The late president John F. Kennedy once said, “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” Although many may find comfort by endorsing conformity, some may disagree and think otherwise. President JFK highlighted his point of view by describing conformity as the enemy of a liberal and advanced society. In order to shed a better light onto conformity, we ought to ask ourselves questions like, why do most of us submit to the power of conformity? How does conformity shape our personal lives and our society? And most importantly the consequences that may reflect on our lives if we decided to go against conformity. In her poem, Emily Dickinson, “Much Madness is Divinest Sense” attempted to send a powerful message about conformity. …show more content…
Consecutively, Dickenson thinks having a different opinion on an issue might be the best judgment at the time. In the same way, Jackson presents the ugly side of conformity by showing how everyone in the village was rushing to the town center to be a part of the irrational annual ritual “The Lottery”. However, Jackson attempted to show some opposition to the idea, by suggesting quitting the lottery tradition which was met by instance rejection. This was clearly demonstrated when Mrs. Adams was talking to Old Man Warner, ‘“Some places have already quit lotteries,” Mrs. Adams said. “Nothing but trouble in that,” Old Man Warner said stoutly. “Pack of young fools”’ (104). Dickenson’s poems shed better light on Jackson’s short story by encapsulating the power of conformity where no logic or reasoning may be applied. Furthermore, Dickenson talks about the consequences of obeying or going against the rules. Dickenson thinks that if you follow the mainstream and don’t question the rules you are safe. While if someone has a different opinion that contradicts the majority, he is considered dangerous. This was implied when Dickenson
Tradition is a central theme in Shirley Jackon's short story The Lottery. Images such as the black box and characters such as Old Man Warner, Mrs. Adams, and Mrs. Hutchinson display to the reader not only the tenacity with which the townspeople cling to the tradition of the lottery, but also the wavering support of it by others. In just a few pages, Jackson manages to examine the sometimes long forgotten purpose of rituals, as well as the inevitable questioning of the necessity for such customs.
President John F. Kennedy once said, "Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.". Conforming to societal customs can lead to “pluralistic ignorance” which is defined as being unsure and doubtful of majority behavior. This diagnoses causes people to conform to things that are not actually in existence and undermines creativity and productiveness. Hans Christian Andersen’s “Emperors New Clothes” is the impeccable illustration of the consequences and compliancy of conformity. No one in the story wanted to admit that they could not see the cloth and were unfit for their position, therefore everyone only admitted to seeing the incredible cloth. Conformity is divided between internal and external. Internal is the honest changing how one believes and acts and external is when one only behaves in a different way but does not change what they believe. External conformity is the most detrimental to the individual due to the constant combat between self-morals and actions. Conformity not only is destructive to an individual but also is harmful to others. Studies have proven that conforming can cause people to become passive bystanders to ethical wrongs like bullying and breaking of the law. With overwhelming and constant refutation, the negatives of conformity tend to suppress the
In conclusion, Jackson’s story is one warning of the dangers of blindly following tradition and the randomness of prosecution. The author indirectly hints to the true nature of the lottery through the use of objects, settings, and symbolism. The residents of the village learn from a young age to essentially disregard reasoning when carrying out the Lottery in order to preserve tradition. Throughout the story, the villagers do not dare cross the line of questioning the ritual because that is all they know. Just like in real life, most do not question the significance of tradition until it is often too late. The lottery is an extreme example of what can happen if traditions are not examined critically by new generations.
As old man Warner said, "There 's always been a lottery” (Jackson 4). This shows that the villagers have a lack of ability to change over time. No person in the town would stand up and say that this violent ritual was absurd, making them all out to be hypocrites just as Tessie was. Instead of doing so, one villager, Mr. Adams, comments that other towns around them were giving up the lottery, as if to suggest their town should do so as well. In reply old man Warner said, "Pack of crazy fools” (Jackson 4), and then, "Listening to the young folks, nothings good enough for them” (Jackson 4). Old man Warner can in a sense be seen as a symbol of the town and their lack of change. He disapproves of anything that isn’t what he views as a traditional social practice. Old man Warner’s quick defense of the lottery implies that he sees change as an attack on himself and his beliefs. Blindly following tradition can cause the rejection of non-conformity in a society, even those traditions that are full of
Shirley Jackson’s “Lottery” satirically creates a society that puts the importance of tradition above even the life of the members of the community, as indicated by Old Man Warner’s response to Mr. Adams stating, “‘[O]ver in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery.’ Old Man Warner snorted. ‘Pack of crazy fools … Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them … There’s always been a lottery,’ he added petulantly” (413). Here Old Man Warner defends the tradition of their society, though notably without justifying the tradition. Rather, he focuses on the people of other villages and the tradition as self-evident, both logical fallacies. The first argument he makes in favor of continuing to have a lottery is an ad
Conformity and rebellion are two characteristics that cannot exist without each other. If no one were to conform then there would be no set standard for anyone to rebel against. Without rebellion conformity would not be challenged. Madness comes into play when describing those that rebel against the norm. Dickinson describes anyone with a rebellious attitude as “demur you’re straightway dangerous and handled with a chain” society treats people like this because the idea of change can scare a lot of people. Many of these themes are seen throughout literature.
