When society sets groups of people apart it may seem like nothing can get better, however when a true effort is made anything is possible. Even when life can seem hopeless, if you set your mind to it and break barriers your life can change for the better. This is proven in both The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie as well as in the film Shrek. This is seen when characters break cultural barriers by leaving their homes, when despite what others say they form relationships with people from another race and when they don’t let their differences stand in the way from them making a change. Even though both Shrek and Arnold may seem very different they both stray from their normal ways of life and prove that even when …show more content…
In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian Arnold is smitten by Penelope a beautiful white girl in his class, at first Penelope dismisses him and says things like “why do you talk so funny” but as she gets to know him they begin to develop a caring relationship.This is seen when Arnold narrates “Everybody is absolutely shocked that Penelope chose me to be her new friend.”. Arnold surprises his peers by becoming Penelope’s boyfriend, he was seen as the weird Indian kid but he proves to Penelope he is much more than his race. A similar situation occurs in Shrek when Fiona the gorgeous Princess says to Donkey “Who could love such a hideous, ugly beast?”. She doesn’t truly see who Shrek is until she learns to truly understand and love. When Shrek says to Fiona “I--love you.” she says back “I love you too.”. King Farquaad the man Fiona is supposed to marry shows disapproval of their relationship when he says “Oh, this is precious.The ogre has fallen in love with the princess! Oh, good Lord. (He laughs.)” Despite the fact that Shrek is an ogre and Fiona could be with a king and the disapproval from others, she choses Shrek because of the special bond she shares with him. Arnold and Shrek prove that even though everyone is born with stereotypes slapped onto them, they can be broken and anyone can be together despite what others think or what is on the
This is noticeable when the fairytale creatures were banished to the swamp by Lord Farquaad. Since they were not normal human beings, they were seen as outcasts and thus banished away from the kingdom. This is also obvious when the townspeople go to kill Shrek with pitchforks. Shrek, being an ogre, is seen as different from the townspeople and a threat to them. This causes them to want to kill him to ensure security. The second thing I noticed in Shrek ties along with in-group and outgroup, which is prejudice. Prejudice is seen in Shrek during the scene when Shrek has a conversation with Donkey explaining why the world doesn’t understand him. Shrek spoke of the prejudice people had towards him. He told Donkey that people judge him before they even get to know him. People view him as a big, ugly, stupid ogre who wants to do nothing but eat them. This is the reason why Shrek is so isolated and avoids becoming close with anyone. The townspeople are prejudice towards Shrek because of his appearance which is similar to how certain people are prejudice based on skin color. Right after this, friendship formulation occurs between Shrek and Donkey. Like Shrek, Donkey has been treated
...g, like it was in the book The House of Sand and Fog. Much of the outcome of the book was based on the fact that judgments were made, had judgment not been made about status, Kathy may not have cared so much about getting that house back, had Behrani not been judged based on status, he may have not bought that home. Cultures judge one another every day, and people within those cultures judge each other as well. This constant judging of others and of ones self is what causes people to be unhappy in the first place. The only way to live happily within ones culture, and in the world of many cultures, is to accept that each culture and person is different, which is what makes each culture and person so special; the only way to live happily in ones life, is to accept and embrace differences.
Claim: In Outcasts United, Warren St.John argues assimilation causes loss of identity because one may have to determine if one’s own distinctive character and ethics are worth losing in exchange for social acceptance.
The everyday world brings harsh conflicts and strong willed people that oppose it. The corruption in society helps bring out the good in some people and the bad in the rest. No matter how many bad people in the world there will always be good-hearted, loving and curious people that will help bring back the light to the world. The bad in the world helps some people realize the true character and goodness inside of them and can help them reflect back onto their character. No matter how big or small a decision might be it will bring you closer to knowing who you really are. These decisions can lead to individuality from others and standing up for what you believe in even if it goes against other people’s views. In All the Light We Cannot See,
... It states that there is different inequality socially and politically. Inequality is determined by people’s ideals of what they were taught and society projects as the superior and inferior races. This film shows that there is a way to change that if you make the other side see how they affect the people they are discriminating against.
So, throughout the story and throughout life, we see society making countless decisions, making countless mistakes, and repeating the process over and over again. And then, we see the individuals that try to prevent the worst from happening to the world, or in the countries they reside in. However, if it's one thing that can change the world, it's what someone believes in, and what they do personally to back it up.
