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Elizabeth, a high school student, clashes with her highly traditional, religious parents; they want her to stay in their small town and raise a family, but Elizabeth wants to go to college in the nearby big city and study creative writing in hopes of becoming an author. In Erikson's fifth stage, identity vs identity confusion, the crisis is between the formation of an identity and the failure to do so. The individual has to reconcile others' ideas of them with their own ideas about themselves. -
The summer after she graduates, Elizabeth marries her college boyfriend Paul. After 2 years of casually dating and firmly establishing their own identities, they have decided that they want to combine their lives and develop a lifelong partnership. In Erikson's sixth stage, intimacy vs isolation, the crisis is between forming a deep and loving relationship or failing to do so. This builds directly off the previous stage; once one establishes their own identity, they can truly commit to someone. -
Paul and Elizabeth's only daughter, Jessica, moves out of the house and into her college dorm, leaving them with an empty nest. Elizabeth now spends her time caring for her aging parents and rediscovering her love of writing. She feels a need to continue giving back to others in some way. In Erikson's seventh stage, generativity vs stagnation, the crisis is between staying productive, creative, and generous or remaining self-centered and not contributing to the wellbeing of others.