The Formation Of Identity Essay Research Paper free essay sample

The Formation Of Identity Essay, Research Paper The Formation of Identity Our ain organic structures can travel without the will carry oning them ( Descartes 73 ) . This doctrine is based upon the thought that the organic structure is merely a machine used by its agent, the psyche. Therefore, non merely would the organic structure be able to run without the psyche, as Rene Descartes suggests, presuming that will is enveloped in the thought of the psyche, but the psyche would besides be able to last outside the organic structure, substituting organic structures and outside signifiers but still able to go on to be or map in malice of losing its original ( or possibly merely long term ) bureau. The storyteller in The Mask surely uses this thought in the formation of her individuality. At first she hardly even recognizes any connexion between her organic structure and her individuality ( or what she views as her individuality ) . We will write a custom essay sample on The Formation Of Identity Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then, as the two blend, she divides them once more, morphing into a machine, much like the metaphor Descartes employs. The separation of the organic structure and psyche non merely allows her organic structure to map without her individuality carry oning it but besides allows her individuality to take itself from its original organic structure to that of a machine. The storyteller s individuality in The Mask is shown as a separate entity from that of her organic structure, and hence her individuality does non be as a consequence of or even in connexion with her organic structure, instead it is formed by her ideas, memories and fate. From the beginning, it is apparent that her individuality does non depend upon her organic structure. She existed in the beginning ( Lem 67 ) , sing the darkness and cold fire ( 67 ) even before she experiences any physical cognition of her organic structure. As each new esthesis is discovered, from physical feeling to really cognizing her gender, she is able to grok more and conceive of more thoughts, yet she was still in complete ignorance about [ herself ] ( 69 ) , mentioning to her organic structure. She is able to cognize of her feelings and reactions during this clip of find which hence lead one to the thought that she has some kind of consciousness during that clip and that this must be her individuality or p syche because her organic structure, as yet, played no portion. It is evident that, from the beginning, her individuality has no connexion to her organic structure. Although it seems as though the storyteller s individuality canastas with her organic structure, it is clear that her ideas and true inner emotions are in actuality wholly divided from her organic structure. Her organic structure would travel and run without the storyteller really commanding it. In fact, as her organic structure moved, she does non even cognize where she is traveling but merely that it is go oning on ( 68 ) . Her organic structure moves through the gestures of walking through the hall and curtsying, all the while the storyteller s individuality inquiring how [ she ] cognize this so good and with such certainty ( 69 ) . She has no cognition of her organic structure s experiences beyond that which had rushed into [ her ] at the entryway of the hall ( 70 ) . Simply, her individuality has nil to make with what her organic structure is making. It is really possible for her individuality to command its organic structure ( because that occurs subsequently in the narrative ) and respond to the organic structure every bit good. For case, in coming into contact with the gentleman, the storyteller blooms. She had nil whatever to make with that bloom, it came from the same beginning as the cognition that had entered [ her ] at the threshold of the hall ( 72 ) . This bloom, a natural reaction, had come from the same beginning as her organic structure s intuitions, being the organic structure itself. It is evident that she had no control over her reactions, and in comparing this to her cognition, it is besides evident that her organic structure had a life of its ain. It moves in the ways it needs and it reacts intuitively without the soul/identity interfering. The storyteller s separation of her individuality from its organic structure follows the ideas of Descartes. Descartes doctrine of the organic structure is that it is like a machine, and because a machine has no psyche, the organic structure needs no psyche to run. He states our ain organic structures can travel without the will carry oning them ( Descartes 73 ) like machines which the industry of adult male can invent ( 73 ) . If a machine can run efficaciously, holding all of the correct parts to execute basic maps, so the organic structure, being merely comprised of variety meats and a web of venas and arterias, should be able to besides work on its ain. The difference between a machine and the human organic structure is that machines could neer utilize words or other marks, composing them as we do to declare our ideas to others ( 74 ) . Second, machines do non move through cognition ( 74 ) . In other words, machines are neither able to gestate of nor express ideas or thoughts. Wo rlds can and Descartes suggests that this is because we have a spirit ; an