One of the central tensions of American life thrums in the double meaning of “identity.” On the one hand, the word refers to a unique, irreplaceable, individual self, which we are summoned constantly to reveal and cherish. On the other, “identity” refers to the demographic categories by which we are linked to other examples of our types. Much of our contemporary talk about “identity” shuttles between proud affirmations of membership in groups and anxious insistence on our uncategorizable personal singularity. We long for connections and roots; we long to break free of tradition and cliché.
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