I Am Not Esther

623 Words3 Pages
Turning point One event that was a turning point in the novel I am not Esther by Fleur Beale was when Kirby cut her hair with a knife. This brought about the idea of it is important to value your personal Identity because what seemed to Kirby as a simple act of disobedience as a search for power and control, in reality was an act of vulnerability and weakness. This event was a turning point because this confirmed that Kirby's Identity was really in danger. It wasn't as petty as being told that her Biblical name was Esther because Kirby herself believed the words that the rule was telling her. This event is a turning point because it marked the start of Kirby’s struggle of finding her personal Identity and through this event Kirby learns the idea it is important to value your personal identity. Kirby's hair is a symbolism of her Identity because of its sentimental value. It was the only tangible thing she had that was not taken away from her when she entered the Pilgrim house. So by cutting her hair, It meant that she was cutting her cutting her identity away from herself by the letting Uncle Caleb’s words influence her. Kirby describes the event as "hurtful". This tells the readers that Kirby cutting off her identity is hurting her mentally. This event meant that Kirby’s real personal Identity has been replaced by Esther. In contrast of Kirby's "Wild Hair" at the beginning of the book to the "Ungodly mess" that it is now. We can reason that the influence of the rule has changed her from who she really was, Kirby. Kirby’s wild hair symbolizes her genuine personal Identity; her wild hair refers to her personality being untamed in a sense where she speaks up for what she thinks. Kirby's wild hair represents her independent nature but as her identity became slowly influenced by the Rules beliefs her untamed persona was slowly changed into an "Ungodly mess". Her ungodly
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