individuality. The storyteller in The Mask is able to both conceive of and show thought s, despite her mechanical alteration and visual aspect. This both agrees with and challenges Descartes doctrine. The storyteller still feels a withdrawal from her organic structure as she is morphing into another organic structure. She sets up the full operation though still views the state of affairs about in 3rd individual, seeing the actions of her organic structure and thought of them as really separate from her true individuality. She looks into the mirror and sees her organic structure as if [ it ] intended to stab [ itself ] , a scene dramatically perfect ( Lem 212 ) . She sees her life as one views a drama, a scene played out by histrions, portraying a character though non really that character on the interior, their true individuality hidden and different from the portion that they are playing. Then, she cuts unfastened the organic structure and sees the tremendous foetus ( 83 ) . It is here that she understands that it was non it, a foreign thing, different and other, it was once more [ herself ] ( 83 ) . This is where the storyteller s individuality challenges Descartes doctrine. She transforms into the mechanical preying mantid. She non merely becomes this insect, but her individuality seems to morph into the mantid every bit good, for it is merely so that she realizes her true fate, to kill her lover. It is this irresistible impulse which antecedently [ she ] had merely suspected ( 89 ) , and now cognize in her organic structure. In Descartes thought, this machine could non hold a psyche much less create the fate for a psyche. But, in fact, this is what happens to the storyteller. She becomes a mechanism with a multiple memory of things otiose to a hunting machine ( 91 ) . In going this, she realizes her fate and it is forced upon her. She is controlled by this machines fate, giving to the reflecting metal [ which ] had composing into it movements ( 84 ) . She follows these instructions, her individuality organizing itself by the actions of her new organic structure. She is gratified when those [ she ] came upon prostrated themselves ( 88 ) and when her lower sense of odor went idle [ she ] experienced a feeling of bad luck ( 88 ) . The storyteller begins to believe and respond in the manner her organic structure reacts, intermixing the two together. This contradicts both with her experience in the human organic structure every bit good as with Descartes definition of individuality and psyche. She at one time is controlled by and controls her organic structure, a machine. In Descartes doctrine, a sensible psyche could non in any manner be derived from the power of affair it must be created expressly ( Descartes 162 ) . In The Mask, the storyteller is recreated in the mechanical preying mantid. She acts and reacts upon acquiring instructions from the machine. The storyteller insists that she still has an individuality with desire [ and ] fate ( Lem 91 ) , yet it is derived from the machine. This besides differs from her old experience with her human organic structure. When she is in the human organic structure, the storyteller is able to believe and respond to what her organic structure is making. Her organic structure is able to move on its ain every bit good. This defined a big separation between the individuality and the organi c structure, as Descartes expressed. If a organic structure were to hold no head ( and hence no individuality ) , it would still travel in all the same ways that it does [ with a head ] ( Descartes 163 ) . In this state of affairs, the reader is lead to believe that the individuality genuinely is separate from the organic structure. Yet, so the storyteller transforms into a mechanical being and so is controlled by that being and its fate. This contradicts intensely as her individuality becomes that of the machine. The machine and its destiny signifier the storyteller s individuality, non by her actions because even though she tries to alter her fate into what she desires, destiny wins and her lover is dead in the terminal. The formation of one s individuality is so really hard to follow. Descartes attempted to at least fit boundaries on how an individuality or psyche is created, saying that our psyche is of a nature wholly independent of the organic structure ( Descartes 162 ) . The Mask efforts to both prove and refute this doctrine, or possibly merely dispute it. The storyteller inhabits two organic structures throughout the class of the narrative. Each one represents a different method of making an individuality. In the human organic structure, the individuality is created expressly. The individuality develops itself without influence from the organic structure it is in. But, one time changed into the mechanical insect, the storyteller all of a sudden finds her individuality run by the machine. She finds herself following the machine s instructions and falling into the machine s fate. This suggests an individuality formed by the organic structure that it occupies. Is the individuality formed in it o f itself or is it created by its bureau? The individuality foremost develops itself without relation to anything else, including its organic structure. As one s individuality morphs and alterations as its environment transforms. The individuality is formed through a combination of these two thoughts. 33a