Labels can be phrases or names applied to a person or thing to categorize characteristics, personality, culture, etc. They are attached to the object or person. Labels can affect how others perceive a person’s identity and affect how we perceive our own identities. They can be positive or negative things. This brings us into our sub-concepts: external perception, self-perception, and identity crisis. Labels can set expectations or reflect positive attributes. They help us understand identity by influencing a person’s identity, but also providing an understanding that everyone has different qualities.
We have selected three texts that represent the sub concepts of labels: the song “I Don’t Want to Be” representing our sub concept of identity crisis, the song “idontwannabeyouanymore” representing our sub concept of self-perception, and a scene from the manga, Blue Period, representing our sub concept of external perceptions. Each of our texts represent labels the most by the main characters and song writers being labeled or putting labels on themselves. Both the story and the songs we have chosen to demonstrate the positive and negavtive effects of labels. In one of our texts, labels lead to a man entering an identity crisis trying to find who he wants to be. In another of our texts Billie Eilish explains her own personal struggles with labels being placed upon her from clothing choices when she is told “a tight dress is what makes you a whore.” All throughout our different styles of text used, they all provide great insight into how labeling affects us all in both positive and negative light which can alter our overall identity.