Q and His Identity Crisis

Q's most defining characteristic is his extremely malleable persona.

In both "The Dinosaurs" and "The Aquatic Uncle," Q is manipulated by other characters and situations that he experienced. Q became a completely new person when he joined the new ones, he abandoned all of his characteristics as a Dinosaur in order to fit in with the New Ones. Q states, " I always felt like a Dinosaur in the midst of enemies" (100). Rather than openly expressing himself as a Dinosaur he hides his true self. He allows the New Ones to discriminate his people but hides what his species is in order to prevent being judged as an individual. In this instance the situation manipulated him into not defending who he is. The New Ones also caused him to question the traits of a Dinosaur internally, and allowing the ideals of the New Ones to conflict with his beliefs. Q describes the feeling he received when told stories of the Dinosaurs, he says, "In my mind stories of terrors we inflicted became confused with my memories of terror undergone" (100).  Ideas of Dinosaurs committing acts of terror towards other species overshadowed his memories as a Dinosaur and he relied solely on their opinions rather than his actual life experiences.

In "The Aquatic Uncle" Q allows both Lll and Uncle N'ba N'ga to manipulate his feelings on who he truly is. He, So desperately, longs to be accepted by Lll and makes numerous attempts to hide the aquatic portion of himself. Lll's opinions on him effect him so deeply that he starts to question his own identity. He states, "She [Lll] considered me at a halfway stage a creature not at home in one world or the other" (80). Her actions and statements cause him to feel as if he does not belong anywhere. Her judgements cause him to be ashamed that he is an animal who evolved from the water. Q also allows himself to become ashamed which, again, causes him to hide his identity. Q hides his "Aquatic Uncle" from his lover Lll in fear that she will not feel the same way towards him if she knew his background.

Q's persona is so malleable that he does not have an identity, rather he is constantly changing himself in order to please others. He will never be able to be Q because he is always who someone else wants him to be which seems to hurt him more than help him. Rather than being the strong Dinosaur or interesting aquatic animal, he acts as a coward and does not defend himself as a person.