prompts help you:

• Connect with your roots: Reflect on the cultural practices, rituals, and traditions that define your identity.
• Explore⁤ personal experiences: Dive into cherished memories, stories, ⁣and encounters‌ that have shaped your cultural identity.
• Examine challenges and growth: Unveil ‍the obstacles you’ve faced and how they have influenced your sense of self.
• Embrace diversity: Celebrate the ⁢richness of your cultural background and the diverse perspectives it offers.

Dive into the thought-provoking writing prompts provided in this section, and embark on a journey of self-discovery, ⁣unearthing the unique facets of your cultural identity.

Q: What are ⁢identity writing prompts? A: Identity writing prompts are specific ​topics or questions designed to get you thinking about and exploring different aspects of your identity and self-discovery through writing.

Q: How can ​identity writing prompts help in self-discovery? A: Identity writing prompts serve as a catalyst for self-reflection and exploration. By delving into these prompts, you can gain a deeper understanding of your values, beliefs, experiences, and the various aspects that make up your ⁤unique identity.

Q: How can I use these writing prompts effectively? A: To make the ​most of identity‌ writing prompts, find a quiet and ​comfortable space where you ⁢can freely express your thoughts. Set aside dedicated time for introspection and use the prompts as guides to delve into different aspects of yourself. Let your thoughts flow naturally and don’t hold ​back.

Q: Can anyone benefit from using these prompts? A: Absolutely! Identity writing prompts can⁤ be useful for everyone, regardless of age, background, or writing experience. Whether you’re embarking on‌ a journey of self-discovery or simply want to gain‌ a better understanding of yourself, these ⁢prompts can prove to be invaluable tools.

Q: What are some examples of identity writing prompts? A: Here are a few examples of identity writing​ prompts: 1. Reflect on a moment or an experience that shaped your ‌identity. 2. How do you define success and ⁢how does it relate to your identity? 3. Explore a personal belief or value that has evolved over time. 4. Write about a‌ role ‌model ‍or someone ⁢who has had a ​significant impact on your sense of⁢ self. 5. Describe a time when you were faced with a challenge⁣ that forced you to reassess or reevaluate your identity.

Q: Can identity writing prompts assist with⁢ self-growth? A: Yes,‍ identity writing prompts can aid in self-growth by promoting ⁤introspection, fostering self-awareness,⁤ and encouraging you to explore untapped dimensions of your identity. By engaging in this process regularly, you can gain a deeper understanding​ of yourself and subsequently make more informed decisions about personal ‍growth ⁣and development.

Q: Are identity writing prompts only for personal use or can they be used in a group‍ setting? A: While identity‍ writing prompts ​are often used for personal reflection, they can also be utilized effectively in group settings. Sharing ⁣and discussing your thoughts and experiences with others can provide unique perspectives‍ and further enrich your self-discovery​ process.

Q: How often should one engage in⁣ using ⁢identity writing prompts? A: The frequency of using identity writing prompts can vary depending on your personal preferences and goals. ‌Some individuals may find ⁣it beneficial to engage in this practice regularly, perhaps once⁣ a week or even daily, while others might prefer ​a more sporadic approach. Choose a frequency that feels comfortable for you and supports ‍your self-exploration journey.

Q: Can identity​ writing⁤ prompts be utilized for different forms of writing? A: Absolutely! Identity writing prompts can​ be adapted to various forms of writing, such as journaling, personal essays, poetry, ‌or even fiction. The prompts provide ‌a starting point to explore your identity, and the choice of‌ writing style is entirely up to you.

Q: ⁤Can ​identity writing prompts be used as a therapeutic tool? A: Yes, identity writing prompts can be a valuable therapeutic tool. Writing ‌about your identity and⁢ engaging in self-reflection can help uncover and process emotions, allowing for personal⁣ growth and healing. However, if you require professional support, it’s always advisable to consult a trained therapist or counselor.

In conclusion, identity writing prompts offer invaluable opportunities for self-exploration and ‌personal ⁣growth. By delving into these themes, we can better understand​ ourselves, our values, and our place in ‌the world.

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Cultural Identity Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

No matter where you study, composing essays of any type and complexity is a critical component in any studying program. Most likely, you have already been assigned the task to write a cultural identity essay, which is an essay that has to do a lot with your personality and cultural background. In essence, writing a cultural identity essay is fundamental for providing the reader with an understanding of who you are and which outlook you have. This may include the topics of religion, traditions, ethnicity, race, and so on. So, what shall you do to compose a winning cultural identity essay?

Cultural Identity Paper: Definitions, Goals & Topics 

Before starting off with a cultural identity essay, it is fundamental to uncover what is particular about this type of paper. First and foremost, it will be rather logical to begin with giving a general and straightforward definition of a cultural identity essay. In essence, cultural identity essay implies outlining the role of the culture in defining your outlook, shaping your personality, points of view regarding a multitude of matters, and forming your qualities and beliefs. Given a simpler definition, a cultural identity essay requires you to write about how culture has influenced your personality and yourself in general. So in this kind of essay you as a narrator need to give an understanding of who you are, which strengths you have, and what your solid life position is.

