Salman 1

Nataly Salman
Mrs. Springer
AP Literature and Composition
23 September 2014
Beneath the Surface
Often, one may not realize the significance society has on his character. The pressures of
society can denature ones character, causing him to feel empty inside if he does not fit in. It is
one thing to follow the crowd, but it is another to stand out and wish you were a part of it.
However, finally fitting into societal standards is contradicting to the point where the individual
becomes a slave to society. After realizing there are no psychological benefits of fitting in, the
individual will long to search for his own true identity. This concept is portrayed in novels like
The Awakening by Kate Chopin, The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Im Nobody Who are
You? by Emily Dickinson, where the protagonists overcome feelings of deviation and accept
who they truly are, seeking their true identity.
In Kate Chopins The Awakening, the protagonist, Edna, is found to be a woman in the
Victorian era who is trying to seek her own inner freedom. She is not like the other Victorian
women who are expected to praise their husbands and overly-nurture their children, making the
households facade their lifes focus. Instead, Mrs. Pontellier has many self-seeking desires and
is willing to go out of her way to sense her freedom of expression. At a very early period she
had apprehended instinctively the dual lifethat outward existence which conforms, the inward
life which questions (Chopin 17). It is clear that from the start, Mrs. Pontellier had two different
personas: her outside appearance of an average Victorian mother, and the persona under the skina daring, rebellious, free-spirited hidden personality. Simply, conforming to society means

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sacrificing a part of herself that she is unable to reveal, leaving her unhappy. Toward the end of
the novel, Edna is found both accepting and understanding that society will never allow her to be
herself, and, therefore, for the sake of her kids, she drowns herself as a form of freeing her inner
being, believing in her independence and seeking her true identity.
Throughout The Invisible Man, the protagonists name is unknown. A theme of blindness
is shown as a metaphor for both society and the man, where society is too blind to care to look
under the surface of his skin. In the novel, the grandfather suggests the narrator undermine white
men and be oblivious to racism. The man does not know who he is nor what he is put on this
world for. However, the protagonist doesnt feel that sticking up for himself and being his own
being could free him spiritually. Finally, after going through many epiphanies, he claims
I could no more escape than I could think of my identity. Perhaps, I thought, the two things are
involved with one another. When I discover who I am, I'll be free (Ellison 243). This identifies
that The Invisible Man cannot escape and must discover his true identity in order to satisfy his
true potential as a black man living in a racist era.
A nobody is a noun used to describe someone of little or no importance. Emily
Dickinson uses this noun in Im nobody Who are You? to tell that she is different than those
Somebodies in society. Clearly, she is an outcast and stands out from the rest. This poem has a
double meaning, whereas Dickinson is secretly a nobody, yet mocks the average somebody
who conforms to societal standards. Her character development and search for self is portrayed
in the second stanza:
How dreary to be somebody!
How public like a frog
To tell ones name the livelong day

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To an admiring bog. (Dickinson 5-8)
This stanza reveals a comical and dramatic tone. The adjective dreary is used to describe the
cliche in being a somebody-lacking in originality. Using the metaphor of a public frog always
bragging about itself, it is evident that being a somebody in society is very annoying; they are
more likely to be ignored than the nobody who stands out. Through this, we can conclude that
the narrator is happy in being a nobody and has a sense of originality which is rare and reserved.
A characters search of identity is most common after a journey of fitting in for so long.
Many protagonists, like The Invisible Man, Edna Pontellier, and Nobody, realize that being
themselves is much more rewarding than the false admirations while blending with the others.
These protagonists find their true inner being by going beyond the rules of the American public.
This is not only a change in character, but a rebirth of a more courageous, confident, and content
one. What is on the outside of the surface of the skin is not what satisfies the soul, but it is the
identity beneath the surface that makes one feel truly accepted and self-assured for what they put
into the world.

Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. Chicago, New York: H.S. Stone & Co., 1899. Print.
Dickinson, Emily. Im Nobody Who are You?

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Ellison, Ralph. The Invisible Man. New York: Vintage International, 1995. Print.