Identity Crisis Under The Ink Summary

“The Identity Crisis Under the Ink,” by Chris Weller was an article revolving tattoos as well as how they are represented as an identity towards the carrier, which can also be used as a way to establish an understanding of who they actually are. As Weller discusses how these marking on the skin can be more than just a tattoo but can have a profound meaning behind it, which corresponds to, “Tattoos helped add a dash of specificity by signaling individuality in the same ways a birthmark or scar might.” Reading towards the end of the article a phrase that stood out was, “It’s like a time capsule for that feeling,” talking about how people get certain tattoos to infuse a certain event that happened in their lives. Although Weller does talk about how tattoos are precious marking that carries meaning to the carrier, he does not talk about the bad side of getting tattoos, or how people regret getting their tattoo.
Birthmarks are received at birth and usually cannot be removed; they are something unique, that no one else has. Birthmarks can be sign of individuality, to some people the marks can be significant and to others, it can mark that is not erasable. Not only birthmarks but also it goes the same for scars, which someone gets usually when pigments of cells that clusters. From a scar, the carrier usually has a story with it on how they received it. As Weller says, “Tattoos helped add a dash of specificity by signaling individuality in the same ways a birthmark or scar might."(2) Weller begins his article with him heading to work and at a certain point, he saw three people that had some type of tattoo that they contained. Although he was able to see their tattoos he could have come up with his own reason why they got that certain mark, but wouldn't know the real meaning unless knowing or asking the person. Many people can injure many different reasons or meanings toward a tattoo but usually; the true meaning is the holder