Deadly Identities Article Review Samples

Deadly Identities

Amin Maalouf was born in Beirut and lived in Lebanon for twenty seven years. He was a journalist until the start of the Lebanese civil war; he then moved to Paris and still lives there today. He is one of the most popular Lebanese writers to write in French and his writings have been translated into many languages. Maalouf wrote different books that examine identity; one of them is ”Deadly Identities” where he argues that individuals need to acknowledge different personalities Having a complex character, Maalouf thinks he is being underestimated. He says individuals should believe and accept their own differences. He wonders why people born of parents from different cultural and religious backgrounds are often expected to adopt only one of the two cultures associated with them. The problem, he writes, is that these individuals usually appear to belong to the two cultures and this makes it very difficult for them to identify with any one of them. As a result, they always end up feeling rejected in the two societies both of which will view them as being foreign.
This article addresses one of the most common dilemmas facing immigrants living abroad as well as people of mixed heritage. With increasing interaction between people of deferent background, inter racial marriages have become very common. One of the most conspicuous results of this is the emergence of an increasing number of people who cannot claim any one cultural affiliation. Arabs born and brought up in Europe have been torn between claiming their Arab cultural roots and the European culture in which they have been brought up. Amin Maalouf, himself a victim of complex cultural identity explores this subject in a manner that paints a clear picture of the identity crisis that arises from such scenarios. Having been born in Lebanon where he lived for twenty seven years before moving to France where he has lived since 1976, Maalouf admits that he closely relates with both the Lebanese and the French culture. He decries the stereotypical thinking that dictates that one can only claim to belong to one culture. This culture, he writes, is in most cases taken to be the culture of one’s parents. Lebanese immigrants in France like himself are therefore expected to identify themselves with the Lebanese culture. He goes ahead to provide a solution to this problem by suggesting that it is possible for one to claim two or more cultures, accept them as what determines their identity and be accepted as such.
Amin Maalouf uses various rhetorical appeals to convince his readers to buy his ideas. He employs the use of ethos to win the hearts of his readers by painting an admirable picture of himself. In the article ‘Deadly identities’, he begins by telling the reader about his background. This includes his interaction of several years by two different cultures, the Lebanese and the French cultures. Maalouf cuts a figure of one who is well educated and exposed. He explains that he has written widely on the subject of cultural identity and also given numerous talks on the same subject. He is thus viewed by his readers as someone who has experienced the subject he discusses in his article. This lends credence to his claims in the article. The fact that Maalouf has lived in France also makes his account of cultural conflict and identify more credible to the reader.
Maalouf seems to be writing from a point of knowledge. He draws his arguments from real life experiences, a fact that contributes to their authenticity. He gives an example of his own unique cultural heritage drawn from two sharply conflicting cultures. Maalouf further gives examples of identity conflicts across the world. He identifies a possible case where a man born of Algerian parents on French soil should be allowed to consider himself as being part of the two cultures. He says that there are several people who are born in foreign lands where they live for several years but are still judged by the society to belong to the cultures their parents came from. He says that to most such people, their adopted society do not accept them as one of their own when, in fact, they should. He answers the questions commonly raised in instances of identity crises by explaining that it is possible for one to embrace more than one cultural identity and still be comfortable with it.
In conclusion, Amin Maalouf succeeds in selling his idea of mixed identity to his readers. He wittingly uses his illustrations to make the readers see his point. This he achieves by using his life experiences as well as inviting the reader to look into various cases of conflict of identities.