Yet, the goal of a cultural identity essay is not strictly limited to describing who you are and merely outlining your biography. Instead, this type of essay pursues specific objectives, achieving which is a perfect indicator of how high-quality your essay is. Initially, the primary goal implies outlining your cultural focus and why it makes you peculiar. For instance, if you are a french adolescent living in Canada, you may describe what is so special about it: traditions of the community, beliefs, opinions, approaches. Basically, you may talk about the principles of the society as well as its beliefs that made you become the person you are today.

So far, cultural identity is a rather broad topic, so you will likely have a multitude of fascinating ideas for your paper. For instance, some of the most attention-grabbing topics for a personal cultural identity essay are:

• Memorable traditions of your community
• A cultural event that has influenced your personality 
• Influential people in your community
• Locations and places that tell a lot about your culture and identity

Cultural Identity Essay Structure

As you might have already guessed, composing an essay on cultural identity might turn out to be fascinating but somewhat challenging. Even though the spectrum of topics is rather broad, the question of how to create the most appropriate and appealing structure remains open.

Like any other kind of an academic essay, a cultural identity essay must compose of three parts: introduction, body, and concluding remarks. Let’s take a more detailed look at each of the components:

Introduction 

Starting to write an essay is most likely one of the most time-consuming and mind-challenging procedures. Therefore, you can postpone writing your introduction and approach it right after you finish body paragraphs. Nevertheless, you should think of a suitable topic as well as come up with an explicit thesis. At the beginning of the introduction section, give some hints regarding the matter you are going to discuss. You have to mention your thesis statement after you have briefly guided the reader through the topic. You can also think of indicating some vital information about yourself, which is, of course, relevant to the topic you selected.

Your main body should reveal your ideas and arguments. Most likely, it will consist of 3-5 paragraphs that are more or less equal in size. What you have to keep in mind to compose a sound ‘my cultural identity essay’ is the argumentation. In particular, always remember to reveal an argument and back it up with evidence in each body paragraph. And, of course, try to stick to the topic and make sure that you answer the overall question that you stated in your topic. Besides, always keep your thesis statement in mind: make sure that none of its components is left without your attention and argumentation.

Conclusion 

Finally, after you are all finished with body paragraphs and introduction, briefly summarize all the points in your final remarks section. Paraphrase what you have already revealed in the main body, and make sure you logically lead the reader to the overall argument. Indicate your cultural identity once again and draw a bottom line regarding how your culture has influenced your personality.

Best Tips For Writing Cultural Identity Essay

Writing a ‘cultural identity essay about myself’ might be somewhat challenging at first. However, you will no longer struggle if you take a couple of plain tips into consideration. Following the tips below will give you some sound and reasonable cultural identity essay ideas as well as make the writing process much more pleasant:

• Start off by creating an outline. The reason why most students struggle with creating a cultural identity essay lies behind a weak structure. The best way to organize your ideas and let them flow logically is to come up with a helpful outline. Having a reference to build on is incredibly useful, and it allows your essay to look polished.
• Remember to write about yourself. The task of a cultural identity essay implies not focusing on your culture per se, but to talk about how it shaped your personality. So, switch your focus to describing who you are and what your attitudes and positions are. 
• Think of the most fundamental cultural aspects. Needless to say, you first need to come up with a couple of ideas to be based upon in your paper. So, brainstorm all the possible ideas and try to decide which of them deserve the most attention. In essence, try to determine which of the aspects affected your personality the most.
• Edit and proofread before submitting your paper. Of course, the content and the coherence of your essay’s structure play a crucial role. But the grammatical correctness matters a lot too. Even if you are a native speaker, you may still make accidental errors in the text. To avoid the situation when unintentional mistakes spoil the impression from your essay, always double check your cultural identity essay. 

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Virtual reality as a simulation of a real or imaginary phenomenon allows freedom for the individuals within the environment. The virtual reality has no defined gender roles and defies society's definition of gender and boundaries. This is illustrated in the films the matrix and her the characters exhibit a form of freedom and no clearly defined boundaries. Virtual reality allows the change of identity and total control of the identity of the character. This is displayed by trinity in the […]

Racial, Gender and Sexual Identity

In the article "Fluid and Shifting: Racialized, Gendered, and Sexual Identity in African American Children," by Denise Isom, the author talks about a study on African American children and racialized gender identity. The researchers used various methods to conduct their research, including: 1) questionnaires, 2) face-to-face interviews, 3) ethnographic observation. The first part of the study was conducted from 2001-2002 in a "lower/working class African American community near a large mid-western city" (Isom, 2012). The subjects of this study were […]

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In this piece I’m going to explain how the LGBTQ community are being treated because of their Sex/Gender/Gender identity/sexuality an article that shows this was the privileges article a how people that comes out as straight or gay can help the gay community’s when they come out. I’m going to do this by explaining the way Carbados thinks that there’s a new way that heterosexual people tailored as “coming out” as heterosexual and this could affect the homosexual community in […]

Sex Education and Gender Identity

Could you imagine a society in which we are all separated by gender? Single-sex schools might be the first step in this direction. Gender-segregated schools have both advantages and disadvantages, but the downsides are more notable. Although some people believe that single-sex schools are better for both male and female students, research has shown single-sex schools promote sexism and gender stereotypes, offer no significant benefits (,) and often cause students to be ill-prepared for life outside of school. One reason […]

Beginning in the 1990s, a New Group of American Directors Emerged.

