There are certain things we think we know until we are called upon to explain them. The idea of self falls into this category, for nothing seems more obvious than our very self, but when we attempt to define its nature we tend to become confused.

Why is it so tough to define ourselves, either personally or as Americans? Have you ever walked past a mirror and not recognized yourself? Are you the same person you see in the mirror each day? Do you recognize yourself in a childhood photograph? Heather Suval writes about finding out how she might or might not fit into a new school. Sudden changes can call for a re-evaluation of what it means "to be," and who we are in terms of our community. William Least Heat Moon reveals something about himself when he articulates what he has observed during his drive through West Texas. A sense of place, then, is one way to reveal identity and beliefs. Richard Wright shares a powerful turning point in his life and the subsequent process of "becoming" a serious, powerful writer, his doubts and fears. Ishmael Reed reminds us that we are all, in effect, Americans by using bouillabaisse as a metaphor for who we are. So where do you fit in? Who are you?

These questions are designed to help you get started on your first paper. It might help you to also think about a particular "culture" you belong to, be it your family, your friends, or local community. You might want to define that particular culture and explain how you, as an individual, fit in. What are the particular values your culture has passed down through generations? What kind of examples can you give? What kinds of stories, objects or metaphors can you use to help explain those values. In short, who are you?

Topic Suggestions

• Tell a story that exemplifies what it means to be part of a given group.

• Select one moment from your past that changed your life or showed you that your life had already changed. What was the event? What were you like before and after?

• Show a particular challenge you once had to overcome. What were the particular circumstances? Were you able to achieve your goals? What was the outcome, and what does that reveal about you as a person?

• Remember a special place where you used to go to be alone. What was it like? What did you used to do there? How have you changed since then?

• Write about an precious object given to you by a close family member when you were a child. What was the occasion? Why is that object still important to you? How might that object reveal who you are in some way?

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