Sheila

Sheila Heti is the writer, main character, and narrator of the novel, “How Should a Person Be?” Sheila’s life between her early twenties and early thirties is examined as she endeavors to find out who she truly is as a person. Sheila is always looking for approval, considers herself destined for greatness, and above everyone else despite the fact she can’t even complete a play commission. She quits things at the first sign of difficulty, a fact pointed out to her by her therapist. Sheila struggles with her crisis of identity, which is reflected in her play, in her submissive relationship with Israel, in her divorce, and in her friendship with Margaux which is thrown into question as a result.

Sheila begins to suspect that she is capable only of mimicking originality, and that she will never truly find herself. Sheila undertakes a trip to New...