They were individuals with distinct styles, a fondness for pop culture, and new ideas about the relationship between art and audience. Critic Armond White dubbed them the 'American Eccentrics' distinguishing them from other filmmakers saying they are “ drawn to exploring American experience and pop tradition in order to understand their place in the world” (2007). Although their styles and subjects differed, each of their films is a variation on the basic theme of identity. The overriding concern is a […]

Gender Roles and Identity in Children

Gender roles have always been a focused topic throughout cultural history. Theoretical and empirical work on family gender roles focuses on the process in which parents convey behavior to their children. The family unit and gender roles that are played can directly affect society. There are people who believe there is a role set for them. Traditional American culture has identified a male as the head of the house hold. He is to be considered the Breadwinner . The female […]

Gender Identity & Roles

Abstract From birth, we as humans are grouped into two categories: male and female. Gender is the first and most basic way to define a person, not only in terms of physical attributions, but also through roles structured by culture and society. Gender roles are social constructs developed by cultures that put various expectations on each sex. They set a standard of what behavior is appropriate for a person according to whether they are male or female. These roles represent […]

Gender Identity and Freedom of Speech

The views of professor of psychology, Jordan Peterson at the University of Toronto on the issue of gender identity and his beliefs, position and refusal to use gender-neutral pronouns has sparked debates. The arguments by the professor have arisen a lot of objective and subjective intuition on his stand that his freedom of speech and need to become politically correct cannot determine by use of pronouns. Discussions are presented in different articles by Ellen Brait, a staff reporter for the […]

Gender Dysphoria & Identity: Teens

Have you ever wondered what harsh cruelties that some teens have to face, because of their gender identity? Gender fluidity is the belief that you feel male one day but feel like a female another day regardless of what sex you were born. Teens that discover they are gender fluid can experience bullying from peers and family. There are many cases of injustices against gender fluid teens experience. The older generations are usually unaccepting of the younger generations gender identity. […]

The Immensity of Political Activity 

 Human rights are rights to which all human beings are entitled, regardless of ethnicity, religion, skin color, or sex. One can defend the essential human rights of all people by being politically active. Martin Luther King jr was a minister and civil-rights activist who had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States by proclaiming and vigorously defending his beliefs. Martin Luther King became frustrated with the constant racial discrimination in the United States during the 1900s. In […]

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Inequality

Social class has been traditionally defined by an individual’s occupation, education, and/or income and are then compared between individuals, if you fall somewhere within the same category as another you are then thought to be a part of the same social class (Hurst, 2013, p. 15). Something overlooked in terms of how we see the social class is the ignoring of intersectionality and its effects on a person’s social class.  Now, what is intersectionality? Intersectionality is how different aspects of […]

Gender Identity and Expression

Deep inside the young minds of our students are the seeds of growth and responsibility. They would like to foresee themselves as being productive and effective members of their community and our society. Parents and guardians of our young adolescents have profound provision of commitment of guiding and supporting them to reach their greatest potentials and significance to the nation. They offer their limitless and boundless care during the most precarious stage of being an adolescent; their identity and development […]

Heritage Identity and Resiliency

In her book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, Joy Degruy contrasts the resident populations of two small villages in South Africa. She then goes on to draw similarities between the South African tribes with Black Americans, presenting a argument for her concept of the post traumatic slave syndrome. This comparison shows the benefits of a shared cultural tradition and the detriment that losing that Identity can have on a population. I have seen a similar transition in my own life when […]

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, essays about personal identity.

Hi all! I'm thinking about writing an essay that focuses on my personal identity. What are some ways to make this type of essay engaging and interesting to colleges? Any examples I should check out for inspiration? Thanks in advance!

Hello! Writing an essay that focuses on your personal identity can be a powerful way to showcase your unique experiences, interests, and perspectives. To make this type of essay engaging and interesting to colleges, consider the following tips:

1. Be authentic and vulnerable: Share your true feelings, thoughts, and struggles as they pertain to your identity. By being open about your experiences, you create a deep connection with the reader.

2. Focus on a specific aspect: Instead of trying to cover every detail of your identity, choose one or two key facets that define you. Delving into particular experiences and emotions will allow you to demonstrate depth and create a more compelling narrative.

3. Use descriptive language and vivid imagery: Paint a picture for the reader by using descriptive words and vivid imagery. This will help them visualize and connect with your story on a deeper level.

4. Show rather than tell: Instead of simply stating your thoughts and feelings about your identity, use anecdotes and examples to illustrate your point. By showing the reader your experiences, you'll create a more compelling and engaging essay.

5. Incorporate growth and development: Demonstrate how your understanding of your identity has evolved over time, and how it has shaped you as a person. This could include personal challenges you've faced, accomplishments, or newfound insights.

6. Reflect on the impact: Discuss how your identity has influenced your decisions, interests, and relationships. This reflection will help demonstrate the importance of your identity and its role in your life.

