Identity is not something that can simply be explained in a few words. There are numerous factors that can make up someone's identity: family, friends, culture, environment, hobbies, interests, and gender are just a few. Many people use these factors to identify themselves. For example, someone might refer to themselves as a parent or a son/daughter, a Christian or an atheist, a woman or a man. Some may identify with their profession or with a certain organization. However one chooses to present themselves, it is certain that someone's identity cannot be contained in a single word, even if a stable identity (or set of identities) can be a source of comfort and stability. It's safe to say that people are more confident when they feel comfortable with their identity, but what happens when certain factors of their identity are taken away? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThis is what happens to the character Daniel Quinn in City of Glass by Paul Auster. Within this story, the theme of identity is woven throughout the story brilliantly. It is evident that the concept of identity is Daniel Quinn's greatest struggle from the beginning, and lasts until the end of the story; at that point he is a completely changed person. Quinn's identity is made up of a few different factors: father, husband, and writer. The story begins after the death of his wife and son from an undisclosed cause and lands on a version of Daniel Quinn who seems lethargic, hopeless and aimless. This serves as proof that if we lose these key factors about ourselves, we may lose the very core of our identity. Daniel Quinn's true identity appears very distorted from the beginning: "A part of him was dead" (3). He walked around his apartment naked and his life was meaningless. Quinn is granted the opportunity to assume a new identity when she begins receiving calls from Virginia Stillman. He asks about a man named Paul Auster, a name Quinn had never heard before. With nothing better to do, Quinn accepts the assignment and introduces himself to Virginia Paul Auster. At that point Quinn's life wasn't enough for him: pretending to be "detective" Paul Auster allowed him to transform into someone else and served as a distraction from his real life. Early on, the idea that Daniel Quinn had many personal identities are introduced: “He was now writing crime novels under the name William Wilson. Quinn no longer existed for anyone but himself” (3). This story is set in New York City, which has been described as “a maze of endless steps” (4). By depicting the labyrinth and the fingerprint side by side, it is implied that these two are connected: the fingerprint is a widely known symbol of identity. Comparing it to a maze, Quinn's identity turns out to be something very complicated; something that consists of many twists and turns. In the rest of the graphic novel, the complexity of identity is shown through different symbols. When Quinn first meets Peter Stillman, Peter enters the room in a daze, and it quickly becomes clear that Quinn isn't the only one with a strange relationship with his identity: “I am Peter Stillman. This is not my real name” (16). He continues, “I'm new every day. I am born when I wake up in the morning, I grow old during the day and I die at night” (18). This goes back to the idea that the definition of identity throughout history is fluid; the characters seem to take on a different identity than the one they originally started with. Quinn's internal identity struggle is personified when.