Identity and the Stages of Life

The novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg http://www.whistlestopcafe.com/portrays the many stages of life and evolution of identity during the many characters’ lives. The concept of identity is a process of growing and aging similar to the many stages of life; the two processes correlate and progress together as one through one’s lifetime.  At a young age, the concept of identity is not the same as how it is perceived later on in life. During the process of learning about the changes and growth of one’s body, especially through puberty, one learns the same about his or her identity.  One will also learn how others may perceive their identity. The basis of one’s identity is laid out during the early stages of life and in the years following the teenage stage the many facets of one’s identity are created and utilized. Identities are not constant; changes occur within the course of life that effect and change or cause one to entirely recreate parts of one’s identity. The changes in life can be sporadic or continuous, but the effects of the changes on one’s identity can be constant, such as a change in marital status, birth of a child, or loss or death of a loved one.

Researchers that have studied the life cycle and aging of humans refer to the Erik Erikson’s eight stages of development. These eight stages are infancy, early childhood, play age, school age, adolescence, early adulthood, adulthood, and old age.[1][1]  While these stages can be categorized differently, for the remainder of this paper the fore mentioned titles will be used. Regardless of the names of stages, as one grows and starts the incredible journey called life, the idea of one’s identity and how one fits into the world is conceived and evolved. The building blocks for one’s identity are put into place during infancy and the period of growth from an infant into an adolescent. The concepts of one’s identity are built upon and molded in the early stages, refined in the following stages, and embellished in the later stages. Identity is an ever changing part of human life; it is the very being of a person, the way in which a person is recognized.  It defines every person in some way during each stage.

            The first stage in life, infancy, may not seem to hold much when addressing identity but, in actuality, infancy is the very beginning of one’s identity. http://social.jrank.org/pages/322/Identity-Development.html During this stage, the child “lacks a separate sense of identity and depends on others to meet its needs,”[2][2] according to Erik Erikson, a well known German-Danish developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst who developed the theory of the social development stages. http://www.thepsychfiles.com/erikson/ The baby’s identity is that which is given to him by those around him like parents and other family members. The socialization a baby needs to develop begins the foundation of creating a unique identity. In the novel by Fannie Flagg, Buddy Threadgoode favored and cared specially for his baby sister, Idgie, and created a bond between them that would shape Idgie for the rest of her life.[3][3] A baby receives treatment according to whom and what the child will become in society. The caregivers are responsible and must consider that which is “good for the child.”[4][4] Another excellent example of this caregiver responsibility is the protection and care of Buddy Jr. by Ruth, Idgie and their friends who worked at the Whistle Stop Café; the characters do what is necessary, even murder, to ensure Frank Bennett does not kidnap the baby Buddy Jr. http://www.funtrivia.com/en/Movies/Fried-Green-Tomatoes-8703.html

The individual identity begins to emerge during early childhood and splits into separate senses and emotions that were previously unified as an infant. Senses and perceptions are not separate from actions making the world “more alive”.  This causes children to think in a way different to the physical factual qualities perceived by adults.[5][5] Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis and an influential psychologist of the twentieth century, considered children to be egotists, persons who are self-centered or conceited, because they would project “selfish little fantasies onto the world around [him].”[6][6] While this level of development is not extensive, a child’s identity is no longer a reflection of those around him; it is the child’s own personality and others begin to view the child as an individual.

            The stage of life recalled often in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café is the end of early childhood to late childhood stage with a ten year old Idgie Threadgoode.[7][7] By this stage of life, a child has an independent identity and, for the most part, will let those around them know that they are individuals. Idgie continually went against the grain by her decision to live in the woods, skip school, use abrasive language, and wear men’s clothing. She was often encouraged to be an individual by her older brother Buddy up until his death. Buddy was eight years old when Idgie was born and she was his favorite sibling[8][8] because he was allowed to care for her. Buddy directly affected her identity unlike their other siblings who disapproved of Idgie’s actions and the death of her beloved brother devastated her. While Buddy was a main component in building Idgie’s identity, the unexpected loss of him created new aspects of her identity, depression and loneliness, which came into play later on in the novel when she meets Ruth. Idgie’s loss also buried parts of her identity, like love and happiness, which were prevalent while Buddy was alive. When Idgie left home and separated herself from society because of her grief, the feeling that she had aged past her school age years, well into the adolescence stage and possibly early adulthood is present. 

