Identity Crisis

                                                                Photo by Anna Arrobas

Within the last 30 to 40 years, affirming one’s identity as an individual has become a major priority.  Media strongly feeds society’s obsession to express oneself through daily necessities such as music, food, clothing and technologies. Not only is this pressure to individuate behind products promoted by the media, our identities are also strongly defined by our education, career paths and lifestyles. At the age of 18, I am in the midst of these pressures. I am at the beginning of my educational career and expected to make decisions that may potentially determine the fate of my career path. I am also a young adult woman, which alone centers me at the target of the media’s eye. Although it is only recent that this obsession with individuality has driven us to make almost every decision in hope of defining our identity, it is evident through literature that both men and women have been faced with anxieties of “coming out” since the existence of society itself.  In the 17^th century, young women of my age were faced with severe pressures to conform to the requirements of what defined a lady in society.  Evelina by Frances Burney is an exemplary novel of that era, serving as a personal window into the perspective of a young woman coming out into society while dealing with the unveiling of her own identity. However, one of the major differences between the time of Evelina and the current generation is that the media’s spotlight was not based on sculpting an individual, but rather on conforming into a role that is pre-established by society itself: the role of the sex, with no room to individuate. Now before wires get crossed, there is no question that men and women are continually squeezed into the social expectations of a sexist society. However, the pressure of individuating and self-expression was not present in the 17^th century; therefor our sense of identity came from our family, heritage and class.  Evelina’s struggle with identity is particular due to being an orphan; eliminating her foundation of identity.  Being raised by Reverand Villars in the country, Evelina grew up in an educated yet sheltered environment that has preserved her innocence, yet leaves her unaware of her stranded position that awaits her in urban society. As she travels to London it is eminent that due to Evelina’s lack of parental accompaniment, her security is severely threatened among men who at the time, experienced family as a barrier between their female prey. Thus, affirming one’s Identity was not only egocentric, but a protection and sense of security that one carried in society and that when without, were extremely vulnerable. Are the desires to affirm our identities today based on fears of survival similar to those of Evelina? Or are they purely egocentric under the assumption that we are not faced with the threatening consequences as we would have been in the 17^th century?