Can Identity Become a Sharp Weapon to Overcome Restrictions and Oppression?

Jose Munoz, a former Perfomance studies professor at NYU argued in his article "The White to Be Angry" tt identity is manipulative. According to Munoz, the manipulation of identity is called disidenticaction. Instead of rejecting society or a group whole same, someone who disidentifies accepts some aspects of that society or group without assimilating to the dominat ideals. People, especially in minority groups, developed disdentifciation as an offensive mechancism because it allowed them to function within that group or society without becoming trapped in the dominant ideals of identity. Munoz's theory provides a powerful analytical lens which I will use to evaluate the characters Corlosis and Harlan in Alexie Sherman's Search Engine. Sherman's short story is a rich minefiedl to study disidentification. Corlosis fights her scripted, poor life as an Indian woman because of poetry, which leads her to manipulate her idenity around unuual figures such as Homer, Odyesseus and a white Jesuit priest. Harlan, on the other hand, manipualtes finds his identity as Indian thorough his poetry. Books and poetry allow these two characters to disidentify with their societal norms, and as a result, they are more aware of their and other's humanity.

1. Corlosis sees herself as a white Jesuit priest because through poetry, she found he was a lonely old man who calls out to God. She feels the same loneliness because she is not willing to adhere to white authority which says the best her people can do are blue collar jobs like her father and uncle who accept white's authority. She is alone in wanting to improve her positon, which leads her to feel alienated from her family and race. Corlosis would have never been able to connect to the white Jes...

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...e rejects the modern Indian culture, she does not reject her ancient background. Like the ancient Indians who would go to the forest in solitude searching for their soul animal, her journey to find Harlan is the same concept. She is searching for herslef because she believes Harlan is like her, an poetry loving Indian who doesn't fit into their society of Indian nor the white man's society. Through her brief journey she takes control of her life and decides her own fate fully rather than letting both the Indian and the white cultrues decide what they want from her. Once again, she undergoes this calling and mission because a book which opened her eyes to possiblities she never imagined, such as a Spokane Indian writing poetry and having it published.

5. As an Indian, Corlosis has a connection to the homeless man only desires respect. It disidentifcation because