            Adolescence is the stage between the ages of twelve and nineteen where one is no longer a child, not yet an adult, but closer to discovering one’s true self. http://www.learning-theories.com/identity-status-theory-marcia.html It is the time for a coming of age; a maturity from previous ideas of who one was, to who one is in the process of becoming.

The new balance between self and other involves a reorganization of the means to identity itself. That self of childhood, derived from significant identifications with important others, must during adolescence give way to a self derived from yet transcending those foundations- to a whole greater than the sum of its parts.[9][9]

During this stage of Idgie’s life, Ruth Jamison comes into Idgie’s life and it was the best summer for the Threadgoode’s since the death of Buddy. Idgie’s mother asks for Ruth’s aid in civilizing the wild Idgie and surprisingly, the love struck Idgie hung on every single one of Ruth’s words. Ruth gives Idgie a nickname, the bee charmer, which became a part of her identity for the rest of her life. The two girls explored their friendship, intimacy and love for one another until Ruth leaves to marry Frank Bennett. Ruth experiences a change in identity becoming a wife and had to reorient her identity to society’s expectations. This portion of the novel introduces the next stage in life since Ruth is a few years older than Idgie.

            Upon entering early adulthood, between the ages of twenty to twenty-five years[10][10], an individual identity and a group based identity are needed for survival.[11][11] Idgie relies on those around her, like her poker game friends, and Ruth with her new husband and her elderly mother, for support and stability. For the most part, one is comfortable with their identities, but events cause changes to occur. Ruth sinks into herself while she endures Frank’s brutal abuse, the passing of her mother, and early pregnancy. As an attempt to regain her identity and self, Ruth sent to Idgie for help and with the aid of Big George, an African American friend, Idgie brought Ruth home. A new identity, family, is formed between them as Ruth gave birth to Buddy Jr. becoming a mother and together Ruth and Idgie raised the little boy who was molded by the two women and form his own identity as he grew in to an adult.

            Evelyn Couch was the main character who exemplified middle adulthood, twenty-six to sixty-four years, and the many changes that come with it. Evelyn is a middle aged woman who is experiencing the physical changes of menopause[12][12] and the ‘empty nest’ feeling of having no more children in the house to care for leaving just her and her husband. Evelyn thought of herself as over the hill, overweight and utterly hopeless. Ninny Threadgoode, an elderly woman who had recently moved into the nursing home, told Evelyn stories of Ruth and Idgie during her visits; the stories encouraged Evelyn to become who she wanted to be and to discover her true self. Evelyn eventually went on a diet and exercised to lose weight, began to sell Mary Kay, and took charge of her life so that she would no longer be hidden in her husband’s shadow. These changes came from a discovery of a buried identity, or alter ego, Evelyn named Towanda. The unlikely friendship between Evelyn and the elderly Ninny helped both women through changes that affected their identities and their lives. http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/07/27/life.stages/index.html

            The next stage in life is old age, which does not necessarily mean that the end is coming and death is around the corner with modern day medicine and education. This is the time in which one can take control of financial and leadership positions.[13][13] Social roles become more significant and the identity one has created throughout one’s life will affect others especially those who are younger; common forms would be role models, superiors in a working environment or person who holds a large amount of power and authority. Ninny Threadgoode played this role in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. At this stage in her life, Ninny was a widow and almost every one that she grew up with had passed away and those who she had known, for the most part, had moved on in their lives while she stayed with Mrs. Otis, a friend from Whistle Stop, in the nursing home.[14][14] Ninny befriended Evelyn and told her stories from her youth and stories about Ruth and Idgie. Ninny used her life experiences and wisdom, new facets of her identity, to aid Evelyn during her period of confusion and pain. It is possible that the fear of dementia[15][15], or becoming senile, caused Ninny to retell her memories so that she would not forget her identity. By this period of life, one may have lost someone very dear like a spouse and has had to come to terms with what will eventually happen to them. The fear of death is prominent in many identities of those in society and many struggle against the idea that death is the final stage of life. According to Erik Erikson, “A large part of the struggle to balance integrity with despair in old age is coming to terms with the course and conclusion of one’s life cycle.”[16][16] Erikson calls this “an informed and detached concern with life itself in the face of death itself.”[17][17] The incredible amount of loss and loneliness affects one’s personality, life style and in essence, one’s entire identity. While death may come before old age, like to Ruth who died of cancer, the effects on those who witness the loss and have to deal with the pain left behind are very similar to those in the last stage of their lives. The changes to one’s identity are brought about by denial, rage, depression and eventual acceptance of the inevitable.[18][18] At the end of the novel, a peek into the possible life of an elderly Idgie is seen through a card left on Ruth’s grave that read;

