“Man’s Search for Identity” Summary.

Isabel Rodríguez

Ms. Arroyo

English 10-7

23 September 2013

“Man’s Search for Identity” Summary

The documentary “Man’s Search for identity” explores an individual’s identity and maturity. Unlike most species, humans do not have a model to follow; this occurs because they are polytypic, of many types. However, all humans share a common goal: to find ourselves, to find our identities. This journey starts as early as infancy, when the baby recognizes surroundings and distinguishing himself in name and gender. It continues to develop through adolescence, where the need for self-discovering are is most evident. This period also symbolizes the passing from childhood into adulthood and is characterized by rites of passage. Often times, this rite of passage is marked by some sort of cultural celebration, such as a Bar Mitzvah. There are also personal rites of passage in which a person comes to a meaningful realization about their lives through a learning experience. For some people, the journey to find meaning continues well into adulthood.

We can appreciate many examples of these personal rites of passage in literature. For example, in the Red Badge of Courage, there is a rite of passage when Henry Fleming learns he is a coward after leaving a soldier in order to save himself. In The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne realizes her courage and learns to think independently while hiding from the Nazis during World War II. In Lord of the Flies, Ralph comes to realize the savagery of human beings while he is stranded on a desert island. These examples demonstrate that different types of people experience different rites of passage and gain different insight from these experiences.

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