The Chrysalids: Perception is Molded by Environment

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From the point of conception, a child’s feelings and thoughts are incredibly malleable. However, the question remains whether the environment changes our perception. This essay will delve into how perceptions are impacted by a North American lifestyle, and a lifestyle within the fictional world of The Chrysalids. Although a person has the ability to forge his or her own destiny, the environment plays a large part in shaping our perceptions everyday.

Many throughout the world consider North America to offer the greatest quality of life. A myriad of nationalities and cultures have joined together resulting in North America being what it is today. This cultural patchwork has resulted in children being raised differently and developing unique perceptions relative to other countries. Variables that work to alter the American perception include family, education, and opportunities.

One of the greatest influences on a person lis their family. For the duration of a person’s childhood, the majority of time is spent with family members. A family sustains a child’s livelihood and they work to determine how a child will mature in the hope of sustaining a successful future. Over this period, family members’ opinions and views wear off on the individual, causing a change in perception. Therefore, while maturing as a youth, family members hold a significant influence on sculpting a person’s perception.

Another way in which perceptions can be altered is through education. Education is a building block for all of society; it is the foundation that establishes social interaction and it often determines a person’s future success. During the course of schooling and post secondary education, a person is introduced to an array of diffe...

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...ths is limited. The result is a community where conventional thinking is readily accepted and rarely challenged.

When comparing the North American society with that of the Waknuk society to determine whether the environment shapes our perception, the answer becomes transparent. Our perception is forever changing due to the environment. In everyday life our family, our education, and our opportunities change our perception. We do not know what is right until we learn alternative sources and develop an opinion on life. Through growing up, our family, education and experiences work to persuade our opinions and alter our perception in everything we do. Our perception can be changed through life as we grow, learn new ideas and gain new experiences, but through the duration of our childhood, our perception is molded into an everlasting building block for our future.

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