Moore1

BriannaMoore
ProfessorJenniferRodrick
English114B
26April2016
NotCompletelyInvisible
Identityiswhattrulymakesuswhoweare,butimaginehavinganidentityandbeing
completelyinvisibletotheworld.Inthenovel,
Everyday
,AistheprotagonistandAlivesalife
thatisverydifferentfromours.Aisconsideredasasoul.Atransfersfrombodytobody
everyday.AisnotabletoliveastablelifebutAdoeshavecharacteristicsandanidentityofhis
own.Amaychangefrombodytobodyeveryday,livingtheidentityofothersbutAisalways
thereandisalwaysusinghismoralsandknowledgewhileheisinsideanotherperson'sbody.A
hasanidentitytoanextent,beingA
carriesmorals,knowledgeandhasa
uniquenessofbeingasoul.
Asidentityisformedbyknowlede.
Aisalwayscarryingwhathehaslearned
fromthepreviousbodyintothenext.He
doesn'tseemtoforgetwhathehadlearnedinschoolbuthedoesforgetthepersonwhosebody
hewasin.ThisgivesAhisownidentitythroughknowledge.Ahasamindofhisownandisable
toobtainknowledgethroughotherswhoareinschool.Ahasusedpreviouslylearnedknowledge
toevendohomeworkforapersonwhowouldn'tnormallyknowhowtodoit.Forexample,A
states,Ihavetoaccessthebody,accessthemindandseewhatinformationitsretained.And

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whenIdo,Ilearn.KnowledgeistheonlythingItakewithmewhenIgo.(Levithan7)Inother
wordsheisabletoaccesstheirknowledgeandisabletolearnthroughthem.Whenitcomesto
lifeexperiencesAhasalsolearnedalotfrombeingindifferentbodies.Hehasevenlearnedhow
toactwhenheisinthebodyofsomeonewhoisinarelationship.
Asidentityisformedthroughhowhetreatspeople.Inthebeginningofthenovel
Everyday,
weareintroducedtoourfirstbodythatAisoccupyingfortheday.HisnameisJustin
whohappenstobeRhiannon's,Asonlyfriend,boyfriend.ThisisthebeginningofAand
RhiannonbutofcourseshedoesntknowAisinsideofJustin.Justinhappenstobeanasshole
anddoesntreallyappreciateRhiannon.AfallsforRhiannonanddecidestochangethingsup.
HeturnsJustinintoawholeotherpersonforthedayandstartstreatingRhiannontherightway
andtakeshertothebeach.Heshowsheragoodtimeandtheybond.Helearnssomuchabout
rhiannonfromthatonenight.ThisisanotherexampleofhowAhasanidentity.Hehasstandards
andmoralsofhowyoushouldtreatagirl,especiallyonethatsyourgirlfriend.Heisalso
showinghowheisthecompleteoppositeofJustin.Inthenovel,
EveryDay,
Astate's,Kindness
connectstowhoyouare,whilenicenessconnectstohowyouwanttobeseen.(56)Inother
words,kindness,toA,isapartofyouridentity.AiskindandcaringwhileJustinisrudeand
careless.Aisalsomorefocusedonanindividual'spersonalitymorethananythingelse,which
explainswhyAmaycarryhimselfinacertainwaybecausepersonalitymatters.

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Aspersonalityiswhatmakesuphisidentity.ToA,looksdontmatter,neitherdoes
gender.Adoesntconsiderhimselfasaboyoragirl.Aalsodoesntfocusonlooks,hefocuses
ontheindividual'sattitudeandpersonalitymorethananything.ThisgivesAanidentitybecause
hedoesntidentifyasaboyorgirlwhichmakeshimsomethingelseandheidentifieshimself
throughhispersonality.Rhiannon,Asonlyfriend,isusuallyabletoseeAnomatterwhatbody
heisin,meaningsheisabletorecognizehimthroughhiskindnessandthewayAcarries
himself.Forexample,Astates,Idontknowhowtoexplainit.Iamanislandinthehallas
peoplepusharoundme.Sheisanotherisland.Iseeher,andsheknowsexactlywhoIam.There
isnowayforhertoknowthisbutsheknows.(Levithan174)Inotherwords,Aisinthebodyof
adifferentpersonthatRhiannonhasnevermetinherlife.SheisabletoseethatAiswithinthis
person.Heishisownpersonevenwhenheisborrowingabodyforaday.EventhoughAdoes
notidentifyasmaleorfemale,hedoeslongforapermanentlifeaseitheror.
Asidentityisformedthroughhisuniquenessofbeingasoul.Towardstheendofthe
novel
Everyday,
ReverendPoole,amanofGodwhosbeentryingtoexposeAeversincehehad

