Intro Paragraph

            In modern times, people are constantly encouraged to exercise their individuality, yet the pressures of conformity have not become obsolete. Conformity is a pressure that is built into the fabric of society because even though people want to stand out in certain aspects, they want to “conform” in others. Thus, the whole notion of conformity needs to be broken down into its branching elements. Undeniably, throughout various eras, different elements are emphasized or deemphasized. As a result, although the extent of conformity has remained constant, people are conforming on different spheres within these categories. In particular, conformity in marriage has existed throughout time, but the nom has changed as a result of religion, social status, and educational level.

Repercussions of Conformity

            People are always trying to conform to societal norms, but do they ever consider the repercussions of such conformity?

By conforming, people lose their individuality. This is how the thoughts of the individual become the thoughts of the collective. People like to think that they are unique, but in reality, most people are only comfortable being followers. They do not feel adequate in the position of a leader. For that reason, people are naturally conformers. They find it easier to just conform, rather than go outside of society’s boundaries. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, we see conformity at its greatest extreme. People are conditioned to get married to men who meet society’s standards. Most people are conformers. They marry for wealth and status, rather than love. Isn’t this too steep a price to pay just to be accepted by society?

Thank you to all the fans

         Tonight was the first round of the CIF playoffs. We played a very well disciplined and senior heavy team. Although losing was not what I expected I appreciate all the fans that came out and supported.  Thank you to everyone!

Kafka's Metamorphosis

           Kafka’s novella, Metamorphosis, begins with a simple, un-alarming tone that completely contradicts the seriousness of the situation.  The protagonist of the story, Gregor, is mysteriously transformed into a giant bug. He completely disregards the complexity of the situation and continues with is normal daily routine. Little does Gregor know that this is not a dream and that his life has been changed forever. Eventually Gregor realizes the seriousness of the situation. Instead of seeking help from society or his family, he alienates himself in his room.  Kafka’s novella relates to conformity because Gregor was a typical workingman. He did everything by the book and performed the same tasks everyday just as the rest of society. However, by becoming a bug, Gregor’s sense of belonging disappeared and society saw him as an outsider. 

Conformity Part 3

           The meaning of “conformity” is not the same for every individual. I want to investigate the meaning of conformity in past generations. For instance, in my opinion conformity is what people do to develop a sense of belonging. If we look at past generation, conforming to society might have been part of surviving issues such as war and genocide. Thus, when compared to conformity now it is not for personal happiness and was more a necessity. Ironically, I also believe that not conforming to social norms now is considered cool and in fact becoming a social norm in itself. 

Conformity

          I believe that conforming to social norms is just as common now as it was generations ago.  As social creatures we need to feel accepted by others around us. Feeling accepted brings a sense of happiness to humans. It also relates to that fact that as social creates we want to group ourselves with people who are similar to ourselves. The idea of conforming is mental game humans play with themselves. In reality nobody decides what is acceptable and what is not.  In conclusion, I believe that everything we conform to is a personal choice and something that is not involuntary. 

Conformity and Life Pressures

      As society gets older and more developed, daily pressures seem to alter from generation to generation. For instance, in my generation going to college is considered the norm and a necessary part of human life. In my grand parents generation, however, college was considered a luxury and something not required to be successful. Albeit my grandfather went to college, he claims that many of his friends did not and they thought negatively about him after enrolling. However, now college is a necessity to become a member of the job market. There are less and less manual labor jobs that do not require basic college level degrees. Pressures of a college education are not the only stresses that humans face. There are economic pressures along with a wide variety of other social pressures.

Heart of Darkness Second Paragraph

Marlow did not want to taint Kurtz’s cousin’s belief that Kurtz was a musical genius and instead convinced himself of the plausibility of this claim. Kurtz’s cousin tells Marlow that Kurtz “ was a great musician” and “an immense success”(Conrad, 425). Although Marlow says that there was no reason to doubt the validity of what the cousin believed Kurtz to be, he was unsure if a “great musician” was the most accurate statement. However, Marlow says, “to this day I am unable to say what was Kurtz’s profession, whether he ever had any—which was the greatest of his talents“ (Conrad, 425).  The fact that Marlow can consider Kurtz’s lack of a profession as his greatest talent shows that Marlow tries to only see the good in Kurtz. Marlow is allowing society to believe Kurtz was something he was not. He even convinces himself that it is feasible that Kurtz could have been a great musician. Nevertheless, he believes it was more probable that Kurtz was “a painter who wrote for the paper” or “a journalist who could paint” (Conrad, 425). This shows that Marlow did not believe that Kurtz was a genius in anything, but rather a versatile individual who had a little talent in various tasks. Thereby, although Marlow does not exactly concur with the cousin’s vision of Kurtz, he does not taint his vision.