Identity Identity, as defined by Jonathan Friedman, is positional and can be determined by one's place in a larger network of relationships (36). Live and Become depicts the life of a young Ethiopian boy who travels across countries in search of his identity. After losing much of his family to famine and disease, Schlomo, the Hebrew name given to him, moves to Israel as a substitute son for a mother who had lost her son. When his mother sent him away, she said, “Go. Live. To become." But to become what? Completely unaware of what this meant, he is soon adopted by a beautiful family. This marks the beginning of his journey to find his identity. In this essay I will explore the process Schlomo undergoes to find his identity in a world completely different from the one he is used to. Through Schlomo and other examples of lost identity, I will analyze the process of finding an identity through culture, language, education and religion. the environment and people all play a role in one's culture. Many immigrants, refugees, and in Schlomo's case, adopted children find that they must assimilate into their new environment. Others feel the need to remain true to their previous culture and often encounter problems with this (“Caught between two worlds”). At the age of nine Schlomo knew nothing but a world of famine, disease, violence and death. The transition to life in a developed nation was quite problematic for Schlomo. Even after months spent with his new family, Schlomo still wouldn't eat the dinner that was prepared for him. It took some time, and even some adjustments by the family, for Schlomo to feel comfortable enough to talk, eat and play freely in his own home. Schlomo was dark skinned,… half of the paper… it would be as simple as finding my identity. Through Schlomo's turmoil and conflict, I think we can learn many lessons. He never gave up his true beliefs. When he left his mother he had no idea what “Go. Live. Become” meant, but he understood it. He became a doctor, a soldier, a father and a man. Even though I feel like I have found my identity within the confines of college life, I am still trying to find an identity in my full life. I don't intend to find this any time soon. Works Cited "Trapped Between Two Worlds: The Search for Cultural Identity in Lahiri's Namesake" StudyMode.com. 03 2011. 2011. 03 2011 Web.Friedman, Jonathan. "Properties of Global Systems". Cultural identity and global process. London: Sage Publications, 1994. 36. Print.Live and Become. Dir. Radu Mihaileanu. Perf. Sirak M. Sabahat and Yitzhak Edgar. Menemsha Film, 2005. Online.