For a special person as nice as you, who’s kind and considerate in all you do, the fairest, the squarest, most loving and true, that all adds up to the wonderful you! I’ll always remember: Your friend, The Bee Charmer.[19][19]

 It is possible that after Ruth’s death, Idgie has felt the full extent of death anxiety[20][20]. This may have caused Idgie to try to fulfill her life’s purpose and maintain her identity because the greater one’s sense of life, the less one will fear death.[21][21] This concept may be similar to her experiences as a child when she would steal honey from a bees’ nest or do something else that would have been considered dangerous and a risk to her life. Idgie may also have been trying to keep Ruth’s identity alive within her since she left the card that summed up Ruth’s beautiful personality. The last scene seems reminiscent of the final stage in life and that the end, death, is near.

            The characters in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café exemplify the evolution and characteristics of each phase in the human life span. Continually one goes through a series of changes, significant or otherwise, that affect one’s idea of self and identity. One can look back into their past and see how their lives have changed, for better or worse, and how those changes and events have helped formed who they are today. The process of human growth and development correlates to the creation of identity because both are part of a process to become fully developed. The social roles that come in the later years in life and the stable knowledge and confidence in one’s mature identity are the characteristics of a fully developed identity. While one can be comfortable in one’s skin and confident in their selves, the unknown changes and events in life are able to transform or even remake one’s identity in subtle or dramatic ways.

           

           

Bibliography:

 Armstrong, Thomas. The Human Odyssey: Navigating the Twelve Stages of Life. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2007.

Erikson, Erik H. Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1994.

Kroger, Jane. Identity Development: Adolescence through Adulthood. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc., 2007.

Kroger, Jane. Identity in Adolescence: the Balance between Self and Other. 3rd ed. Psychology Press, 2004.

 Linn, Matthew, Sheila Fabricant, and Dennis Linn. Healing the Eight Stages of Life. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1988.

Seidler, Victor J. Embodying Identities: Culture, Differences and Social Theory. Portland: Policy Press, 2010.

Sigelman, Carol K., and Elizabeth A. Rider. Life-Span Human Development. 6th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Cenage Learning, 2009.

Thomas, L. Eugene. Research on Adulthood and Aging: the Human Science Approach. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989.

[1][1] Armstrong, Thomas. The Human Odyssey: Navigating the Twelve Stages of Life. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2007.

[2][2] Linn page 28

[3][3] Flagg, Fannie. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1987. Page 22.

[4][4] Erikson, Erik H. Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1994. Page 99.

[5][5] Thomas page 72-73.

[6][6] Thomas page 72.

[7][7]Flagg page 10.

[8][8] Flagg page 22.

[9][9] Kroger, Jane. Identity in Adolescence: the Balance between Self and Other. 3^rd ed. Psychology Press, 2004. Page 11.

[10][10] Kroger, Jane. Identity Development: Adolescence through Adulthood. 2^nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc., 2007. Page 140.

[11][11]Kroger Page 141.

[12][12] Flagg page 66.

[13][13] Armstrong page 181.

[14][14] Flagg page 4.

[15][15] Sigelman, Carol K., and Elizabeth A. Rider. Life-Span Human Development. 6^th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Cenage Learning, 2009. Page 491.

[16][16] Kroger page 233.

[17][17] Kroger page 233.

[18][18] Kroger page 235.

[19][19] Flagg 389.

[20][20] Kroger page 236.

[21][21] Kroger page 236.

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