It seems like the older generation always picks on the new one. It's something that's been going on for decades, shouting "When I was your age!" on the tip of every adult's tongue when they see the slightest laziness or incompetence. In reality, each new generation brings waves of progress and innovation, building on the older generation. In this sense it is because each generation has the duty to do better than the previous one. Every generation needs to be bigger, bigger and bolder, but this proves to be a challenge after countless centuries of people doing the same task. However, this problem can be solved by simply splitting the components into the individual layer. People just need to stay true to themselves and the rest will follow. Of course, as Andrew Solomon's Son and Lelie Bell's Hard to Get demonstrate, creating an identity is much easier said than done. People have an obligation to be better than the previous generation and to achieve this by discovering who they are and staying true to themselves. As a capable person with many resources, the individual has an obligation to become a proactive and contributing member of society. This belief comes first and foremost from parents' expectations. They want their children to become doctors, lawyers, etc. Parents want their children to be the best they could be and try to instill this sense in their children. Sometimes they go further and try to change their personal beliefs. Andrew Solomon's mother forbade him from getting a pink balloon but, as Solomon perceptively states, "Banning the pink balloon must be considered partly a protective gesture." (Solomon 375) Solomon's mother was afraid of the consequences of a boy choosing a cultural context...... middle of paper ...... definitely reaping the benefits of the experience with a heterosexual man but turned back from it. People might try to suppress who they are, but eventually they will return to who they truly are. In Solomon's case, that meant being gay. Despite his parents and society telling him it was wrong, he has gotten to the point where he feels comfortable with who he is. Each generation has a duty to be better than the previous one and this can be achieved by individuals who discover who they are and then stay. true to themselves. Son by Andrew Solomon and Hard to Get by Leslie Bell both use the idea that identity is very complex. But if people stick to the true identity, they can create a better generation than the previous one. With this idea in mind, from this generation, people will be able to confidently say that this generation is the best the world has ever seen..