Comparing Self In Everyday Use, And A Doll's House

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Pages: 4

Bruce Lee once quoted, "Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. Significantly, every individual should be true to self and endeavor on what self has and not what others have. All the following works: "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, "White Lies" by Natasha Tretheway, and "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen has characters identical to what is mentioned above. Dee Johnson from "Everyday Use", Natasha Tretheway from "White Lies", and Nora Helmer from "A Doll's House" are the character who are not true to self; however, they attempt to find their identity, but not all are successful at becoming who they truly are.
In the beginning, each character tries to
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Now, Dee says that her mother and sister, “just don’t understand…your heritage”, but it is Dee who misunderstands. Dee does not truly find herself because she does not understand how to embrace her heritage (84). Dee’s problem is she cannot embrace her American heritage, but she can embrace her African heritage. Paradoxically, Natasha "swallowed suds of ivory soap while thinking they will work from the inside out, and neglects her black side of identity"(386). Natasha is not true to self because she thought swallowing the suds would make her Caucasian on the inside and outside of her body. Also, Natasha embraces her white side instead of her true, African and Caucasian identity. In addition, Nora tells her husband their “home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child”(913). An amazing thing has come across Nora. Furthermore, in order to see the real world, Zinman enumerates how Nora liberates herself from her family and duties as a mother of three children and a wife of Torvard, so she could become a member of the working class. Those who are successful at finding themselves will learn to be happy for who they truly