For examples and inspiration, you can browse through essays shared by students who were admitted to top colleges. Just be mindful not to copy their ideas or writing styles. Instead, use these examples to inspire your own unique angle in exploring your personal identity.

Best of luck with your essay and application process!

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Who Am I?: Identity as a Theme in YA Literature

Dec 04, 2017 by Sara Letourneau published in Writing

“Who am I?”

“Where do I fit in?”

“Will other people accept me?”

If these questions sound familiar, it might be because they’re part of being a teenager. Even adults can remember how challenging this period in our lives was, between school, friendships, dating, family, the pressures of responsibility, and an increasing craving for respect and freedom. But at the heart of this transition stage between childhood and adulthood lies an existential dilemma: figuring out who you are. It’s awkward, confusing, and frustrating at times – and it can wreck havoc on a teen’s self-esteem.

Luckily, YA literature abounds with novels that address identity as a literary theme. In fact, there are so many that I couldn’t choose which ones to use as case study examples. So instead, let’s take a broad look at some of the angles in which YA lit explores identity, as well as examples from across the YA spectrum.

Angle #1: Identity Is a (Complicated) Choice

In many YA novels, protagonists learn that they can decide who they want to be – which sounds fantastic, until they realize how difficult that decision is. Maybe the character wants to exhibit a quality they admire, like compassion, physical strength, or honesty, but they find it challenging to do so. Or, maybe they’ve made poor decisions in the past and now aspire to be a better person. Yet as the protagonists watch adults or other teens coming to terms with their individual identities, they realize how complex and ever-changing one’s sense of self can be. And when they eventually embrace their many layers, the outcome of their choice inspires young readers and teaches them that all teens, real and fictional, yearn to understand who they are – and once they do, that knowledge can be empowering beyond words.

Examples: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Angle #2: Learning to Accept Who You Are

Self-acceptance can be a hard-fought battle for many teens and YA characters. Their circumstances at home, in school, or in certain relationships can make it difficult for them to share their traumatic pasts, sexual orientation, or gender identity with others. Protagonists who suffer from depression, social anxiety, and other mental health disorders may also isolate themselves for fear of rejection despite their craving for connection. These characters aren’t hiding who they are. Rather, their stories are about seeking acceptance from others as well as themselves and learning to be comfortable with who they are. And for many young readers, bonding with characters whose struggles are similar to their own can reassure them that they, too, can find a way to succeed.

Examples: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore, Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

Angle #3: Caught In an Identity Crisis

Some YA novels explore what happens when the protagonist is torn between who they are and who others want them to be. Sometimes their situation dictates the role they must play at that moment. Other times, supporting characters or society at large may force the character to conform in ways that make them feel uncomfortable – because those actions or behaviors aren’t aligned with their own beliefs. What often results is a painful internal conflict peppered with questions like “Am I a good person?” and “Why can’t I be who I really am?” Teen readers can relate to this struggle in real life, since they may also find themselves caught between how their parents, friends, or other influencers see them and how they see themselves.

Example: Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Angle #4: Hiding Your True Identity

Another frequent angle is the idea of hiding one’s true identity. Especially in YA fantasy and historical fiction, girls may dress and act as boys to receive education, training, and other privileges they wouldn’t normally receive because of their gender. In other cases, a character may lie about their name, country of birth, choice of religion, and other aspects of their identity to avoid persecution or to protect themselves and their loved ones. Regardless, these characters are forced to hide a part of themselves that society deems unacceptable. This further complicates their journey to understanding or accepting who they are and can lead to feelings of isolation and fear of rejection or being exposed. And if young readers relate to, admire, or sympathize with these characters, they’ll likely be hooked by the suspense of how long those characters can keep their secrets, too.

Examples: The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Angle #5: The Fantastical Twist on Identity

YA authors who write fantasy, alternate history, and other speculative genres sometimes put a creative twist on the theme of identity. They often take one of the previously mentioned angles, then incorporate magic or aspects of otherworldly creatures to complicate matters for the protagonist. See if you can guess which of those angles are explored in these novels:

• The titular heroine of Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina is half-dragon and half-human. Because the humans in her country fear dragons, Seraphina must hide her heritage and cover most of her skin, which has patches of dragon scales.
• In Ryan Graudin’s Wolf By Wolf , the protagonist Yael has the ability to skinshift after years of experimentation at a Nazi death camp. As a result of “wearing” different identities for most of her life, she no longer remembers her original appearance.
• August, one of the two protagonists in Victoria Schwab’s This Savage Song , is a monster in human form who feeds on the souls of sinners. He’s ashamed of who he is, and spends much of the novel trying to blend in and deny his true identity – which, he soon realizes, he’ll have to embrace if he wants to survive.

Surprise! Exploring Identity Requires a Blend of These Angles

If you’ve read any of the books listed above, of if you’ve written your own YA story that features identity as a theme, you might be thinking, “Doesn’t that story use more than one angle?” Great question – and the answer is, yes!

