Sample presentation for CRTL 101

1. M3: Identity
Presentation
by Karen Cardenas

2. After reading and thinking about identity this
semester, I believe that human beings fall in
to the trap of defining our identity by what
other people see in us or want to see in us. I
believe that we should resist this and work to
define our identity based on what we want to
see in ourselves.

3. "Look at me,
it's not my true identity
I have a covert identity,
I wonder if you'd ever see..."
-Cyrus Diaz
In the poem, "Identity" by Cyrus Diaz, the
first few lines reflect a natural resistance
to allowing another person to define who
we are.

4. "Look at me,
it's not my true identity
I have a covert identity,
I wonder if you'd ever see..."
-Cyrus Diaz
"Lookatme,it'snotmytrueidentity"
seemstosay,"Whenyoulookatme,what
youseeisNOTwhoIreallyam."

5. "Look at me,
it's not my true identity
I have a covert identity,
I wonder if you'd ever see..."
-Cyrus Diaz
The line, "I have a covert identity, I wonder if you'd ever
see...," also seems to suggest a universal truth about identity
and human nature, which is we all have parts of ourselves
that feel more true than other parts. However, these parts of
ourselves are not always recognized or seen by other people.

6. This idea about identity from Diaz's poem
also connects to what Jeffery Zaslow
discusses in his article called "The Most
Praised Generation Goes to Work."

7. Zaslow provides evidence in his article that
children who grew up receiving nothing but praise
become workers who require praise for even simple
things like showing up to work. He discusses how
this need for praise has changed the way older
people in the work force interact with the younger
generation of workers. He also suggests that this
younger generation of workers "feel nervous" when
they are not receiving positive feedback.

8. I think this is a
problem related to
identity.

9. I think the solution to this
problem is to practice
defining our own identity
independently of what
others think or expect.

10. In order to do this, I think
every person must practice
self-acceptance.

11. Accept who you are
recognize your own beauty
identity isn't a need,
your identity should be your own
a better person you will be
known
this is me, this is my identity
my true identity is all full of
beauty.
The final stanza of Diaz's poem clarifies what I want
to see happen when we finally shape our own
identity based NOT on what others project on to us,
but rather on what we want to see in ourselves.

12. ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE.
DEFINE YOUR OWN IDENTITY
INDEPENDENTLY.

13. WORKS CITED
Zaslow, Jeffrey. “The Most Praised Generation Goes to Work.” Identity: a Reader for Writers, Oxford
University Press, 2014, pp. 220-225.
Diaz, Cyrus. “Identity.” PoemHunter.com, www.poemhunter.com/poems/identity/page-1/26808526/.
Works Cited