Discussion: do society's expectations influence the identity of an individual

Your exam question asks you to discuss if society’s expectations influence the identity of the individual using the excerpt from Glennon Doyle’s memoir Untamed as a starting point. In the excerpt, Doyle explores how societal norms shaped her behavior from a young age and prevented her from living an authentic life for over thirty years. 

One way society's expectations influence identity is through the establishment of social norms and roles. These norms dictate how individuals should dress, behave, and interact in different contexts. For example, Doyle discusses how particularly around the age of ten she began to feel a huge sense of pressure to conform to societal expectations: 

These are the feelings you are allowed to express.
This is how a woman should act.
This is the body you must strive for.
These are the things you will believe.
These are the people you can love.
Those are the people you should fear.
This is the kind of life you are supposed to want. (ll. 93-99)

Doyle reflects on how she tried to fit herself into a narrow definition of what a woman should be and how her sexuality was conf...