Each one of us has a distinct identity, shaped in accordance to the culture and norms of our time. Though we may be reluctant to admit we don’t have complete autonomy over the formation of our identity, in Stephen Greenblatt’s “Renaissance Self-Fashioning,” he reveals that culture, literature, and institutions are inextricably tied our notions of self.
Greenblatt begins by defining “self fashioning,” the idea that we construct our identity according to a set of socially acceptable standards (or more simply, how we want others to perceive us). This notion is constantly evolving-- as culture develops over time, so does the way in which we view ourselves. For example, while in the Renaissance era, it was customary for wealthy men to exemplify wealth through a formal education, a large collection of literature, and fancy clothes, now, it is more customary for wealthy men to own fortune 500’s and perhaps not even receive a formal education. Although our notions of self can evolve, they are always shaped by the culture, literature, and institutions of our time. In my commonplace book, I drew a picture of a book to demonstrate how literature can have a profound effect on our formation of identity. In “Renaissance Self-Fashioning,” Greenblatt identifies three ways that literature functions within the notion of self: as a manifestation of the behavior of its author, as an expression of how behavior is shaped, or as a larger reflection upon culture and social norms. He then explains the limitations of each of these interpretations of literature: if the interpretation limits itself to the behavior of the author, it might lose a sense of the broader networks the literature acts within, if it is solely viewed as the expression of social rules, it becomes an ideological superstructure, and if it is seen solely as a detached reflection of social codes, it diminishes our grasp of how we function within it. This raises the question of how we should understand literature in accordance to identity. Should we combine each of these interpretations or should we chose one interpretation and understand that it might not be an accurate reflection of culture? Another question Greenblatt raises is whether we form our identity in relation to the same structures. Greenblatt answers this by stating that “one man's authority is another man's alien,” explaining that not everyone constructs themselves in accordance to the same customs or in relation to the same authority. In my commonplace book, I drew a star of david and a cross because I think religion (or a lack thereof) exemplifies the differences in our formation of identity-- documents like the torah and bible provide different and perhaps slightly contradictory rules and social norms that shape our behavior and identity. Though we all form our identity in accordance to a structure, that structure may not be the same for everyone. I think we read this piece because this year, we will read literature that will give us insight into how people previously self fashioned, and how the ways in which we self fashion have evolved.
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