In conclusion, traditions can be beneficial, or they can be hurtful. The tradition of the lottery may not be the best, however, it has happened many times before and traditions are difficult to let go. In “The Lottery”, the reader is able to see how the villagers feel about the lottery through indirect characterization. Also, Jackson uses symbolism to reveal that the villagers do not want to change anything about the lottery. Finally, situational irony takes a substantial role in how the reader understands the short story. Jackson's “The Lottery” represents the reactions of people when they know that a tradition is not worth keeping but they do not want to do anything about it.
Throughout history society has depicted the “outsider” as the non-conformist. This non-conformist persona usually has negative attributes attached to it, therefore, no one wants to be correlated with it. For this reason, it is believed that the non-conformist poses danger to society because they may cause a collapse in its structure. Yet, a “mad” society meaning a society that poses danger to the outsider creates justification to their non conformity. In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Much Madness is Divinest Sense” she demonstrates how a “mad” society causes destruction on the non-conformist.
"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." John F. Kennedy. When we permit ourselves to comply with what our acquaintances, family or public opinion asks of us, we lose the capability to develop into our own person. Conformity, then again, is more than simply the young lady wearing UGG Boots and an Abercrombie hoodie to fit in. It is all the more then just lis...
Literary Analysis of Emily Dickinson's Poetry. Emily Dickinson is one of the most famous authors in American history, and a good amount of that can be attributed to her uniqueness in writing. In Emily Dickinson's poem 'Because I could not stop for Death,' she characterizes her overarching theme of Death differently than it is usually described through the poetic devices of irony, imagery, symbolism, and word choice. Emily Dickinson likes to use many different forms of poetic devices and Emily's use of irony in poems is one of the reasons they stand out in American poetry. In her poem 'Because I could not stop for Death,' she refers to 'Death' in a good way.
Emily Dickinson's Obsession with Death. Emily Dickinson became legendary for her preoccupation with death. All her poems contain stanzas focusing on loss or loneliness, but the most striking ones talk particularly about death, specifically her own death and her own afterlife. Her fascination with the morose gives her poems a rare quality, and gives us insight into a mind we know very little about. What we do know is that Dickinson’s father left her a small amount of money when she was young.
In the poems of Emily Dickinson, there are many instances in which she refers to her seclusion and loneliness, and how wonderful the two can be. In a book entitled, Emily Dickenson: Singular Poet, by Carl Dommermuth, she writes: "She (Dickinson) apparently enjoyed a normal social life as a school girl, but in later years would seldom leave her home. She was passionate yet distant." This distance Dommermuth speaks of is quite evident in Dickinson's works. Dickinson not only loves her loneliness but also feels as though she cannot live without it.
Emily Dickinson is an author, that once wrote a quote I felt was very puzzling. I read the quote quite a few times, when finally I understood the message the author was trying to get across. The quote is " A word is dead When it is said, I say, it just Begins to live that day." Due to my personal experiences, I can say I agree and disagree with this quote. I believe what ones says may be immortal or may die out once said, but it all depends on your audience. It also depends on how you combine the words together, if using more than one. Another important factor would be how powerful the words are. Two words can have the same meaning, but when said, one may sound weaker than another. As for example, if you go deep into the roots of the words hate and dislike you'd see they both carry the same meaning, yet hate sounds a lot stronger and more powerful than dislike.
The beginning of the Nineteenth Century yielded many technological advances that took their toll on the world. Great Britain’s economy began to thrive with these advances that led to efficient production lines, railways, and, most importantly, the ability to make better technology. Though at the time these advances seemed to improve many aspects of daily life, Charles Dickens only saw the negative effects that this new way of life imposed upon unsuspecting families. As a victim of the Industrial Revolution, which left many of the working class, including his own family, in a horrible state of living, Dickens grew up in a wretched environment brought on by an advancing society. His early life led to his ambitions of escaping the poverty that gripped his family. His talent for writing proved to be his escape, and he quickly became “a titan of literature.” Dickens constantly used details from his own life to create characters and settings. It is said that “Dickens was himself a Dickens character, bursting with an inordinate and fantastic vitality” (Johnson VII). In his two stories, “The Chimes” and “Going into Society”, Dickens pulls pictures from his past to give the reader a vivid view of the gloomy reality that occurred in everyday life for the working class. As his main principle in helping the poor, Dickens often included the Christmas theory in his works, which he uses to combat Individualism in England’s society. Charles Dickens’s entire writing career was devoted to fighting society’s oppressive treatment of the lower class by applying the Christmas theory of charity to everyday life.
Emily Dickinson, a radical feminist is often expressing her viewpoints on issues of gender inequality in society. Her poems often highlight these viewpoints. Such as with the case of her poem, They shut me up in Prose. Which she place herself into the poem itself, and address the outlining issues of such a dividend society. She is often noted for using dashes that seem to be disruptive in the text itself. Dickinson uses these disruption in her text to signify her viewpoints on conflictual issues that reside in society. From the inequality that women face, to religion, to what foreseeable future she would like to happen. All of her values and morales are upheld by the dashes that Dickinson introduces into her poems.