Jose Munoz, a former professor of performance studies at New York University, argued in his article “The White to Be Angry” that identity it's manipulative. According to Munoz, the manipulation of identity is called disidentification. Instead of rejecting society or a group as a whole, someone who disidentifies accepts some aspects of that society or group without assimilating to dominant ideals. People, especially in minority groups, developed disidentification as an offensive mechanism because it allowed them to function within that group or society without becoming trapped in dominant ideals of identity. Munoz's theory provides a powerful analytical lens that I will use to evaluate the characters Corlosis and Harlan in Alexie Sherman's search engine. Sherman's account is a rich minefield for studying disidentification. Corlosis fights her poor, scheduled life as an Indian woman because of poetry, which leads her to manipulate her identity around unusual figures such as Homer, Odysseus, and a white Jesuit priest. Harlan, on the other hand, manipualtes finds his identity as an Indian through his poetry. Books and poetry allow these two characters to disidentify with social norms and, as a result, are more aware of their own humanity and that of others. Corlosis considers herself a white Jesuit priest because through poetry she discovered that he was a lonely old man calling out to God. She feels the same loneliness because she is unwilling to adhere to white authority, according to which the best her people can do are jobs blue collar like his father and uncle who accept white authority. She is alone in wanting to improve her position, which leads her to feel alienated from her family and her race. Corlosis could never have connected to white Jes...... middle of paper ......and rejects modern Indian culture, not rejects her ancient background. Like the ancient Indians who went alone into the forest in search of their animal soul, his journey to find Harlan is the same concept. She is searching for herself because she believes that Harlan is like her, a poetry-loving Indian who does not fit into their Indian society nor that of the white man. Through her short journey she takes control of her life and fully decides her own destiny rather than letting both Indian and white cultures decide what they want from her. Once again, she undertakes this calling and mission because a book has opened her eyes to possibilities she never imagined, such as a Spokane Indian writing poetry and having it published.5. As an Indian, Corlosis has a connection to the homeless and wants only respect. It's disidentification because