Essay 5 (Analysis: Comparison/Contrast)
Think for a moment about your own identity: your age, your gender, your race/ethnicity, your nationality, your religion, your social class, your sexual orientation, your political affiliation(s), your education level, your marital status, and so forth. (See below for a longer list of identity categories.)
Take just one of these identity categories, and imagine it being different. For example, if you are African-American, imagine yourself as Caucasian or Asian. (Or vice versa.) If you are a female, imagine yourself as male. (Or vice versa.) Choose just one identity category to "flip" like this. Leave all the other categories alone. In other words, you’re still yourself in every way except this ONE change to your identity. This might take a little thought. Think of it as a "thought experiment." Don’t rush into it. Give yourself some time to really think it through.
Assignment: Compose a brief "study of contrasts" between your real self and this imaginary other self. How would your life be different? How might this change your outlook on life, your opportunities, your values, your experiences?
A few suggestions:
a. Please try to be respectful of this other identity. Don’t write, "I would hate myself if I were X because they’re all so mean and stupid." Your tone should be rational, intelligent, and thoughtful. Don’t stereotype or draw unwarranted generalizations.
b. You’ll probably need to use the subjunctive mood for the verbs in many of your sentences. NOT: "If I was a woman…" but "If I were a woman…". Notice that "were" is in the subjunctive mood. We often use this for "if" clauses like this: "If I were Jewish…", "If I were Japanese…", "If I were a Republican…", “If I were you…” and so forth.
c. Carefully strategize your structure/organization.
d. Be creative, and try to make some insightful point with your essay. This point will be expressed most succinctly in your thesis statement. You will dwell on it in your introduction and conclusion. The Body of the essay will be mostly the comparing and contrasting of the two identities.
e. Avoid choosing "If I were rich…." These essays are usually boring lists of expensive items one would buy. "If I were the opposite sex…" is also overused and too conventional (but it could work if you put a creative spin on it). Instead, try something that requires a bit more thought and that might actually lead you to a useful insight about yourself.
750-1000 words recommended, at least 5 paragraphs required
Identity categories to consider:
age/generation
sex
gender
race/ethnicity
nationality
social class
educational status
sexual orientation
political affiliation
religion
marital status
parental status
first language
……………………Answer Preview………………….
The concept of human identity revolves around defining the various manifestations of a person’s character through the course of his life. An awareness of what a person is begins from early childhood and changes as the person progresses in his journey in this world. As humans, we lack control over certain aspects of our life such as the ethnic group that one belong or the community we grew up, as well as the color of our skin. Conversely, we have control over a certain aspect of our life based on the choices we make as adults, which defines our perception of ourselves and can sometimes be expressed through actions…
APA
1048 words