During the initial conversation he has with Susan McDermott, who later becomes his wife, the narrator says the following: "'I'm Edgar Eagle Runner,' I said, though my driver's license still read Edgar Joseph" (1352).
What does this indicate about the narrator's identity?
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Edgar already has a social name, or social identity as Joseph, but he still wants to keep his inherited identity as Runner. He is always confused with these two identities.
ReplyDeleteIt indicates that Edgar does not satisfy who he really is (as an Indian and being poor). He is seemingly struggling of his identity as an Indian, and ashamed of who he is, therefore he would like to change his name as Runner. Later on, after he got married with Susan, Edgar said, “For most of my life, I’d dreamed about the world where I currently resided” (1362). It shows how much he desired of being wealthy-as a White.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Wayne and Rasinskl, the narrator is undergoing an identity crisis. He wants the security of having a normal name like Edgar Joseph where he would be identified as a sophisticated man in his world of upper class white people and lawyers. However, after finally obtaining this label he tries to differentiate himself from the others of that world by being more ethnic by going as Edgar Eagle Runner. He believes it makes him more appealing and sexy. The narrator tries to juggle both identities to reap the benefits of their finer qualities while trying to avoid their negative aspects. He does not want to be too ethnic to the point where he may seen as being primitive, at the same time he tries to fit in the upper-class world, but tries to avoid being too sophisticated to the point of having no ethnic appeal.
ReplyDeleteI think the Edgar Joseph name himself as Edgar Eagle Runner wants to illustrate his identities. His ideology is very complicated, like dtwelve89 said. He said he is an Eagle Runner wants to follow the times situation. He is not sure what kind of class he belongs to.
ReplyDeleteWhen he introduces his name as “Edgar Eagle Runner” to Susan he seems very proud of his Indian name. He then continues on saying “though my driver’s license still read Edgar Joseph”. His name on his driver license is nothing but a passport to fit in the society. I think Edgar is proud to be Indian but he was taught by his mother not to marry Indian woman. That kind of advice by his mother might have played a big roll in his life as an adult
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ReplyDeleteThe name in the drive license is read Edgar Joseph, but it may be read as Edgar Eagle Runner in his heart. Because the author born and grows up in American, even though his blood line is Indian. He is assimilated almost like the white man in American, but he still can not deny he gets a Indian face. So, he is still struggling with his racial identity, he doesn't know which identity is his natural identity, so he confuses use which one to introduce himself. It indicates that he doesn't know who he is actually, but he prefers to being a "White" Indian.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the narrator was very confused about that. In fact, in the society, people used different naming to show their identity. Like the narrator, even though he was changed his naming in personally. However, he still could not change his true name. It sound like that we tried our best to change ourselves, but sometimes, we could not change it anyways. In fact, we need to change something not ourselves could accept but need the others could appcet.
ReplyDeleteFirst I think the narrator do not know that susan mcdermott with later becomes his wife when he introduce himself In the first time. Moreover, when he say following “im Edgar Eagle Runner” and wants people know he has a different name in stead of Edgar Joseph. Besides he also is struggling on his status of Indian and his poor identity. He is very confused about being a white Indian.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator is an Indian American. The reason he used his Indian name rather than his English name was he thought he was an Indian more than an American.
ReplyDeleteNot like his mother, the narrator very want others to know he is an Indian. It implies that he yearn for his color of skin, his own roots. He didn't want to be white washed.