Rodriguez 1
Eliza Rodriguez
John Hay
ENG 451A 1002
14 March 2019
Midterm Essays – Prompt 1
In literature, the term “identity crisis” is used to describe a theme in which a character
loses their sense of self. This can cause major conflicts for their role in society. In Washington
Irving’s short story, “Rip Van Winkle,” an excellent example of the identity crisis theme is
present as the character Rip wakes up one day and forgets who he is. Besides Irving, other
authors have used the identity crisis theme in their writing as well. However, they don’t use this
