What kind of identity is depicted in the novel, Half a Life?

Identity is a huge theme in the book and can be found represented throughout almost every chapter in the novel. Identity is the reason Willie Chandran's father rejected his own family and married a woman of low caste. He wanted to do something worthwhile in the country, like follow the independence movement, and thus forge a new identity for himself. Willie wants to create a new identity for himself as well and escapes his home in India to get rid of the identity of his childhood that was tainted by his father's actions. Later in London, Willie tries to make a new identity in the university. He lies about his family and says he is from an ancient Christian settlement in India. Willie does this to inject confidence into his identity and separate his identity from that of his father's. He also engages in sexual adventures to once more form a sense of confidence in his identity and distinguish the differences between him and his father. Finally, we also see the theme of identity in Ana and Willie when they move to Ana's estate house in the Portuguese colony in Africa. Both of them live there for many years, trying to form new identities for themselves and change their perspective on who they are. At the end, both feel as if they have not forged new identities and must go on separate paths to once more find themselves.