Culture Shock In John Steinbeck's Syrian Yankee

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Culture shock is an experience, when a person may have moved to a cultural environment which is different from one's own. Culture shock can cause personal disorientation, or home sick, when a person is going through an unexpected experience. Culture Shock can also be defined as moving, migrating, or a visiting a new country. The experience of culture shock can be good for most people, because they can be experiencing the best things that life has to offer, similar to Sam’s experience of coming to America.

In Syrian Yankee, Sam experienced a culture differences, since he moved from Syria to America. When Sam first arrived to America, his name was changed from Salom to Sam, because his brothers felt the name sounded more Americanized. …show more content…

In my grandmother’s hometown, which is a very small town, children would go to the local liquor to buy beer for their dads. Along with buying beer for their dads, the children will buy matches for themselves, and firecrackers. I remember my mother wouldn’t let me join the other children, as they lighted the firecrackers, which only lasted five minutes. After, when there were no more firecrackers, the children were lighting up random stuff on the ground. I remember when I was on the rooftop with my dad and my older cousin, as we seen little fires growing from different spots, but luckily my dad and my cousin put a stop to it.

All in all, comparing Sam’s culture shock experience to my culture shock experience, we were both surprised by how the locals live. Sam was shocked that the telephone could speak Arabic and I was shocked that young children could buy liquor. Having the experience of going through a feeling of culture shock can be good for most people, since they can be experiencing the best things that life has to offer, similar to Sam’s experience of coming to America. Sam’s experience had helped him to become