Like other themes, identity requires a multifaceted approach to show the many challenges it presents to characters. Tris’s journey with her identity in Divergent, for example, isn’t limited to her choosing who she wants to be. She frequently feels insecure about and confined by her Dauntless superiors’ expectations of her (Angle #3); and she must keep her true identity as a Divergent a secret, since her society views Divergents as a threat (Angle #4). Likewise, in When the Moon Was Ours , the transgender Sam must reconcile his chosen identity as a boy with the female body he was born with – an internal journey that, when considered carefully, is essentially a merging of Angles #1 through #4.

So if you’re writing a YA story that features identity as a theme, consider 1) blending two or three of these angles (or more, if you’re so inclined) in a way that makes sense for the story you want to tell , and 2) using at least one mirror character who reflects some aspect of the protagonist’s journey with her identity . Doing both will ensure that your story’s delving into identity has the depth and repetition it needs to feel complete and be noticeable enough to readers without overdoing it. In other words, this will help your exploration meet the criteria of our working definition of “theme.” And the more kaleidoscopic your story’s approach to this theme becomes, the more likely it will resonate with young readers and empower them to make positive decisions about their own identity.

What YA novels have you read that address the theme of identity? Which of the above angles did they use? Have you written any stories (either YA or for another audience) that explore identity? If so, how does your story accomplish this?

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Forgiveness — Smoke Signals: Themes of Identity and Healing

Smoke Signals: Themes of Identity and Healing

• Categories: Cinematography Cultural Anthropology Forgiveness

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Born a Crime

Trevor noah, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Noah ’s existence is not only outlawed by the apartheid system; the system also fails to neatly categorize him as black or white, and so his existence as a biracial man reveals the underlying flaws in the system’s conception of race. Nevertheless, he still has to cope with apartheid dividing the world—and people continuing after apartheid to divide themselves—based on race. He is frequently forced to choose a racial group even though that he knows that inequality and oppression thrive precisely by sustaining such animosity. And yet he also recognizes his unique potential to define his own identity by bridging different groups, as well as to show those groups their common interests. Throughout the course of his memoir, Noah manages to find a sense of belonging in the world without clinging to any particular group or identity label.

Under apartheid, identity is defined according to race. But this makes little sense for Noah, who knows that his existence as a mixed-race South African proves the system’s illogical foundations. Noah argues that interracial relationships challenge the very foundation of apartheid’s racism because, quite simply, they show that people want to be together despite racial difference, not only ever because of racial similarity. This, in turn, is why interracial sex is illegal. Judging by skin color alone, Noah is classified as “ colored ,” a group that falls between black and white in terms of rights and social status. Yet, practically speaking, this makes no sense: colored people are a specific, closed community, largely in Western South Africa, descended from centuries-old mixed marriages and most closely connected to white Afrikaner culture. Even though Noah is not part of this colored community, the apartheid system would have him live, work, and make a family exclusively with other colored people just because of his skin color, which shows how divorced apartheid’s racist thinking is from the reality of how people define their identities. Luckily, Noah and his mother, Patricia , manage to escape detection, but he still repeatedly has to be hidden as a child: he cannot meet his father, Robert , or walk with his mother in public (she often pretends to be his nanny or maid). He cannot play on the streets with his cousins in Soweto , lest he be kidnapped by the government and moved to a colored settlement.

Because race is (for the most part) the dominant basis for identity in South Africa, Noah often feels forced to “pick a side” and choose part of his identity at the expense of the rest. Although he first attends an integrated Catholic school called Maryvale College, after the sixth grade his schools are always divided on the basis of race, and he is consistently unsure how to position himself—he is not particularly white, black, or colored, and he is certainly not Indian. At his first school, he grows close to the other black students and decides to leave his advanced classes to be with them. Similarly, he feels most at home in black neighborhoods (Soweto and Alexandra ) and hates the white suburbs, where everyone else lives behind a huge wall. And he particularly feels ostracized by colored kids, who bully him constantly in Eden Park and show him why “it is easier to be an insider as an outsider than to be an outsider as an insider.” However, when he briefly ends up in jail and goes to the cell under the courthouse for his bail trial, again Noah has to pick a group of inmates to hang out with based on race, and the choice is not obvious: he has been playing the part of the colored gangster but wants neither to reveal the part he is playing to the actual colored gangsters nor invoke their wrath by hanging out with the black men. So he goes and talks with the white men.

Noah’s ability to pick various sides in various situations paves the way to the solution to his sense of alienation: he learns to bridge different communities and show that belonging can depend on identities people choose and build themselves, rather than ones imposed on them by the circumstances of birth or color. The first chapter focuses on the three churches that Noah’s mother takes him to every Sunday: an integrated church, a black church, and a white church. This represents the family’s ability to create community on their own terms (rather than only on the basis of race), but also Patricia’s fearlessness in the face of racism during the last years of apartheid. Noah uses business to remain at once an insider and outsider to everyone. By reselling food from the busy cafeteria line in high school, he manages to get along with everyone without needing to truly join one racial group at the expense of the rest. And during his year selling goods on the street in Alexandra, he again uses the social distance of business transactions to build connections with a wide variety of people in the neighborhood. But, throughout his childhood, Noah’s main technique for bridging different identities is learning various South African languages, which allows him to communicate with most of the people he meets and signal that he is part of (or at least respects and understands) their group. This gets him out of potentially violent situations numerous times and makes him a marvel (and arguably the most popular kid) on the first day of sixth grade during recess.

