Conformity and Rebellion

797 Words2 Pages

In each day students are not only challenged with the studies of classwork but the social conflicts of societies ever changing fashions. The peer pressures of grade school can be provoking to the point of conforming to certain behaviors; this can have either an optimistic or pessimistic outcome on the well-being of any student. Adolescents attending grade school must take a stand to decide who and what they want to become in life. Every decision that is made in each moment will affect the outcome of one’s life. Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group. (McLeod) Therefore, being conformed shaped and molded by certain behaviors in society and choosing to rebel against the peer pressures of humane will define what type of character a man will have.

In the story Eveline, in the text Literature and the Writing Process, author James Joyce, writes intensely on the dreadful and painful decisions that a young woman faces concerning her desire for a better life, her duty to her family, and her fear of leaving home. (15) In the current theme for this semester, conformity and rebellion are found here in the text. Here we find a young woman that’s raised in and a home where her mother and brother have passed away and her father isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. She is forced to step up to the plate to help her father. Her promise to her mother about staying was important because it would have been so easy for her to rebel against her father’s will. Who would have loved to stay? Her father was abusive at times and would disapprove of many of Eveline decisions, especially about the love of her life Frank. This was a gentleman who she fell in love with. He would’ve pr...

... middle of paper ...

...d himself and will find himself surrounded by a fortress. It’s a fortress of character, personality, power and greatness. There, a man will have peace, love and liberty.” Standing for what’s right and what type of man one can become is phenomenal. Not becoming conformed to the immoral behaviors in life can take someone the distance. One must be full of rebellion and take a stand for what’s right and not be tossed to and fro like a jellyfish in the sea with no backbone.

Works Cited

McLeod, Saul. “What is Conformity?” Simply Psychology. N.p. 2007.Web. June 2011

James Joyce, Eveline , Literature and the Writing Process 10th Ed. Pearson, 2007. Print.

“11 facts about High School Dropout Rates.” DoSomething. National Center for education Statistics. N.p. Web.

F. Mathew. “What is Peer Pressure?” wisegeek. Conjecture Corporation. 11 Feb. 2014. Web.
13. Feb.14

Open Document