Perception of Identity

[Zara McPartland]

The movie Smoke employs revelations to expose the fickle concept of identity; the film manipulates perception, switching among characters to develop these themes. An identity is not permanent, as characters evolve on and off the screen. While analyzing Thomas Cole Jefferson, also known as Rashid or Paul Benjamin, I realized how much control and how little control we have over our own existence. As convoluted as that sounds, it makes for a unique balance. Identity depends on time and memory. Everything changes with time, even the most stagnant of characters. Impressions fade and perceptions warp. This is the nature of interaction. As time elapses and you become more familiar with someone, individual judgements mature. Thomas uses these notions to recreate himself whenever necessary. I realized this when he introduced himself to Cyrus as Paul; when we first meet someone, we are forced to rely on the assumption of honesty. During this scene, Thomas is in control of how he establishes himself. His behavior is enabled by the size of New York City; in such a large urban area, it is impossible to know and accredit every individual. This idea is reminiscent of the New York attitude ‘you can be anyone you want’. Thomas reinvents himself, both to Paul and Cyrus. This manipulation exemplifies the control humans have over initial perceptions and character establishment. Conversely, an individual can only control how they portray themselves, not how they are perceived. Perception is the job of the audience and those on the receiving end of the interaction. Portrayals are subject to misinterpretations, skepticism, beliefs, and innumerable preconceptions. Identities are carried along much like stories passed down by word of mouth; they can be influenced, lost, and transferred. An example of this would be when Thomas’ aunt found Paul Benjamin and explained that Thomas was ‘Rashid’. Knowledge of Thomas’ original identity was passed to Paul through the aunt, irreversibly changing Paul’s perception of him. This is also the point in time when the audience becomes aware of Thomas’ facades; there is a sense of betrayal that instills mistrust into our own perceptions. Identity is tied to each interaction in the film. A few examples of this are when Thomas tries to discover his father by portraying himself as a drifting stranger, Ruby poses as an old friend when entering the Smoke shop to assume control of the conversation, and Auggie acts as Grandma Ethel’s grandson to comfort her. New York City helps to solidify the fluidity of identity, as the dense urban area allows anyone to drift through as they please. By the end of the movie, I was questioning each character’s integrity, before concluding that identity is subject to constant change.

[Jane Ekhtman]

I really like how you analyzed Thomas’s control over his identity. I think the scene where Thomas finally reveals himself to Cyrus shows how well he was able to manipulate others’ perceptions of him. He goes through about 3 different names before finally saying his full name, Thomas Jefferson Cole. I think Thomas hides behind different personas so that he doesn’t have to be vulnerable and expose himself. This way he can stand back and observe others from afar. A lot of the characters lie about their identity, as you pointed out, so that they can form relationships with others without them knowing the full truth. Everything isn’t always what it seems with our characters, and perhaps New York as a whole.

[Kristen Aloysius]

Your reflection on identity was really beautiful and inspired. It definitely made me think about what our identities are and whether we can even define them. As Jane wonderfully put it, Thomas and many of the characters in the film use their identities as a means of lying to escape from the harsh nature of reality. Overall, the ambiguity of all the characters’ identities and the identity of New York, in itself, emphasize the uncertainty of our identities. As you said, the city allows us all to “drift through as we please.” We’re often told that New York is grounded in reality, but Smoke shows us that, perhaps, New York is a place for fantasy and dreaming through the different identities we take on. In some ways, I think New York is a bit of both and, through this lack of clarity, becomes a character of its own within the film.
I thought your response to the fluidity of identity in our lives, in the film, and in New York was insightful and a somewhat freeing concept to think about.

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