Go Ask Alice is supposed to be a diary, so there's quite a bit of anguished soul-searching and self-indulgent whining. There's no getting around the fact that Alice has almost non-existent self-esteem, so her sense of identity is determined by the people she surrounds herself with. Unfortunately, this includes some pretty unsavory characters. For the most part, however, she doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere. Part of her search for herself is what leads her down the road to Drugsville, which causes her to be even more lost than ever. Oops.
Questions About Identity
- Why doesn't Alice feel like she fits in with her family? What is it about her that sets her apart?
- What causes her to go from questioning her sexual identity to feeling a sense of confidence in herself as a woman?
- Alice struggles to find a group of people with whom she can identify. Why are the druggies so appealing?
Chew on This
Alice's inability to form a sense of identity is normal, but linked with her lack of confidence, it is the main reason she turns to drugs.
Instead of trying to figure out who she is, Alice hides from the hard work of figuring herself out, which leaves her pretty freaking stuck, developmentally.