Of Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals, the author of “Individuality vs. Conformity: The Healthy Middle?” uses pathos most effectively to get the reader to relate to her argument. In the informative essay, “Individuality vs. Conformity: The Healthy Middle?” the writer focuses on how everyone wants to be different and similar to everyone else at the same time; however, there is a way to do so and everyone should try. The writer supports her own opinion by highlighting the fact that people are different and she gives the readers 4 examples of individuality, but again teens want to have the same mindset and goals as others. The authors’ purpose is to convince her readers to find the healthy middle of being a conformist and being an individual
Others not some much, those who didn’t do as well need to see me so that we can talk about it.” I just knew that it was directed towards me, and the more I heard people react to their good grades on the essay the worse the butterflies in my stomach just increase in horror of my grade compared to the rest of the class. As Ms. Bradley walked up to my seat she set my paper down upside down making sure that nobody else saw my grade. All that did is make my situation even worse as she obviously didn’t want anyone else seeing my bad grade. As I turned the paper over my hand wouldn’t stop shaking to the point where I couldn’t read the grade on the front.
This quote from an 8th grade student shows what most students are taught from a young age except with over exaggeration. However, this over exaggerated example helps in convincing students that they have been taught to grow up with a ridiculous and illogical mindset when it comes to
individuality in Fahrenheit 451 in many ways. The first few lines demonstrate the conflict between conforming and being yourself. “She just wants to be beautiful / She goes unnoticed, she knows no limits / She craves attention, she praises an image /
Do you choose to conform? or is it something you do without even thinking about it? Conformity is a theme consistently found throughout Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. In Fahrenheit 451 Bradbury illustrates how conformity is not always a choice and not conforming is a choice through the characters Montag, Faber and Mildred. Some people spend their entire life conforming to society, and can not imagine what being an independant thinker is.
And has impacted not just himself, but additionally his relationship with the Narrator. “Yet it had happened and here I was, talking about algebra to a lot of boys who might, every one of them for all I knew, be popping off needles every time they went to the head. Maybe it did more for them than algebra could.” (4). The narrator sort of senses the futility of trying to teach high school
Throughout our society, examples of conformity can be seen across all age ranges; however, the most common and noticeable age group subject to these temptations are teenagers. Teens feel the constant need to conform to their peers and fit into society's preconceived notion on what type of person we should be, how we should behave and look. Fiction, such as in the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, conveys many reasons why conformity can be destructive to not only to an individual but an entire society. Novels that portray these themes should be read in schools, not only because they discourage conformity, but also show its long lasting sinister effects. Without literature, the growth of our creativity would be stunted.
Conformity is present in every group situation with adolescents. Adolescents are always looking to be a part of a group, usually conforming to the standards of the group. Adolescents often conform because they want to have the approval of the peers that are well liked or “popular”. A great example of adolescents and conformity is in the chick flick ‘Mean Girls’ through the different cliques in high school and how it affects the peers themselves. Caty, the main character, is faced with several difficult situations where she decides to conform with her high school peers getting her in trouble that becomes hard for her to escape.
High school isn’t necessarily the best four years of everyone’s life. In a short time the audience was shown the complicated endeavors many teenagers either overcome or become wrapped up in. Although Brian is extremely successful in his academics he struggles deep beneath his skin with extensive pressure and societal acceptance. Brian Johnson is one example of someone who was almost defeated by the difficult
Conformity in Fahrenheit 451 is shown that everyone is the same, while having individualism, you can be unique in your own way. Beatty says otherwise, “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no
While most adults fear peer pressure, it has been noted that most peers help adolescents make better choices instead of poor ones. (K.S. Berger, 2014) Peers had a huge role in The Breakfast Club, when Brian asked what would happen Monday and if they would all still be friends Claire broke his heart by saying she probably wouldn’t acknowledge him more or less. The reason Claire made this statement is because she was afraid of what her friends would say or how they would perceive her being friends with Brian.
The constant struggle to be the best at everything, and to be better than everyone else puts a lot of pressure on the people in our society. We feel as if we need to maintain the facade of perfection because of the standards society places on us, money matters because society judges us based on class. Even though we are one society, we end up breaking the minds of people who tried to realize a life of perfection only to fail. “In spite of its elusiveness, we remain fixated on perfection. Often enough, even when we know the flaws, we still defend an image of flawlessness.
In S.E. Hinton’s story, The Outsiders, group identity is so important that sometimes people overshadow their own identity. In our generation it is kind of the same way to some people, for instance people sometimes act and dress differently around the popular kids to fit in. While at home they do their normal routine and stay true to themselves. This is so important to the story for many reasons. It is also really important to kids this age in 2017.
While school may teach lessons, they are certainly not valuable life lessons. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird repeatedly shows the ineffectiveness of the education system in a child’s morals. To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the Great Depression era in Alabama, where education was not the best. Teachers would only seek to teach their classes average, everyday lessons rather than valuable life teachings.
It seemed as though my life was being dictated by others, more than before. The phrase “beauty lies in perfection” was always stored in my head and in order to “fit in”, I must act in a certain manner. At the age of 14, I was now in middle school. I had always been a shy person, which this transition harder for me to adjust too. I didn't want to hold a full conversation with anyone in my class unless they were the one to approach me.