Ultimately, because he recognizes that violent systems like apartheid thrive by making oppressed people focus on their differences rather than common interests, Noah simply refuses to define himself negatively by confining himself to one group and instead defines himself positively, by opening himself to various people, languages, and experiences. This is not only a tool for him to survive in a divided world where he does not neatly fit in any box, but also a means to heal the world by coaxing people out of their boxed-in communities and into a broader mindset of shared humanity.

Identity, Belonging, and Community ThemeTracker

Identity, Belonging, and Community Quotes in Born a Crime

The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart hate, is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all.

The triumph of democracy over apartheid is sometimes called the Bloodless Revolution. It is called that because very little white blood was spilled. Black blood ran in the streets.

As the apartheid regime fell, we knew that the black man was now going to rule. The question was, which black man?

In any society built on institutionalized racism, race-mixing doesn't merely challenge the system as unjust, it reveals the system as unsustainable and incoherent. Race-mixing proves that races can mix—and in a lot of cases, want to mix. Because a mixed person embodies that rebuke to the logic of the system, race-mixing becomes a crime worse than treason.

As a kid I understood that people were different colors, but in my head white and black and brown were like types of chocolate. Dad was the white chocolate, mom was the dark chocolate, and I was the milk chocolate. But we were all just chocolate. I didn't know any of it had anything to do with “race.” I didn't know what race was. My mother never referred to my dad as white or to me as mixed. So when the other kids in Soweto called me “white,” even though I was light brown, I just thought they had their colors mixed up, like they hadn't learned them properly. “Ah, yes, my friend. You've confused aqua with turquoise. I can see how you made that mistake. You're not the first.”

I was eleven years old, and it was like I was seeing my country for the first time. In the townships you don't see segregation, because everyone is black. In the white world, any time my mother took me to a white church, we were the only black people there, and my mom didn't separate herself from anyone. She didn't care. She'd go right up and sit with the white people. And at Maryvale, the kids were mixed up and hanging out together. Before that day, I had never seen people being together and yet not together, occupying the same space yet choosing not to associate with each other in any way. In an instant I could see, I could feel, how the boundaries were drawn. Groups moved in color patterns across the yard, up the stairs, down the hall. It was insane. I looked over at the white kids I'd met that morning. Ten minutes earlier I'd thought I was at a school where they were a majority. Now I realized how few of them there actually were compared to everyone else.

Colored people had it rough. Imagine: You've been brainwashed into believing that your blood is tainted. You've spent all your time assimilating and aspiring to whiteness. Then, just as you think you're closing in on the finish line, some fucking guy named Nelson Mandela comes along and flips the country on its head. Now the finish line is back where the starting line was, and the benchmark is black. Black is in charge. Black is beautiful. Black is powerful. For centuries colored people were told: Blacks are monkeys. Don't swing from the trees like them. Learn to walk upright like the white man. Then all of a sudden it's Planet of the Apes, and the monkeys have taken over.

As the outsider, you can retreat into a shell, be anonymous, be invisible. Or you can go the other way. You protect yourself by opening up. You don't ask to be accepted for everything you are, just the one part of yourself that you're willing to share. For me it was humor. I learned that even though I didn't belong to one group, I could be a part of any group that was laughing. I'd drop in, pass out the snacks, tell a few jokes. I'd perform for them. I'd catch a bit of their conversation, learn more about their group, and then leave. I never overstayed my welcome. I wasn't popular, but I wasn't an outcast. I was everywhere with everybody, and at the same time I was all by myself.

In society, we do horrible things to one another because we don't see the person it affects. We don't see their face. We don't see them as people. Which was the whole reason the hood was built in the first place, to keep the victims of apartheid out of sight and out of mind. Because if white people ever saw black people as human, they would see that slavery is unconscionable. We live in a world where we don’t see the ramifications of what we do to others, because we don't live with them. It would be a whole lot harder for an investment banker to rip off people with subprime mortgages if he actually had to live with the people he was ripping off. If we could see one another's pain and empathize with one another, it would never be worth it to us to commit the crimes in the first place.

World Studies Extended Essay: Global Themes

• Introduction
• Getting Started
• Global Themes
• Interdisciplinary Research
• What Makes Up a "Discipline"?
• Evaluating the Insights of Academic Disciplines
• Multiple Forms of Integration
• Evaluating Your Essay
• Common Stumbling Blocks
• Examples of Globally Conscious Students

World Studies Global Themes

Conflict, peace, and security Culture, language, and identity Environmental and/or economic sustainability Equality and inequality Health and development Science, technology and society

Conflict, peace, and security

Culture, language, and identity, environmental and/or economic sustainability, equality and inequality, health and development, science, technology and society, wsee documents.

WSEE Subject Guide and worksheets

• IB EE Subject Guide - World Studies, 2018
• Making Meaningful Connections Use this worksheet to help you think about your research plans: the concepts or methods your will be using, the global topic you're focusing on, and the academic disciplines you will be using.

