Life As A Conformist

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Conformity is a person’s belief or behavior that is influenced by their environment. Rebellion is the act of refusing to listen or follow authority. There are several costs and benefits of conformity and rebellion. The assigned readings points out many of these examples. However living a life as a conformist, rather than a rebellion would be a good decision and a safe one.

If one is a conformist should they continue living that way or change to be a rebel? The cost of conformity would be in questioned if one’s environment is a positive or negative one. This would reflect on whether or not one should go along with the flow or rebel against it. When one chooses to be a rebel in life they are taking a risk. Many people do not think about the consequences as the result of some of their life decisions.

Referring to the story “The lottery” (Jackson). The people of the village would be considered as the conformists due to their beliefs. The villager’s ritual of having a lottery once a year was influenced by their ancestors. If one decided to disobey or rebel against the ritual they would be put through much embarrassment. Tessie had her own beliefs and was not afraid to stand up for herself. It appears that whoever had the piece of paper with the black dot would get stoned by the other villagers.

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Tessie tried to prevent that for happening to her husband. Tessie shouted, “You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!”(p.343). Although Tessie showed courage to save her husband. Her rebellious acts still lead her to being stoned anyways.

The next example, of showing the cost and benefits of conformity and rebellion is expressed in the story “Two Kinds” (Tan). The Mother of Jing-mei...

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... persuade her husband to change his mind. Unfortunately her persuasions were unsuccessful. Mr Helmer’s respect for law was expressed through this quote he shared with Nora. After she made an attempt to help Krogstad her husband asks her was “He forged someone’s name. Have you any idea what that means?” (p.460). Little to his knowledge he was aware that his wife Nora had committed the same crime.

Nora showed a sense of being rebellious to authority. Loans were not to be taking out by women. So she decided to forge her father’s name on a loan. Her motive was to save her husband’s life. In a life and death situation a person has to do what they have to in order to survive. Nora took the initiative to save her family from the heartache and pain of death. However in the end she still ends up losing her family with the decisions she made. This was to walk out on them.

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