The author draws a vivid analogy between the imaginative identification of novelists with the characters they create and the tendency of adolescents to create inner selves by identifying with fictional characters from novels, plays, films, and, especially, television. Both groups "become" others during intense daydreaming. In adolescence this form of identification can contribute to positive self-image but can also at times contribute to, rather than resolve, confusion over true identity. Many lively, interesting vignettes illustrate the author's thesis.