I Am What I Am: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

{{quote|''"I am what I am,

 

Often a character will have an aspect of himself of which he's ashamed (or that society insists he should be). It might have something to do with his heritage, such as being [[Heroic Bastard|illegitimately born]], [[Half-Human Hybrid]]-[[Our Demons Are Different|demon]] or [[In the Blood|some other inheritance considered unfortunate by society]]. It might have something to do with [[Acceptable Lifestyle Targets|his lifestyle]]; e.g., if he's gay or geeky, [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|or he collects belly button lint]]. Maybe he was forced into an [[Emergency Transformation]] which he can't undo, and he's [[Stages of Monster Grief|been bemoaning]] "[[What Have I Become?]]" Or maybe it's an obstacle he faces, like being handicapped, dyslexic or [[The McCoy|incapable of thinking rationally]]. Could even be a matter [[Love Tropes|of love]]. Whatever the issue is, expect the character at some point to receive an epiphany that leads to him embracing whatever makes him different.

Compare [[It's What I Do]] and [[I Am Not Him]].

 

{{examples}}

* Setsuna Sakurazaki from ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]''. She's not particularly ashamed of the fact that she's [[Half-Human Hybrid|half-tengu]] and therefore [[Wing Pull|can sprout wings at will]], but she ''is'' ashamed of the fact that said wings are white rather than black (it's hinted she may be albino), which marked her as a instant outcast of her demon tribe. Never mind the fact that her [[True Companions]] think [[But Your Wings Are Beautiful|that the wings are awesome]] and that she looks like an angel.

* ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'':

* In ''[[Midnight Secretary]]'', Kyouhei first considers his vampire pride, where being a vampire is most important thing that defines him. However, later in serie when he is called out by other vampires on how low he has fallen, he claim that it doesn't matter what he does, he is ''he'' and that he is vampire no matter what. {{spoiler|He also claims that he doesn't want to be bound, but realises that he was bound by his pride as a vampire}}

 

* Dr. Allison Mann in ''[[Y: The Last Man]]''. Not really a example, since she had no hang-ups about it, but must be included due to being the most [[Badass]] Outing ''ever'':

{{quote|[[Arrogant Kung Fu Guy|Toyota]]: "Have you even ''seen'' a sword fight before, doc?"

* Too many characters to count among Marvel Comics X-titles and mutant spin-offs. Whether hero or villain, whether their ability has inconvenient side or not, whether angsty over it or taking it in stride, before, during or after an about-face (or about-heel) and back, almost every one has an I Am What I Am moment at some time.

 

* ''[[The Color Purple]]'': "I might be ugly, black, and dumb, but I'm still here!"

* ''[[Planes, Trains and Automobiles]]'': Del Griffith delivers an incredibly touching rebuttal to Neil Page's tirade about him, which may be the perfect rebuttal to any [[Reason You Suck Speech]]:

{{quote|'''Del:''' You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I'm an easy target. Yeah, you're right, I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you... but I don't like to hurt people's feelings. Well, you think what you want about me; I'm not changing. I like... I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. 'Cause I'm the real article. What you see is what you get.}}

** Note Del's very brief hesitation while saying "My wife likes me;" it's a beautifully subtle touch from actor John Candy as well as some rather tragic foreshadowing to the reveal that {{spoiler|[[Harsher in Hindsight|his wife actually passed away years ago]]}}.

{{quote|''Well, what the heck! I went and did my best! And by god, I really tasted something swell! And for a moment, why, I even touched the sky! And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did! And for the first time since I don't remember when, I feel just like my old boney self again! And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King...That's right. I'' '''AM''' ''THE PUMPKIN KING! HA! HA! HA! HA!''}}

* That's the main motive behind ''[[A Better Tomorrow]]''. Initially, Mark is convinced that gangsters like him can't really change their ways and run an honest life, and at one point even scolds about it his former boss Ho, who is trying to do just that. But later on, Mark acknowledges the fact that only by taking their destinies straight in their hands, people can really call themselves free, and even {{spoiler|ends up being killed while lecturing Ho's brother (who is a cop and quite the [[Inspector Javert]] of the situation) on the goodness of Ho's efforts.}}

 

== Literature ==

* ''[[Jane Eyre]]'': Jane decides that, if she has to live without friends and without love to keep her self-respect, she will do so. That is her nature, not to compromise, and she will be true to it: "the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself."

