Does it define who you are?

Heritage is generally perceived as something a person inherits or acquirers through birth. I, however, regard it's the personal experiences you go through and what you attain from them that establishes who you are as a person.

In Jeanette Walls's The Glass Castle, Jeanette and her siblings are raised by a pair of erratic parents. The father, an intelligent man who's faults lie in a bottle of Whiskey, can never provide enough for his family and the mother, a so-called "self-proclaimed artist", cares very little about her kids. Through the obstacles they overcome in the varies towns they live in and the life lessons they learn through all the confusion and heartache, you take in the characteristics they begin to acquire. Each child has a mind of his/her own, yet it's still very dissimilar to how their parents are. They go on to do immense things for themselves, which their parents could've never done. 

The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain portrays the same idea. Huck Finn is brought up into a southern society that at the time felt they were superior to African Americans. His father, who was barely around, was very much a racist as the majority of the town was. Huck, however, doesn't fall into this stereotype. He helped a runaway slave by the name of Jim escape and became his best friend. At times, Huck feels dishonest about his actions but in the end he comes to term with his decisions.