Fate or Free Will? Destiny has been a subject of speculation since the beginning of time. Some believe fate determines life, whereas others believe in the freedom of choice. In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell argues that practice is more important than natural talent. "Invictus," a poem by William Ernest Henley, is about staying courageous during difficult times. Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is about a king named Oedipus wanting to know the truth about a prophecy. Jon Krakauer shows Chris McCandless 's journey to reinvent himself in Into the Wild. Regardless of the belief that fate plays a role in life, people can control their lives with a great amount of effort and the choice to persevere. In Outliers: The Story …show more content…
In "Invictus," it was said that under life 's unpredictable misfortunes, the author 's head was "bloody, but unbowed" (Henley 7-8). William Ernest Henley dealt with many hardships in his life, but he kept his courage and pride. This quote shows that regardless of what people go through, they still have ultimate control over the ability to persist in life. Henley says, "and yet the menace of the years finds, / and shall find, me unafraid," meaning that despite everything he 's been through, he will never be afraid to face whatever life has in store for him (11-12). This emphasizes the control people have over their outlook on life; by persevering, people do not let "fate" control them and take over their lives. Persisting against unfortunate circumstance is a way that people have control in their …show more content…
In Oedipus Rex, Teiresias says to Oedipus, "thou art the man, thou art the accused polluter of this land" (Sophocles 44). Oedipus was the one to kill Laius and marry Jocasta; only he did not know they were his parents and he was part of the prophecy. However, Chris McCandless saw a flash flood, something he had absolutely no authority over, and used it as an opening "to shed unnecessary baggage" (Krakauer 19). McCandless, who was already on a journey to take back his life, took this unfortunate circumstance and used it to his advantage. He was not going to let this so-called destiny interfere with his life. Oedipus, however, makes a decision to go to Teiresias to find the man who killed Laius and to end his city 's plague. He was giving his best effort to help his city; in other words, Oedipus was controlling a part of his