* This phrase and variants of it are repeated throughout the first book of the ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' series, usually after one character or another laments that they wish they were someone else, who didn't have to worry about their magic or saving the world..

'''Zavulon:'''"Indeed, I am. But only that darkness that was inside me." }}

 

 

* The song "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians ("What I am, is what I am, is what you are or what"); referenced in the [[Aretha Franklin]] song "A Rose is Still a Rose"

* "I'm Real" by [[Jennifer Lopez]] (both the original, and the remix with Ja Rule).

* [[Lady Gaga]]'s single "Born This Way" (2011) from her second studio album of the same name.

{{quote|''Don't hide yourself in regret

 

== Theater ==

* ''[[La Cage aux Folles]]'': In the Act I finale, Albin, a professional drag queen, has learned his longtime partner and their adoptive son want him out of the way to avoid offending the son's conservative future in-laws. He sings the eponymous song in defiance, declaring that ''he'', at least, is not ashamed of who he is.

* Elphaba, in ''[[Wicked (theatre)|Wicked]]'', sings 'Defying Gravity' as a realization of her own nature and her own standing in the world: she will never gain the love she's dreamed of and still be able to respect herself. She's hated being a witch, and she's tried not to be a witch, but it's her nature, and for the first time she really embraces it.

** Nancy is fully aware of the fact that Bill is a [[Jerkass|complete bastard]], but she can't help [[All Girls Want Bad Boys|loving him]], complete with song. {{spoiler|And then, to top off the love fest, he kills her.}}

* ''[[West Side Story]]'': "I love him, I'm his, and everything he is I am too - I have a love, and it's all that I need, right or wrong - and he needs me too."

* ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'':

** "I, Don Quixote" says it right in the title: "I am I, Don Quixote! the Lord of La Mancha..."

 

== Video Games ==

* ''[[Kingdom Hearts]] Chain of Memories'': Riku spends most of his side the work trying to fight his darkness. When he finally decides to use it to save himself, he's actually called out on it by one of the antagonists - and responds with a reworded version of this trope:

{{quote|'''Zexion''': Heh... After all your protests you're still just another darkling.

 

== Web Comics ==

* The plot of ''[[Misfile]]'' is this trope meeting both [[Gender Bender]] and [[Reset Button]] (for Ash and Emily respectively).

* ''[[Erfworld]]'': [http://www.erfworld.com/book-2-archive/?px=%2F2009-11-04.jpg Defiantly stated] by Prince Ossomer, but he's not speaking about a flaw (as he sees it) - he is stating his [[The Fettered|principled opposition]] to Ansom and his anti-Royal rhetoric.

 

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': "My name is Zuko, son of Ursa and Firelord Ozai, Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne.". This doubles as a [[Badass Boast]], although {{spoiler|while it intimidates his opponent, the people he was protecting from them ''really'' don't like who he is and run him out of town.}}

* ''[[Balto]]'': Balto spends the first half of the movie angsting over his half-wolf heritage, but then buckles down and uses his ?wolf powers? to {{spoiler|save the sled team and get the medicine to town}}.

'''Rémy''': Back to the restaurant! They'll fail without me!

'''Django''': Why do you care?

* ''[[Popeye]]'': Popeye uses this phrase as a [[Catch Phrase]], mangled by his usual pronunskiation: ''"I yam whats I yam, and dat's all dat I yam"''. Probably the [[Trope Codifier]]

* In ''[[Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs]]'', Sam reveals to Flint that she was teased for being a nerd as a child, so she changed her look and [[Obfuscating Stupidity|hid her smarts behind a bubbly ditz personality]]. Flint not only gets her to reclaim her nerdiness, but to revert to her earlier [[Nerd Glasses|glasses]]-and-ponytail style.

* ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'':

** In ''Kung Fu Panda''

** And then in ''[[Kung Fu Panda 2]]'':

 

{{reflist}}