The emotions, feeling, and opinions of one’s self often shape the character of a person, but do the external factors of an individual’s life shape their identity as well? This question, however, depends on the individual themself. The results of an identity lean on whether or not one allows outside factors to penetrate their identity and change them, for good or for bad. One’s identity can be altered by many external forces, the first being their friends, family, and life events. Along with these comes their hobbies and interests, things they do to entertain themselves on a day to day basis. Finally comes the time period one was born into, and the hundreds of media forms surrounding them. Who a person is and who they will become can be greatly…show more content… Darry also demonstrates hard work in many of the things he undertakes, making Ponyboy aspire to work hard like his older brother as well. Johnny Cade almost always stays positive and loves his friends like brothers, even when time are tough. He also shows extreme bravery and courage, making Ponyboy work those characteristics into his identity as well. Sodapop affects Ponyboy’s identity in many ways as well. Essentially, Sodapop dropped out of highschool, meaning he never graduated and proceed to go to college. This affects Ponyboy by…show more content… Soda also demonstrates extreme kindness and many flirtatious aspects, only making Ponyboy strive to be like him as well. Dallas Winston, although tough on the outside, plays host to a huge heart. Yet, Dally still knows how to stand up not only for himself, but for his friends. This plays into Pony’s identity by allowing him to experience true courage and additionally posses factors like this too. Dr. Elisa Medhus, author of the book Raising Children to Think For Themselves states the following three points. Firstly, she states that family is the first thing a child becomes accustomed to, influencing their identity by shaping their beliefs and choices. To dissect the statement further, Dr. Elisa Medhus informs her readers of the large impacts a family has on their child’s identity from the very beginning of their individual development. Secondly, Medhus declares that strong family traditions for example birthdays or vacations, reduce the influence of media and peer pressure on children, especially in teenage years. This explanation proves that parents and other family members can shield their child from negative external factors. In addition to this, Dr. Elisa says that traditions passed on to children can strengthen their
