Identities

__ Short Stories - Literary Devises Title: Identities __

Third person limited omniscient. The narrator mainly focuses on the protagonist, but the narrator also tells about the police officer, and how he feels. “ When the officer, who is inexperienced, who is nervous because of the neighborhood, who is suspicious because of the car and, because he has been trained to see an unshaven man in blue jeans as a potential thief and not as a probable owner, orders him to halt, he is caught by surprise.” This line proves that the narration is the all-knowing omniscient. The narrator did not use I, but did not center on one character.
 * Point of View: **


 * Protagonist: ** The man who drives the Mercedes Benz.


 * What type of character is the Protagonist? ** Dynamic.


 * Describe the setting: ** The main setting is in a neighborhood filled with chipped buildings, dirty houses, wire fences, and occupants who are covered in tattoos and throw stones at pigeons. It feels unsafe, and worn. The protagonist’s only consolation is that he has not shaved in a day, and that he is wearing blue-jeans. He feels apprehension in the air because he is driving a Benz. It is dusk, and getting dark fast.

** Type of Conflict: ** Man vs. Society/Man vs. Man **Antagonist:** People/Society The officer shot the protagonist, so there is a Man vs. Man conflict. Yet, the officer shot him because of what society had taught him. As well, the man reached for his identity because of his societal relations. Therefore there is a Man vs. Society conflict. This means that the Antagonists are people and society.


 * Describe the main conflict: ** The main conflict is between the police officer and the protagonist. The protagonist is confronted because he is driving a Benz in suck a poor neighborhood. The officer has been trained to believe, that based on the protagonist’s appearance, that he has stolen the car. After being surprised by the police officer the protagonist does not put up his hands as he is asked, but reaches into his shirt for ID. To the officer it would look like he was going to pull a gun, so the officer shot the man.

The climax of the story is when he puts his wallet into his coat pocket. At that time all the tension is built for the main conflict.
 * Describe the Climax of the Story: **

He changes because at first he wants to get away from the uniformity that he is used to. Yet later, after he has been away for a wile, he is scared by the society he has arrived in. He then thinks about others, and how his actions will impact them. He decides to call his family so that they will not worry. During the story his thoughts turn from selfish, to inclusive. He changes who he thinks about, and the way he thinks.
 * How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? **

To me the theme is that judging people based on their appearance is wrong and can lead to tragic conclusions. This is proved in the last paragraph where what the officer assumed about the protagonist got him shot. This relates to the title Identity because our Identity is directly dependant on how prejudice we are. Being prejudice is not a good quality, and can significantly damper how humane a person is.
 * Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. **

To me the theme is that being prejudice doesn't get anyone anywhere. This is proved in the last paragraph, in the main conflict, when prejudice beliefs end up getting the protagonist shot. The main conflict illustrates how prejudice beliefs resulted in disasterous conclusions. The climax helps to illustrate the theme because the man is puting his identity in his coat pocket, and therefore hiding the only thing that could discount the officer's prejudice assumptions.
 * How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? **
 * How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? **

**Simile:** " Paper clogs the fence __like__ drifted snow." This compares the paper clogs in the fence to drifted snow.
 * Metaphor: ** "... Saturday liquid with sunshine..." This is a medaphor for a a nice day with a great cooling drink of lemonade.

__**THE NEXT FEW QUESTIONS ARE ON THIS FILE**__



To me the main theme is to not judge a book by it's cover. The man judged all of the residents of the neighborhood, based on the way that they looked. In a related way the man profiled the officer, whilst at the same time the officer profiled the man.The misjudged identities ultimately resulted in the death of the man. In the end, the man was reaching for his identity to discount the officer's prejudice thoughts. The officer was suspicious of his high-end car, and to the officer, when the man reached for his identity it looked like he was going for a gun. So, the officer shot the man. In the end karma came to haunt the man, and prejudice beliefs got him killed. This theme relates to humanity. Prejudice beliefs are an unfortunate part of what it means to be human. How prejudice you are directly impacts how humane you are. In the story the inhumane acts of prejudice resulted in the death of an innocent person. To me, that is what this story means. If we all stopped our prejudice beliefs, there would be much less conflict, injury, and death.
 * Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story. **

Complete 5/5 Effort 5/5 Content 5/5 Paragraph 5/5

total 20/20