I understand if everyone looking at me is seeing a Jew and seeing me as a kind of 'other.' But I can't be expected to see myself that way. That is, to me, Jewish is the normal way to be; it's not a type of being.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-identity versus societal perception.
In this quote, Nathan Englander reflects on the distinction between how he perceives his Jewish identity and how others might perceive him. He asserts that while he recognizes that others may see him as an 'other' due to his Jewish background, he views his identity as normal and intrinsic, highlighting the complexity of self-identity in the face of external judgment.
In practice
In a discussion on identity politics, this quote can highlight the importance of self-perception over societal labels.
It's so easy to call something a Jewish story or a gay story or a woman's story. Aesthetically, if a story is not universal, it has failed. Your obligation is to the story. One rule creatively, and emotionally, is its universality.
I am a black woman, last time I checked.
I always assumed that my otherness was a curse - that I would be held back by my Asian and queer identities.
Being South Asian in the U.K. is like being Latino in the U.S., I would guess. It's a bit more hood. You see things; things happen. I was bouncing between worlds. You're acting from a very early age, when you have to code-switch like that. I'm a hybrid, a mongrel. I think many people live that life.
I have my own identity ... The whole Michael thing does drive me nuts sometimes because people won't leave it alone. He's bald, I have hair. He's almost 40, I'm 22. Seriously though, I wish people would let it be and let me just be Kobe.
I live on the margin of just about everything. I'm a marginal person, and I think that is where I've become comfortable. I'm marginally there in my native life. I can do as much as I can, but I'm always German, too, you know, and I'm always a mother. That's my first identity, but I'm always a writer, too.
I'd much rather people knew me as a good tennis player than as an aboriginal who happens to play good tennis. Of course I'm proud of my race, but I don't want to be thinking about it all the time.
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