Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wednesday Sept. 24 Assignment
A quote from Emerson can be used to describe the types of situattions the characters in American Born Chinese were dealing with. "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion." This quote describes how people conform to what other people believe they should be like. As in American Born Chinese the monkey even replies when given a compliment "I am not a monkey." It is clear that he is a monkey but because of what other people consider the social norm he wants to become more like a man so he starts to wear shoes. He even goes as far as wanting to be a God, which we know is very unlikely. I think the quote and this monkeys situation are easy to relate to. Many people feel like they don't quite "fit in" when it comes to other groups. When you feel isolated you tend to try and be just like the people that are isolating you, so you will be accepted. This stage usually happens to people going through high school or any grade for that matter. I want to know where the social norm came from. I also want to know why so many people strive to become just like any body else? Both of these texts work together to try and prove my point that you can be what anyone else wants you to be but until you find out for yourself then you will never live a full happy life.
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3 comments:
I completley agree with you. I often have trouble thinking about why so many people strive so hard to fit in and not be themselves. I think that before people in general start having the self confidence to be themselves, we're going to have to take a serious look at our culture and how it is keeping us from doing that.
I agree with you as well! I also think of why people reject others causing them not to fit in... I think people just being themselves will be happier and it would be great if ignorant people would accept that. Good job on explaining the text! I like your blog too! =)
I also think it is a culture issue. Movies and music play a huge role in finding out who are or actually losing who we are. In movies about high school the pretty girls are usually the most popular and so on. I am by no means blaming movies, but i do feel people are too easily influenced.
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