Conformity In The Short Story 'Antaeus' By Borden Deal

“Society knows perfectly well how to kill a man and has methods more subtle than death.” This quote by French author and Nobel Prize winner in literature, André Gide, accurately demonstrates how society can easily destroy a person, concept, or movement. In society, those who act differently than the norm are shut down and their ideas are destroyed in favor of conformity and uniformity. This idea is evident in many different aspects of life. One way this is reflected in the world is in the clash shown when one is removed from one culture and put in another. This is further explored by Borden Deal in the short story, “Antaeus”. Deal utilizes T.J.'s experience of moving from a rural area to a city to establish how when man is different and separated

convinces the other kids to work together and help him build a garden on their rooftop and not only gives himself a sense of belonging, but demonstrates to the other kids how they can enjoy nature and can do anything if they work hard. T.J. and the other kids work hard for months and are now experiencing the result of their effort. The realize the beauty of nature and the pleasure of excursion paying off. It is spring and their garden is starting to grow. T.J. sniffs the air to smell their fresh spring dirt and young plants. The other kids want to experience their accomplishment the way T.J. is and are all “sniffing at the air, too, trying to smell it the way that T.J. does, and [they] can remember the sweet odor of the earth under [their] feet. It is the first time in [their] [lives] that spring and spring earth [means] anything” (104). T.J. is bringing the boys to experience something new they had never even known of before. Spring and plants mean something to the gang for the “first time in [their] [lives]”. T.J. brings the boys to experience something that's very important to him and it changes the way they see the earth. The boys are being introduced to something uncommon to their society but they like it and want to experience it more. This is similar to the way something new in our society can spark interest in people and start establishment of a new way of thinking or acting. The gang is inspired by T.J. and want to be like him, be able to do what he can do,

After T.J. had worked hard and fought to make his dream a reality, two adults come to him and his friends and tell his they will take down the garden because it's on their property and is sagging their roof. T.J tries to stand up to the adults, but the other kids recognize that they are at a disadvantage. As if it were almost routine, figures of seniority “descend on [them] even in [their] richest dream and [they] know there is no calculating the adult world, no fighting it, no winning against it” (108). T.J. fights for his dream and tries his best to save their hard work and struggle, but the other boys know “there is no calculating the adult world, no fighting, no winning against it”. The adults have the power to tell the kids what to do because they are above the kids in society. The kids must follow their orders or they could get in trouble. This is very similar to the way leaders in society have control over people of a lower status. If the people in a lower status are starting something the people of greater social status don't like, they can shut it down even one's “richest dream” immediately. Though people of lesser social status don't have power over authority figures, they have control over their actions and have ways