Michael Chabon’s “My Son, the Prince of Fashion”, states that one’s self-expression and identity are only limited by price tags, knowledge, and the peer pressure of conformity and belonging to a group. In the story, Chabon’s son, Abe, is constantly trying to outwardly express himself and as a result receives criticism from his peers, a lack of true understanding from those he holds dear, and faces societal rules put in place to try and prevent him from dressing extravagantly. However, Abe is determined and crafty, finding a way around problems or simply struggling through others. He gets around expensive price tags by thrifting and working hard to earn the money, he dives into the fashion world and is constantly keeping himself up to date on the trends, and he isn’t afraid to stand out of a crowd. In this sense, Abe is the perfect example of which limits can be broken through. When looking at it this way, it seems that self-expression is limitless and simply full of possibility. However, this is not the case. Chabon puts it best himself when he states that, “[Abe] was sending up a flare, hoping for rescue, for company in the solitude of his passion,” (Chabon 196). Truly, we are only limited by our willingness and endurance to go at something alone. Without the companionship of others who share your ideals or passions, we can only last so long until we give up on or at least weaken that part of ourselves.
