Sense of Self

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how one's sense of self develops and sustains itself. It particularly looks at the psychological and environmental factors that influence one's sense of self. The paper focuses on three texts and their insights into the development of sense of self -"Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, "The Fat Girl" by Andre Dubus and "Rules of the Game" by Amy Tan. The paper then compares the influence of these texts to the writer's own personal experiences and beliefs and how they have influenced his sense of self.

From the Paper:

" In his short story, "The Fat Girl", Andre Dubus provides compelling insights into how one's sense of self, which is based primarily upon internal psychological and emotional factors, can conflict with the sense others have of one. He emphasizes this by choosing to describe the emotional appearance of his characters instead of their physical appearance. (Dubus 86-102) This approach clarifies why the perceptions of others can be so different from one's own sense of self, for those perceptions are based to a great extent upon physical appearance, while one's own sense of self is based upon one's own hopes, fears, and beliefs."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. New York: Vintage, 1989.
• Dubus, Andre. "The Fat Girl." In In the Bedroom. New York: Vintage, 2002.
• Tan, Amy. "Rules of the Game." In The Joy Luck Club. New York: Penguin, 2006.

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