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What it feels like to be an outsider essay
What it feels like to be an outsider essay
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People can be outsiders in many different ways. I will explain three. You can be an outsider if you have different genetic, non-changeable, looks than everyone else. For example, ever since fifth grade, I have been one of the shortest girls. Every one else seemed to be growing faster than me. This made me and still makes me feel like an outsider. When I visited my old school, I didn’t feel like an outsider because a majority of the kids there were shorter than me. You can also feel like an outsider when your beliefs are outnumbered by the greater number. For instance, you could be the only Catholic kid in your school. This would make you an outsider. Anyhow, if you were Catholic in a Catholic school, you would no longer be an outsider. Finally,
-Outsiders improve their society and allow people to express their kindness and bring out their true selves.
Flanagan creates a representation of the theme of isolation from an ideological perspective. Ideological isolation stems from a difference in moral, spiritual beliefs or opinions from the group. In the extract,
”Because most people identify as separate from other people, they have what we call some "concept" of themselves. Self-concept refers to how people “think about, evaluate, or perceive” themselves.” Self-concept can be split into categories that make people who they are. Throughout “The Outsiders”, Ponyboy the protagonist, describes his brother and his friends in relation to him, giving insight on what makes each of them who they are. After reading an article on this topic “Self-Concept “by Saul McLeod (1), and reading chapters 1-3 of the novel “The Outsiders” (2). One can see the major reasons that make people who they are: self-image and self-esteem/self-worth.
I feel as though the novel The outsiders has many themes, but the most important one is belonging. The greasers are a group of poor, low class youth that don’t have much and live on the wrong side of town. They are always held accountable for their actions. On the other hand, the Socs are a bunch of high class youth that are very privileged and aren’t held accountable for their immature actions.
How do you label someone as an outsider? Some might say that an outsider is when a person encounters an external conflict, such as not meeting worldly standards or some who face internal conflicts by feeling like they don’t fit in or belong. The argument on whether the experience of being an outsider in universal is a very controversial topic. Some may state that outsiders are not a universal experience, and others may strongly disagree. In the stories we learned; “Sonnet, With Bird”, a poem by Sherman Alexie, “The Revenge of the Geeks”, an argumentative essay by Alexandra Robbins, and “The Doll House”, a short story by Katherine Mansfield are all stories that portrayed examples of being an outsider. In other words, the experience of being
Similar to the author of “Sonnet, With Bird” Sherman Alexie felt when he traveled to England. Mr.Alexie quoted “” I am the only Indian in this country right now. I’m the only Indian within a five-thousand-mile circle.””(pg.214) which shows how he feels like he doesn’t belong. This may be the case for people who have moved to a new part of the world that is unknown to them or to someone visiting another area that they do not know. As for the people who have lived in a certain area who see newcomers, may see them as outsiders because technically they are coming into a new place which would make them outsiders. Another example would be Dre Parker from the movie “the Karate Kid”(2010 version) how in a part of the movie he expresses how much he dislikes living in China and how he doesn’t belong there. Dre Parker is treated badly by the other younglings that have lived their beforehand by beating him up and excluding him from their
Outsiders are individuals who do not fit the traditional roles they are meant to have in society. Outsiders do not fit within their society and become “a person not belonging to a particular group, set, party, etc.” (Dictionary.com). Outsiders are thought to be individuals who have different taste in fashion or music, but they can also be people who have lived a different life from his/her peers.
Though unbeknownst to many, the experience of being an outsider is a sensation that everyone can go through. In the world, it is entirely possible for a person to be judged on physical appearance, opinions, and status among other things. It is simply how humans have adapted; they experience society by forming social groups that they are comfortable in. Generally, this group is seen to those involved with it as the “inside group”, and those not directly related to it are seen as “outsiders.” Even in literature, it is clear that the feeling of being one of these outsiders is universal. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Fences by Pat Mora, and The Doll’s House by Katherine Mansfield all properly display how anyone can be an outsider.
