Space, Memory, and Identity: How Three Word So Different, Never Seemed So Similar

Space, memory, and identity are three words that on the surface may seem different on terms of meaning, but at the same time very similar. It is important for someone to live in a space that suits their personality. The space that usually is embedded in our memory is the one that we can relate to the most. This is very apparent in the story, This Old House. Starting from the way he dressed, Sedaris was often ridiculed for it by his father. His apparel was not modern at all, so his father may have the disgust that he has because he wants to disassociate himself with the time period.

However, as Sedaris explained, he chose to wear the clothing he wears because as he says The world was simply grander back then, somehow more civilized, and nicer to look at. Sedaris house that he grew up in was nothing special, besides the dining room set. It had nothing special about it, and did not represent his outlook towards life. On the other hand, the boarding house Sedaris eventually moves into was the complete opposite of that. As he explained the interior of the house, old-

Space, Memory, and Identity: How Three Word So Different, Never Seemed So Similar

fashioned, but fitting. Sedaris is old fashioned so he could not relate to his childhood house the way he could with the boarding house. His memory was a bit clouded of his childhood house because he simply did not fit in with the physical house, and even with his parents.

Memory is the result of ones space, whether it was fit or unfit for that person. In Westbury Court, Danticat recalls numerous events and tragedies that happened during her childhood tenure at her Westbury apartment. Even the actual building itself, how there was lack of hot water sometimes, or how graffiti covered the walls of the building. She was able to relate to the space around her, and she was a fit there. Those little things sculpted her memory of the Courts.

I have lived in my house for all of my life and I would consider myself as a fit for the space that I live in. I live in an urban environment which I would say suits me. Car alarms, gunshots, arguments at two am, and etc does not bother me as it would a visitor. My neighbors and I do not communicate outside of a friendly hello, which is fine by me. And just like Danticat, I do not know any of their names as-well. The inside of my

Space, Memory, and Identity: How Three Word So Different, Never Seemed So Similar

house is comfortable and close knit which is the way I like it. Over the years I have collected all types of memories here, both good and bad, and those memories will build me up to be a better man in the future.

What is an identity? My definition of an identity is anything that makes a person different from the next. For Sedaris, his identity was old fashioned. He showed appreciation for the hardships Americans faced during the Great Depression era. On the contrary, Chaz, Sedaris boarding house mate was more modernized. He had a radio that he played loudly, and even his job was more modern, a construction worker helping to build the USs infrastructure (although it is noted that all he did was held up the signs), compared to Sedaris old fashioned job, dishwashing. Sedaris can be identified as plain.

Today it is becoming more and more rare to find someone with a simplistic outlook on life such as Sedaris especially in the Western hemisphere. With that being said there are still many of people who are like him such as Amish people and orthodox Jewish people. Alas, as technology continues to grow and we become more dependent

Space, Memory, and Identity: How Three Word So Different, Never Seemed So Similar

on it, one has to wonder if it will phase out people with identities such as Sedaris forcing them to conform to the general masses; thus creating a world with no individuality and identity.

While reading all four short stories these past few weeks, I have come to realize that space, memory, and identify are all somewhat interchangeable. The characters from each story come from different backgrounds, cultures, even ideologies. Yet by the end of each story they seem to tie into one another based on how each story pans out. They all reminisce on the past, they elaborate on their space and environment, and they touch on the topic of identity issues. This type of stories allows the reader think about the central theme and how they are comparable to other stories with similar concrete ideas.

Space, Memory, and Identity: How Three Word So Different, Never Seemed So Similar

References

Danticat, E. (n.d.). Westbury court. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ve d=0CCkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.basd.k12.wi.us%2Fmocarski%2Fc ollegeenglish%2FWESTBURYCOURT.rtf&ei=xYhiUrqgK8HCywHNnoDYAQ&usg =AFQjCNFy7xbfGmwRggMd1JrUqF6a7tQUaw Sedaris, D. (2007, July 9). This old house. The New Yorker. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/07/09/070709fa_fact_sedaris