Self Identity Essay: Exploring Self Identity and Belonging

This essay examines the multifaceted concept of self-identity through the exploration of belonging and cultural roots. Drawing on Stan Grant's 'Talking to My Country' and the film 'Lion,' the essay delves into the inherent human need to connect with one's origins and the challenges individuals face when navigating identity crises. It analyzes the impact of displacement, socio-political factors, and family dynamics on the formation of self-identity, emphasizing the significance of cultural and geographical environments. The essay highlights the emotional upheavals associated with searching for one's place in the world and the importance of self-awareness for personal fulfillment and meaningful relationships. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need to understand oneself to avoid superficial pursuits and to find lasting happiness and contentment. The essay is contributed by a student and is available on Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools for students.

Running head: SELF IDENTITY
SELF IDENTITY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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In cooperation, Stan Grant’s talking to my Country as well as Garth Davis’s film
‘Lion’, the man seeks their real identities in the world. This search for one’s identity is the
basis for both of these texts. Every individual has an inherent need to belong. Whether it
means a ‘cultural’ identity or a connection with one’s family, the desire to find and return to
one’s roots is intense in all of us (Hogg et al., 2017). The author of the book ‘Talking to my
Country’ is an Australian aboriginal people back in his country. This bond that we share with
people from our own culture or race is essentially the search for our ‘roots’. In the movie, the
film-maker constructs the perspective of an Indian boy, and his Australian adopt a family and
how they cope with his quest his actual family back in India. This quest is symbolic of the
journey that Saroo has to undergo to find his real self, who he was before his life changed.
The two works in their different ways to deal with an identity crisis and a deep desire for
acceptance and belonging.
Garth Davis’s movie ‘Lion’ describes one man’s brave attempt to resolve with his lost
roots. The challenges faced by the protagonist are explored with a lot of sensitivity and
understanding. The cultural and economic disparity that Saroo witnesses leave him as
astounded as it leaves the viewer (Koltay, 2015). The power of our desire to search for our
roots is shown in all its glory in this movie as the protagonist crosses all barriers to find his
long-lost family.
The real culture identity has been depicted in this film. The movie opens in a village
of India where Saroo grows up amongst the support of his family. Despite the poverty which
they face together, they share a strong bond of love which bin. Here it was difficult for him to
find his real identity. As a child Saroo experience a cultural confusion, when trying to figure
out what a knife and fork were, or rules to sports. The situation or the circumstances have
described the real cultural identity of that society in search of the self-identity.

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The place is also the most significant factor for the self- identity. Where we come
from along with the culture of our people is a strengthening component of identity
foundation. Consequently, the emotional feeling of being lost from home or without one in
itself is a psychologically disturbing factor (Mitchell, 2017). Despite the outer display, the
underlying curiosity and desire to belong is practical. The questions asked by the authors or
the filmmakers of books and movies depicting this theme are essentially the same. ‘Who am
I?’, ‘Why do I feel that I do not belong here?’, and ‘Where have I come from?’ ‘Why am I
different?’ all these questions come from similar feelings of displacement and emotional
upheavals that such individuals have to go through in life (Kollontai, 2016). In a sense, we all
want to feel safe and secured by a family and a similar cultural or geographical environment.
The disintegration of family units begins as a result of various factors in society. For
instance, the case with Saroo’s disappearance from home town to an unknown street of
Calcutta separates him from his family and friends and keeps him away from home and the
society he knows. The incident means he cannot practice his ways of life and feel free to be
himself because out in the street, he’s always running and hiding for safety.
In Stan Grant’s text, discrimination and socio-political racism restricted his abilities to
be free to belong to his society. He states that in 1970 when the government was paying
allowances for children to stay in school, he together with his cousin were chased away and
told that it was better to abandon school altogether due to their ethnicity (Schwartz &
Halegoua, 2015). He goes ahead to explain that that was the space that history had made and
received for people like them. Despite his admittance to his circumstantial fate, Grant keeps
fighting for recognition of his culture and tribe through education which is described as his
breakaway route.

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Both the book and the movie shows how a child comes in contact with different
cultures and tries to carve a place for himself although in vain. Eventually, they acquire a
global identity picking up different traits of all cultures (Stepaniants, 2017). Humanity in the
global context is faced with situations that are a threat to culture and ethnic practices. Factors
affecting humanity’s cultural place include family disintegration, socio-economic factors, and
political breakdown. Despite all these, humanity gets some strength in the pride of knowing
one’s culture and have a place to call home in the cultural setup.
Shrewd who we are playing a crucial role in what way we think, in what manner we
sense, and exactly how we essentially go almost our regular lives (Shum et al., 2018). Devoid
of screwing our individuality, we are abundant alike a helmless ship nomadic pointlessly on
the oceanic water, focus to the impulses of the currents and breezes. Intended for this motive
expression our self-identity is significant.
It has been believed that if individuals would merely distinguish their proper identity,
at that time, they would be more contented, more gratified, and more adoring first to
themselves and then to others (Strauss, 2017). I have faith in the situation that there is a
countless contract of fact in that statement. If we are not aware of our originality that who we
are as we have discussed in the earlier article, then how could we care as well as love
ourselves? We could not do so just because we would not have any indication for “who”. Is it
the members of our household who says to us that who we are?
On the other hand, this is what society’s people at exertion tell about us? Conceivably
or sometimes the view of that incensed individual that censored us in circulation? If we are
not conscious about our real identity at that moment we are exposed to the undesirable
thoughts or views of others then, after that situation, there will be no way to love ourselves

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(Yu et al., 2015). Who will we be caring and loving us or the feelings of others? If we cannot
love ourselves, then with the assurance we cannot love other people.
Therefore, it can be concluded from the above essay that there is one more significant
or vital reason we ought to endeavour to find out our real identity, and that is to abandon
worsening time on trivial and superficial searches for real identity. Most individuals devote
time pursuing after belongings, possessions that bring no actual worth to their exists and
consent them to feel blank, to have to socialise and pursuit after that subsequent untruthful
thing that will no further fill the unfilled gap within them. If we distinguish who we are down
at the deep core level from our factual and trustworthy identity, then and there we will follow
that equipment that will accomplish us and make us cheerful and blissful in the extensive
period. Apart from this, we will similarly give ourselves much more admiration for our
happiness and cheerfulness.

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