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beeninthebodyofaboynamedNathan,triestopersuadeAintopossessingabodyforlonger
thanjustoneday.ReverendPooleisawareofhowmuchAlongsforapermanentbodyanda
stablelife.Atakesthisintoconsiderationbutdecidesthiswouldbewrongofhimtodo.This
givesAhisownidentitybecauseheisnotwillingtostealsomeoneelse'slifejustsohecanhave
astablelife.Intheonlinearticle,
Identity/IdentityFormation
,Itisstatedthat,
Componentsof
identityincludeasenseofpersonalcontinuityandofuniquenessfromotherpeople.This
connectsbacktoAandhowheisuniquefromothers.
Hehasaheartandgoodintentions.A
technicallywouldnthavehisownidentityanymoreifhetookoverabodypermanently.He
wouldhavetoadjusttohowtheotherpersonlivesandhowtheotherpersonwouldactincertain
situationsinsteadofbeinghimself.
AlthoughAhasanidentitytoacertainextent,SomemaysayAdoesntreallyhavean
identity.Aonlyhasonefriendandthisisbyhischoice.BeforehemetRhiannon,Awas
invisibletotheworld.Ahimselfdoesntevenknowwhyheisthissoulorwhyheistransferred
frombodytobodydaily.Hetriesveryhardtomakesurehedoesntleaveanytracesofhis
presenceandmakessurehedoesntdisruptthelivesofthoseheisinforaday.Nobodyreally
knowswhoAisandwhyheiseventhere.Inthearticle,BodiesandSoulEverydaybyDavid
Levithan,FrankBrunistates,A.doesnthavearealname,presumablybecausehedoesnt
havearealexistence:hesnotaperson,atleastnotinanyconventionalsense,butaspirit,
switchingwithoutchoicefromoneteenagehosttothenextand,forjust24hours,replacingits
soulandconsciousnesswithhisown.Thisisanexampleofhowonemaydisagreewiththeidea
ofAhavinghisownidentity.FrankBruniisbasicallysayingAisinvisibletothisworldbecause
heisalwaysinadifferentbody,unabletoidentifyashimself.Anotherexample,eventhough

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RhiannonisabletoseeAsometimeswithineachbody,othertimesitshardforhertogetpast
theappearances.SomemayagreethatAdoesnttrulyhaveanidentitythroughbothofthese
examples.
IntheendAisntinvisibleanymore.Hehasmadeanimpactonthelifeofeverybodyhe
wasinwhetherifitwasthroughhisknowledgeofasubjectorhispersonalmorals.Aisntthe
onlypersonwhoknowsabouthisexistenceintheend.Aisanindividualhimselfwithouta
permanentvessel.Hehashisownidentityandisabletoprovethisthroughhisactions
throughoutthenovelandwhileheisinthebodiesofothers.

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WorksCited
Bruni,Frank."BodiesandSoul."
TheNewYorkTimes
.TheNewYorkTimes,25Aug.2012.
Web.25Apr.2016.
"Identity/IdentityFormation."
Identity/IdentityFormationAdolescence,TheoryofPersonality,
andDevelopmentalReadingJRankArticles
.N.p.,2016.Web.26Apr.2016.
<Identity/IdentityFormation>.
Levithan,David.
EveryDay
.NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf,2012.Print.

Mistwalker,Rowan.
SoulLeavingBodyAfterDeath
.Digitalimage.
OnLifeandLiving|
MistWalker'sTrails
.N.p.,17June2013.Web.24Apr.2016.
<https://rowangmistwalker.com/tag/onlifeandliving/>.
PersonalityMatters
.Digitalimage.
Pinterest
.N.p.,n.d.Web.25Apr.2016.
<https://www.pinterest.com/pin/315674255101444600/>.

RacialandEthnicIdentity
.Digitalimage.
TheCollaboratory
.N.p.,n.d.Web.24Apr.2016.
<http://thecollaboratory.wikidot.com/2015sociology>.