Analysis Of Michael Dorris The Search For One's Identity

The Search for One’s Identity Throughout the ages, authors have questioned what makes up one's identity. As such in the work of Michael Dorris, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, Dorris makes this revelation to his readers. As Michael Dorris introduces Aunt Ida, she is portrayed with a bitter, cold-hearted attitude that shows no kinds of emotions towards her own family whatsoever due to a secret that she carries with herself since her childhood. Although this secret isn’t revealed at the beginning of the novel or the middle but rather at the end of the novel, the whole book in its entirety is the revelation of Aunt Ida’s identity. From the way that Aunt Ida portrays herself, to the impact that society has on her and on to what extent she allows

Dorris doesn’t provide the reader with the background information that is needed to understand why Aunt Ida comes off as a mean lady when reacting to being called grandma. So when the reader is only given this many details on the character, the reader immediately builds up his/her judgment on the identity of the character. Which in return leads one to a misunderstood interpretation of the character. In this instance, Dorris makes the reader believe that Aunt Ida is not necessarily innately good but innately bad. But it isn’t until the end of the novel that this identity of Aunt Ida which the reader has created, takes a twist and the truth is revealed. Throughout the whole novel, one believes that Aunt Ida is just plain to mean or grumpy but it isn’t until the end of the novel that the reader is able to see the true colors of Aunt Ida. It turns out that Aunt Ida’s identity is built from herself. She isn’t the character that allows society to determine who she is. This is true to the extent that Aunt Ida created herself to be known by society as a mean or grumpy person because of the fact that she had to carry a burden with herself from the moment that she agreed to take Christine as her own daughter. Although at the time when Aunt Ida accepted this burden she was quite young and innocent, she didn’t know that this was going to shape who she was going to grow to be in the