RRS (Researcher's Reflection Space)

• Sample Prompts for the WSEE RRS What should you write in your RRS? Use these questions and prompts to help you think through the various stages of the research for your WSEE: your initial ideas, your thoughts and reflections during the process, and your conclusions.
• RRS Example B - World Studies

RPPF (Researcher's Planning and Progress Form) examples:

• RPPF Example 5 - World Studies
• RPPF Example 7 - World Studies

IB Extended Essay Guide & Timeline

Check the Extended Essay guide for specific guidance on completing the various steps in the research and writing process of the EE, and  these documents:

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, most important themes in great gatsby, analyzed.

Book Guides

Need to write about a theme for a Great Gatsby assignment or just curious about what exactly a theme is? Not sure where to start? Learn here what a theme is, what the main themes in The Great Gatsby are, and what the best tips for writing about themes for your English/Language Arts class essays are.

We will also link to our specific articles on each theme so you can learn even more in-depth about themes central to Gatsby .

What Is a Theme? Why Should You Care?

First things first: what exactly is a theme? In literature, a theme is a central topic a book deals with. This central topic is revealed through plot events, the actions and dialogue of the characters, and even the narrator's tone. Themes can be very broad, like love, money, or death, or more specific, like people versus technology, racial discrimination, or the American Dream.

In short, a book's theme can usually answer the question, "what's the point of this book?". They're the "so what?" of literary analysis. Also, note that books can definitely have more than one major theme —in Gatsby we identify seven!

Knowing a book's major theme(s) is crucial to writing essays, since many assignments want you to connect your argument to a book's theme. For example, you might be asked to write an essay about a prompt like this: "How does the life of Jay Gatsby exemplify (or deconstruct) the idea of the American Dream?" This prompt has you connect specific details in Jay Gatsby's life to the larger theme of the American Dream. This is why many teachers love theme essays: because they encourage you to connect small details to big ideas!

Furthermore, the AP English Literature test always has an essay question that has you analyze some aspect of a book and then "compare it to the theme of the work as a whole." (If you want specific examples you can access the last 15 years of AP English Literature free response questions here , using your College Board account.) So this skill won't just help you in your English classes, it will also help you pass the AP English Literature test if you're taking it!

So keep reading to learn about the major themes in Gatsby and how they are revealed in the book, and also to get links to our in-depth articles about each theme.

Overview of Key Themes in The Great Gatsby

Before we introduce our seven main themes, we'll briefly describe how the story and characters suggest the major Great Gatsby themes. Remember that the story is set in the 1920s, a period when America's economy was booming, and takes place in New York: specifically the wealthy Long Island towns of West Egg and East Egg, as well as Manhattan and Queens.

As you should know from the book ( check out our summary if you're still hazy on the details!), The Great Gatsby tells the story of James Gatz , a poor farm boy who manages to reinvent himself as the fabulously rich Jay Gatsby, only to be killed after an attempt to win over his old love Daisy Buchanan . Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan , and they're both from old money, causing them to look down Gatsby's newly rich crowd (and for Tom to look down at Gatsby himself).

Meanwhile, Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson , the wife of mechanic George Wilson . Through the Wilsons, we see the struggles of the working class in dismal Queens , NY. As if they didn't already have it hard enough, Myrtle is killed in a hit-and-run accident (caused by Daisy Buchanan), and George, who's manipulated by Tom to believe that Jay Gatsby was both his wife's lover and her murderer, ends up shooting Gatsby and then himself.

The whole story is told by Nick Carraway , a second cousin of Daisy's and classmate of Tom's who moves in next to Gatsby's mansion and eventually befriends Jay -- and then comes to deeply admire him, despite or perhaps because of Jay's fervent desire to repeat his past with Daisy. The tragic chain of events at the novel's climax, along with the fact that both the Buchanans can easily retreat from the damage they caused, causes Nick to become disillusioned with life in New York and retreat back to his hometown in the Midwest.

Aside from having a very unhappy ending, the novel might just ruin swimming pools for you as well.

The fact that the major characters come from three distinct class backgrounds (working class, newly rich, and old money) suggests that class is a major theme. But the rampant materialism and the sheer amount of money spent by Gatsby himself is a huge issue and its own theme. Related to money and class, the fact that both Gatsby and the Wilsons strive to improve their positions in American society, only to end up dead, also suggests that the American Dream -- and specifically its hollowness -- is a key theme in the book as well.

But there are other themes at play here, too. Every major character is involved in at least one romantic relationship , revealing that they are all driven by love, sex, and desire -- a major theme. Also, the rampant bad behavior (crime, cheating, and finally murder) and lack of real justice makes ethics and morality a key theme. Death also looms large over the novel's plot, alongside the threat of failure.

And finally, a strong undercurrent to all of these themes is identity itself: can James Gatz really become Jay Gatsby, or was he doomed from the start? Can someone who is not from old money ever blend in with that crowd? Could Gatsby really aspire to repeat his past with Daisy, or is that past self gone forever?

In short, just by looking at the novel's plot, characters, and ending, we can already get a strong sense of Gatsby's major themes. Let's now look at each of those themes one by one (and be sure to check out the links to our full theme breakdowns!).