Two authors that had shared there struggles with dealing with the concept of being transcultural and how trying to fit in made it very difficult, Amy (Tan) and David (Suzuki).Wrote About how being born as one culture and growing up in a different doesn’t mean you have to fit in letting yourself be who you can let you grow not only in your culture but you genetic one. For example, Amy Tan’s Fish Cheek helps understand a deeper meaning about trying to fit in with being an average; “American Girl.” The article is about a real story about how she wanted to change herself genetically so that she could look average and the person she was trying to impress would like her. As a child she didn't understand the importance of being unique and happy with your culture, her mother explained to her that; "But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame." Most people might find it easy by not trying to fit in but in reality we all want to fit in and be like everyone else. Furthermore, David Suzuki is another person who had struggled with accepting the idea of never fitting in he writes that; “I was born a Canadian.” He writes that he is proud that he is different through the struggles of dealing with not fitting in with either cultures he accepted that
As an individual we do grow by overcoming adversity. But we also grow as individuals in other ways and situations. Adversity comes in many ways and all types of life. In the short film rhinos by Marcus, they use justification to show adversity and both Ingrid’s and Thomas’s life. they both grow in the film together by overcoming adversity. The main challenge that they face and have to overcome together is their language barrier. Thomas spoke English well Ingrid spoke another language. The start of the short film, when they first meet they do not understand each other at all. By the end of the short film they have learned each other semiotics and grow together to understand what the other one wants and what they needed. And a full world stand.
There are a lot of differences shown throughout the world, from the way people look to what type of home environment they’re brought up in, to the traditions and cultures they follow. No two people are built and function the exact same way. Too often people are made to feel bad about the body, culture or life they are born in to. In life, as in literature, we find ourselves unable to fit into the box society has defined for us and see it as a negative. The things that make us different from the majority should be seen as advantages and not downfalls.
Shrek --- “ugly” princess is green, overweight, and more masculine and the “beautiful” princess is thin and extremely feminine influences kids at an early age that fat is bad and thin is good.
Have you ever wanted something really badly, but couldn’t afford it? This is a common occurrence, but what about food? Have you ever went to be hungry because you couldn’t afford to eat? Unfortunately, Junior, the main character in the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, felt exactly this way for food. Even though Junior didn’t have as many resources as the other “white kids,” he still chose to look at the positives. This novel shows that even in times of great hardship, people can still choose to have hope and look at the good in their lives.
In addition to her manly behavior, Fiona also rejects Farquaad’s marriage proposal and choose to stay with Shrek instead because she rejects the conventional life she has been told to have. She wants to marry whoever she loves and to take control of her life, showing her independence. This shows that being different from the Disney princesses choosing to live “happily ever after” with a prince, Fiona defies society’s expectations and stereotypes of a ‘’good’’ woman who is thought to be submissive and domesticated but not rebellious or independent (Barker 317). Undeniably, fairy tales are so important that they facilitate children's imagination, but on the other hand, they limit their ways of thinking and somehow set gender stereotypes in youngsters’
...ed by its culture just as it affects its culture, but its underlying worldview contains patriarchal and racist dimensions. In addition, the portrayal of Scar and the hyenas as having a dark mane and dark coats in the Lion King seems to be a symbolic coding. Our society has associated it darkness and evil and it has become an issue that is very offensive to AfricanAmericans. In addition to sending conflict messages about valuing all races, Disney implies that in Pocahontas, certain personality types are not considered and valued. Similarly in Hercules, the one and only Muse who is not beautiful stereotypically is the one muse who is the comic. What this means is that only the extremely beautiful and fun loving people are valued in our society (Booker 38). The mixed message brought out is that all people are valued, but really only fun and lively people are valued.
Alexie demonstrates to us that however numerous obstacles hindered Arnold regardless he discovered trust and he discovered his way to a superior life off of the reservation. I truly appreciate this context since I feel that it can truly open the eyes of many individuals experiencing unpleasant circumstances or individuals that simply need a decent read.Hope and motivation are composed everywhere in this book and I adore that about
John Updike’s A&P gives us an idea that the world isn’t always black and white by telling a story about a teenager who does what he believes in and quits his job because of a disagreement with his boss and to get the attention of a girl. The kid doesn’t get the girl and has to deal with the consequences of his actions but through it all he sticks to his decisions. Following the standard through life in any aspect can seem pretty easy at times, but seeing the grey, choosing to act and becoming resilient through it all displays what kind of character you are.