just does not fit in. An outsider is different and distinct, but not always valued or
The Outsiders is a novel by S.E Hinton, that follows a young boy named Ponyboy who grows up in a gang. Johnny, Sodapop and Darry help him find how he fits into the world and without them he would have a hard time finding his own identity. Without having a close group of friends he would have a tough way of life, especially with the Socs. Being in a group that you associate with, that have different values to yourself can lead you to disregard your own ethics and do things you wouldn’t normally do, but at the same time this can assist and reinforce your own values…
“None of us could associate with the outside world “ (Jill pg 1) If you are born in a home, where your parents have strong morals and views on certain things because of how they were raised, and naturally those morals and views will be passed on to you or forced on to you. “I GREW UP isolated from non-believers” (Rebecca Kimbel, pg. 1) When they decide to pull themselves out of their parent’s isolation they realize that people view them differently because of their dad’s having multiple wives and being a member of a very large family. “I thought that people saw and treated us differently because we were Americans but, little by little, I found out that it wasn't just that. I saw that the other children had only one mother and one father.” (Jill pg 1.) This type of isolation obviously causes a clutter of confusion in their mind and it completely changes their perception on non believers and outcasts of their
Albert Camus states that “In our society any man who doesn’t cry at his mother’s funeral is liable to be condemned to death” (Camus, 18). In the book The Outsider, Meursault defies local convention by not showing the sadness that is expected of him at his mother’s funeral. Ultimately, his life is dependant on this very decision of whether or not to show emotion. In the society that Meursault lives in, one is expected to conform to their standards and social norms. Anyone who deviates from these norms is considered an outcast and destined to die at the hands of society. Meursault was expected to show outwards signs of grief whether it was real or not. Even if the grief is artificial, most people will play to the audience and show signs of grief to minimize the risk of losing their life. Meursault’s was conflicted between following society’s rules and being true to himself. The nurse at his mother's funeral warned him that “if yougo slowly, you risk getting sun-stroke. But if you go too fast, you perspire and then in the church you catch a chill. She was right. There was no way out” (Camus, 22). The nurse’s admonition is consistent with his internal struggle. To Meursault, walking too fast is similar to conforming to society and walking too slow means following his own path. There is no middle ground to the situation, no happy median and no suitable compromise. Meursault faces the challenge of whether or not to conform on three main levels; physical, emotional and spiritual. He has the constant battle between following his physical self; his id, and doing what is right. Meursault also has to decide whether or not to be true to his emotions and decide if lying during his trial is a suitable course of action. Finally h...
But, who was considered an outsider? An outsider was the despised and unwelcomed one who belonged to a non-protestant religion. The religious beliefs of the outsiders were unacceptable and judged by the society. Others were considered outsiders because they simply belonged to a different racial group. Outsiders were seeking to fit into the American life, but were instead they were considered a threat and were excluded. Among the outsiders were the Catholics, Jews, African Americans, Native Americans, Non-Anglo Protestant such as German Lutherans, Christian Science and Jehovah’s Witnesses among others. The Catholic population was growing fast in the United States, and this was not only interpreted as a threat by Protestants but also invited persecution. In the 19th century, there were quite a few reasons that accounted for the fear of Protestants towards Catholics. Catholics and Protestants had different interpretations of moral visions, for example, “The principal difference in the message was that while Protestant preaching tended to emphasize individual experience of commitment and personal resolve to live a pure life, Catholic preaching stressed reliance on formal church practices, especially the regular confessions of sin to one’s priest and acts of penance and devotion.” Catholics had important beliefs and practices that separated them from the Protestants. For Catholics, churches were to be run by bishops and parish priests, while congregation had the right to choose the Protestants pastors. Authority was very important for Catholics; while Protestants believed the Bible was the final authority, Catholics final authority rested on the interpretation of the Bible by the church. Salvation was very important for Catholics, it was a central focus of their belief because, “Salvation was believed to come from the grace of God in
The Outsiders written by S.E. Hinton is a book about two different groups that don’t get along, the Socs and the Greasers. The two unions may act like they are tough and have no emotion on the outside, but on the inside, they are full with feelings and are very caring people. After Johnny was hurt, Ponyboy says to himself “A pain was growing in my throat and I wanted to cry, but greasers don’t cry in front of strangers”(Hinton 102). The 2 social classes may put on a front in public, but deep inside they care about others and have
We have talked about the typical foreigner: Someone living in a country other than their own, having a different culture and different beliefs than everyone else around them. But can one be a foreigner in their own country, their own city, or their own town? If one has different beliefs than those of his/her friends and/or family, can we call that person a ‘foreigner’ if they are going through the same things that Julia Kristeva describes in her book? In today’s culture, the same aspects that apply to foreigners, such as loneliness, separation, and the need to fit in, apply to many teenagers, whether they grow up in a town they have lived in all their lives, or if they move to a foreign place. In Strangers to Ourselves, Kristeva writes, “Who is a foreigner? The one who does not belong to the group, who is not “one of them,” the other” (Kristeva, 95). If I were to discuss beliefs with my parents, such as political or moral beliefs, and agreed with everything my parents said, what happens when all of my friends at school believe in completely different things? To them, my beliefs would be very different, almost foreign. To them, I would be the other.