The 7 Major Great Gatsby Themes

Money and Materialism : Everyone in the novel is money-obsessed, whether they were born with money (Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick to a lesser extent), whether they made a fortune (Gatsby), or whether they're eager for more (Myrtle and George). So why are the characters so materialistic? How does their materialism affect their choices? Get a guide to each of the characters' material motivations and how they shape the novel.

Society and Class: Building on the money and materialism theme, the novel draws clear distinctions between the kind of money you have: old money (inherited) or new money (earned). And there is also a clear difference between the lifestyles of the wealthy, who live on Long Island and commute freely to Manhattan, and the working class people stuck in between, mired in Queens. By the end of the novel, our main characters who are not old money (Gatsby, Myrtle, and George) are all dead, while the inherited-money club is still alive. What does this say about class in Gatsby? Why is their society so rigidly classist? Learn more about the various social classes in Gatsby and how they affect the novel's outcome.

The American Dream : The American Dream is the idea anyone can make it in America (e.g. gain fame, fortune, and success) through enough hard work and determination. So is Jay Gatsby an example of the dream? Or does his involvement in crime suggest the Dream isn't actually real? And where does this leave the Wilsons, who are also eager to improve their lot in life but don't make it out of the novel alive? Finally, do the closing pages of the novel endorse the American Dream or write it off as a fantasy? Learn what the American Dream is and how the novel sometimes believes in it, and sometimes sees it as a reckless fantasy.

Love, Desire, and Relationships : All of the major characters are driven by love, desire, or both, but only Tom and Daisy's marriage lasts out of the novel's five major relationships and affairs. So is love an inherently unstable force? Or do the characters just experience it in the wrong way? Get an in-depth guide to each of Gatsby's major relationships.

Death and Failure: Nick narrates Gatsby two years after the events in question, and since he's obviously aware of the tragedy awaiting not only Gatsby but Myrtle and George as well, the novel has a sad, reflective, even mournful tone. Is the novel saying that ambition is inherently dangerous (especially in a classist society like 1920s America), or is it more concerned with the danger of Gatsby's intense desire to reclaim the past? Explore those questions here.

Morality and Ethics: The novel is full of bad behavior: lying, cheating, physical abuse, crime, and finally murder. Yet none of the characters ever answer to the law, and God is only mentioned as an exclamation, or briefly projected onto an advertisement . Does the novel push for the need to fix this lack of morality, or does it accept it as the normal state of affairs in the "wild, wild East"?

The Mutability of Identity: Mutability just means "subject to change," so this theme is about how changeable (or not!) personal identity is. Do people really change? Or are our past selves always with us? And how would this shape our desire to reclaim parts of our past? Gatsby wants to have it both ways: to change himself from James Gatz into the sophisticated, wealthy Jay Gatsby, but also to preserve his past with Daisy. Does he fail because it's impossible to change? Because it's impossible to repeat the past? Or both?

How to Write About The Great Gatsby Themes

So now that you know about the major themes of The Great Gatsby , how can you go about writing about them? First up: look closely at your prompt.

Sometimes an essay prompt will come right out and ask you to write about a theme , for example "is The American Dream in Gatsby alive or dead?" or "Write about the relationships in Gatsby. What is the novel saying about the nature of love and desire?" For those essays, you will obviously be writing about one of the novel's major themes. But even though those prompts have big-picture questions, make sure to find small supporting details to help make your argument.

For example, if you're discussing the American Dream and arguing it's dead in the novel, don't just make that claim and be done with it. Instead, you can explore Gatsby's past as James Gatz, George Wilson's exhausted complacency, and Myrtle's treatment at the hands of Tom as examples of how the American Dream is treated in the novel. Obviously those examples are far from exhaustive, but hopefully you get the idea: find smaller details to support the larger argument.

On the other hand, many essay prompts about Gatsby will look like a question about something specific, like a character or symbol:

• Explore Tom and Daisy as people who 'retreat into their money.'
• What does the green light at the end of Daisy's dock represent? How does its meaning change throughout the novel?
• Show how Fitzgerald uses clothing (and the changing of costumes) to tell the reader more about the characters and/or express theme(s).

These prompts are actually a chance for you to take that detailed analysis and connect it to one of the larger themes—in other words, even though the prompt doesn't state it explicitly, you should still be connecting those more focused topics to one of the big-picture themes.

For example, if you talk about Tom and Daisy Buchanan, you will definitely end up talking about society and class. If you talk about the green light, you will end up talking about dreams and goals, specifically the American Dream. And if you discuss clothing to talk about the characters, you will definitely touch on money and materialism, as well as society and class (like how Gatsby's pink suit makes him stand out as new money to Tom Buchanan, or how Myrtle adopts a different dress to play at being wealthy and sophisticated).

In short, for these more specific prompts, you start from the ground (small details and observations) and build up to discussing the larger themes, even if the prompt doesn't say to do so explicitly!

What's Next?

Now you're an expert on themes, but what about symbols? If you need to write about the important symbols in The Great Gatsby, check out our symbols overview for a complete guide.

Want a full analysis of Jay Gatsby and his backstory? Not sure how his story connects with the American Dream? Get the details here .

Want to go back to square one? Get started with Chapter 1 of our Great Gatsby plot summary.

Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process.

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