Critical Questions

Berg

1. Berg would say that physical appearance does influence your Identity because it impacts your confidence, insecurities, and view of yourself. Even though Berg tells her audience not to care about what others think, she cares a lot about others' opinions, so much so that she wrote a book about it. 

Proof: Berg (2009) says, "People made jokes about how fat he was...their remarks hurt him" (p.94)Berg saw how her father was made fun of and that it hurt his feelings. He would not have had this happen if he was not overweight. This also impacted Berg and made her want to stand up for her father. I am sure she carried this with her throughout her life. 

2. I think that Berg would say that culture heavily impacts someone's identity. She has created a culture for herself around her weight and food. Her ideals around this topic have shaped who she is and instilled a belief system in herself. Also, culture today often looks down upon people who are overweight, this has affected the way she feels about herself.

Proof: "Skinny People look at fat people and have visions of them stretched out on fuchsia-colored silk sofas scarfing down cool ranch Doritos and Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey..." This quote shows that Berg believes that when people who are not overweight look at her they think negatively of her because of the way she looks. This is because culture today has put such a negative representation on weight.

3. Berg would say that family history is important for shaping identity because she shares life experiences with her father. Berg watched her father be made fun of and this affected her and the way she views life.

Thomas

1. Thomas would say that physical appearance doesn't make someone who they are because she questioned who she was even though she was beautiful. But she also was disappointed with how the zucchini looked, so maybe she does find value in her physical appearance. 

My Proof: In Thomas's story (1982), Princess Zona says, "But who is the 'I' who is so beautiful...Who is she?" This tells me that just because she is beautiful she still doesn't know who she is on the inside. 

2. I think that Thomas would say culture and ancestry do not shape someone's identity. This is because in her story Zola does not listen to any specific culture and her past was not spoken about much. She made decisions on her own without outside opinions influencing her. 

Proof: "...Zona had begged her mother to let her prepare the evening meal." This quote is evidence of Zona acting against cultural norms. Typically princesses would not cook food for themselves and in this situation, Zona wants to do the task. 

3. I think that Thomas would say that family history is not important in shaping identity. This is because her character Princess Zona chose to live her life the way she wanted to not the way anyone else did. If she chose to be like her family she may have made different choices.

Chee

1. I think that Chee would say physical appearance in very influential on someone's identity because he felt like a different person when he had his "mask" on. When he did his hair and makeup to look like a girl it influenced the way he felt about himself and how he thought other people viewed him. 

My Proof: According to Chee (2015), "... I just want to be his overly made-up girlfriend all night." 

Chee felt that by looking like a girl he wouldn't be asked questions about his sexuality and would be able to live the night the way he always wanted to. 

2. I think that Chee would say that culture and ancestry are very important in shaping someone's identity. He explains how difficult it was for him to find his place being mixed. He felt as though he was not enough for his white side or his Korean side. These feelings shaped the way he viewed culture and himself when being accepted or not.

Proof: "When people use the word “passing” in talking about race, they only ever mean one thing, but I still make them say it. He told me he was Filipino. “You could be one of us,” he said. “But you’re not.” Yes. I could be, but I am not. I am used to this feeling." Chee is used to the feeling of not belonging, he has never been fully accepted by either part of him. Growing up with feelings like these can influence Chee's perception of self-worth and identity. 

3. I think that Chee would say family is important in shaping identity. This is because he struggled with his race and "fitting in" growing up. He is part of both sides of his family and I think this may have been hard to navigate for him growing up.