Identity In The Outsiders, Eleanor And Park, And Flowers For Algernon

The Importance of Identity
Identity is an important theme in many stories. Especially in the The Outsiders, Eleanor and Park, and“Flowers for Algernon.” In The Outsiders identity is tied heavily to which gang a person belongs to. In the novel, Eleanor and Park, identity is portrayed through gender and race. Also, in the short story, “Flowers for Algernon,” the main character identifies with his level of intelligence. Although, one common trend expressed is how jubilance is felt when the characters are free of how they are told they should identify. I will be analysing identity in these stories is represented through the characters, and how this proves how easily the characters find identify in themselves when they detach how they are to identify by society.
In The Outsiders, the characters are told to identify with what gang they are in. Many characters see that identity does not fit for other characters. For Example, Darry is said not to be stereotypically like a Greaser, which is to be tough and have a disregard for the rules. Two-Bit even says, “You know, the only thing that keeps Darry from bein’ a Soc is us”(Hinton 126). Implying that Darry might have been happier as a Soc. Darry is smart and is not tough like a stereotypical Greaser. At one point

In The Outsiders, Eleanor and Park, and “Flowers for Algernon” identity is explored differently.In The Outsiders identity is based on gang membership, but many people in the gangs are not pleased to be identified solely on their membership in these gangs. In Eleanor and Park identity is defined by gender and race, however the protagonists are willing to break these identifications. Lastly, in “Flowers for Algernon” identity is recognized by intelligence. Conversely, becoming intelligent does not make the main character content. All these examples prove characters must pick how they identify