Conformity In Phillip Gwynne's Deadly Unna

The society we live in functions as a whole so conforming is essential in our lives as human beings. If we are scared and don't know what to do, we will often follow the steps of others so that we can be accepted and feel safe. Conformity is the result of people being pressured to fit in. There is a fine line between conforming and becoming an individual. Unfortunately, becoming an individual in certain situations can have bad consequences. Individuality makes you stand out from the crowd and can leave you feeling isolated. In Phillip Gwynne’s ‘Deadly Unna?’, conformity and the individual is shown through the main character Gary Black, other wise known as ‘Blacky’. In the book we discover how Blacky changes from being a conformist to becoming

His father wakes up and when he finds Blacky in the shed he is extremely angry. Blacky’s siblings are woken by the sound of their father yelling at Blacky and come out to see what is going on. When asked to put back the paint by his father, Blacky replies with “I can’t” and tries to walk passed him but is stopped when he is hit by his dad. All of a sudden the car starts rolling down the driveway and Blacky’s father starts running after it and then collides with a pole and is knocked unconscious. He is put into bed and Blacky and his siblings decide to go down to the jetty to cover up the graffiti. He now knows how to make a stand and has gotten his brothers and sisters to do so as well. After Blacky and his siblings have painted over the graffiti, the novel ends with him being at peace with himself and is prepared to face the problems that will come in the morning.

To become an individual you must be courageous and step outside your comfort zone which is why in the ‘Mean Girls’ movie poster Caty is separated from the other girls. The orientation of the title ‘Mean Girls’ is sideways and placed next to Caty like a physical barrier between her and the plastics. Caty is also standing in the foreground while the others are in the background so it has a bigger impact.

In conclusion, the novel ‘Deadly Unna?’ and the ‘Mean Girls’ movie poster both explore conforming and becoming an individual. We learn that there are both good and bad consequences for conforming or becoming making the courageous decision to become an