We are the people we pretend to be...

These past couple of weeks I have been getting to know you. Eventually you will be asked to put some of yourself into your writing. But what does that mean to put yourself into a paper? Obviously one cannot ever put everything that constitutes his/her identity into a single paper. We, as individuals, are far too complex for that -- in fact the idea of identity is far too complex for that.
But here is an exercise I would like you guys to try:

I would like each of you to pick out 3-5 pieces of clothing (or accessories) that you own and wear that you think says something very crucial and specific about who you are. You can put them on or just lay them out, but I want you to really look at them. Describe them to me briefly (Summary) and then tell me how they reflect who you are (Analysis and Connection). What would they tell a stranger about you, if that stranger was looking at you from across the room and could not hear you talk or see how you behave.

Once you have completed that task, consider this:
In addition to complicating the world of grammar, Shakespeare frequently defined (or complicated) identity by the clothes his characters wore. Often a character gained and lost power by the way they dressed. Do you think this is true? Is your identity contained within yourself or is it something that is worn, or is it even something you have control of? Could your identity be something that is contained not in you, but in what people perceive you to be? What ever your answer may be, remember to tell me WHY you think this way.

Provide me with a response to these questions and include what those articles of clothing are and what they say about you. It will be due Monday. Keep it brief and try to stay within the one page requirement if you are doing only 3 articles, as this will force you to use your language effectively. No repetition or unnecessary phrasing. Choose only your best points of analysis. Be precise! Practice what Roberts said in his essay. If you do 5 articles you can only have one additional page, but feel free to give it a shot and keep it concise.

I would recommend picking things that other people would be able to identify. Try to place yourself in their shoes. So for example, if you choose just plain jeans, they might say a number of things about you. The same pair of jeans might mean you are relaxed, rugged, or poor depending on who is looking at them or how you are wearing them. How would a stranger know what those jeans mean to you? What information are you conveying? And how are you conveying it?

However, if your jeans are baggy, have mustard stains, and are completely wrinkled, that might say something more specific about you that even a stranger could pick up on.

Try to have fun with it.

Consider this: instead of reading "articles" from some website or book, you are reading articles of clothing--something that you probably do everyday.