Becoming Human:
Stereotypes, Epiphanies, and Outsiders
An outsider can be defined as someone that doesn’t belong or feels rejected. It’s also someone that stays out of the group. There are many feelings that may arise as a result of being an outsider such as sadness, rejection, and self pity. An outsider may feel excluded at school and their community. Lastly, there are a variety of reasons that cause a person to become an outsider such as race, gender, money, sports, and actions.
In fact, there are different types of outsiders such as people who choose to be an outsider and those who don’t. There are also insiders and border liners. I am a border liner because I do fit, but I don’t believe that the others don’t think the same way. For example, I like soccer and other sports, but I’m not good at them. I like being with people, but I often I stay alone. As you could see, there are many types of outsiders everywhere.
Equally important, stereotypes cause people to become an outsider. A stereotype is a belief of a group of people. An example is when my dad found Albert. My dad was a police officer ten years ago. He found Albert and three gangsters in a park close to an airport. Albert was dress like a gangster so my dad thought that he was a gangster. After knowing that Albert was innocent, my dad told him to not join people like them. Later, the gangsters were arrested and Albert went home. After all, stereotypes cause people to become outsiders.
In the same way, stereotype comes from the book,” The Outsiders.” Two characters from the book discuss stereotypes. Ponyboy, a greaser, states that socs have no problems. He thinks that all socs have a perfect life. Cherry, a socs, believes that all greasers are like dally. This means that she thinks that all greasers are mean, say bad words, and are very violent. Throughout the book, there are many examples of stereotypes.
Similarly, stereotypes are also explored in C. Addichie’s TED Talk called,” the danger of a single story.” In this presentation she discusses how she stereotype books, people, and how she was stereotype. She thought that books were about white people talking about the weather. She also talked about how her roommate stereotypes her by asking her how she learned English and what was her tribe. Finally, she stereotype Mexicans as people that just want to cross the border. She finally talked about how the world would be if we reject stereotypes, we would be in a paradise.
On the other hand, epiphanies challenge individuals to become a better person. An epiphany is a sudden realization. An example of someone that had an epiphany is my dad. He used to be with his friends all day and get drunk. He was 22, they lived in Tijuana, and my parents were already going out. Also he would play cards all night and bet whatever he had. To summaries, my dad was a total disaster.
There were two reasons that made him change. First, he crashed a woman with his car and the he realized that if he didn’t stop my mother would leave him. When he finally changed, he would visit his friends for five minutes and would never come home late. He wouldn’t get drunk and he stopped playing cards. He became responsible, honest, and a hard worker. In conclusion, epiphanies help people to change like my dad.
All in all to my dad, there is also an example of an epiphany in the book,” The Outsiders.” Johnny Cade is a character who goes from a zero to a hero. Johnny was a boy who didn’t care about his life because his dad beat him up and his mom ignore him, but after talking to Ponyboy he learned to express himself and he show Ponyboy that he was sensitive, he love nature, and care for others. He shows us this when he saves the kids in the burning church. After all, it doesn’t matter how you are, but who you chose to be.
In conclusion, learning about outsider, stereotypes, and epiphanies has helped me to “Become Human.” I learn that outsiders can be rejected by their race, gender, or like in the book” The Outsiders,” Ponyboy was an outsider in his community for being poor and in his gang for being sensitive and smart. Although many outsiders are rejected, others decide to be an outsider for many reasons, but mostly because they want to make a difference. Many people become outsiders because of stereotypes which are a belief of a group of people. There are many examples of stereotypes like in “The Outsiders,” Ponyboy stereotypes socs as rich kids that have no problems and hate greasers. Epiphanies are a sudden realization that makes a person change. The poem” The Rose that Grew from Concrete” talks about a person that had a harsh life and still was able to change even if no one cared. In “The Outsiders” two characters change still if no one agrees with them. Randy, who hated greasers, learns that socs and greasers are both alike. Johnny also learn that socs and greasers are both human and their only difference is money and feelings. I learn that being an outsider, stereotyping, and having an epiphany is part of becoming human.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsider.
New York: Penguin Group,
1967
Gonzalez, Ismael. Personal Interview.
14 August 2013.
“C. Addichies on the danger of a single story.”
www.tedtalk.com.web. July 2009
Stereotypes, Epiphanies, and Outsiders
An outsider can be defined as someone that doesn’t belong or feels rejected. It’s also someone that stays out of the group. There are many feelings that may arise as a result of being an outsider such as sadness, rejection, and self pity. An outsider may feel excluded at school and their community. Lastly, there are a variety of reasons that cause a person to become an outsider such as race, gender, money, sports, and actions.
In fact, there are different types of outsiders such as people who choose to be an outsider and those who don’t. There are also insiders and border liners. I am a border liner because I do fit, but I don’t believe that the others don’t think the same way. For example, I like soccer and other sports, but I’m not good at them. I like being with people, but I often I stay alone. As you could see, there are many types of outsiders everywhere.
Equally important, stereotypes cause people to become an outsider. A stereotype is a belief of a group of people. An example is when my dad found Albert. My dad was a police officer ten years ago. He found Albert and three gangsters in a park close to an airport. Albert was dress like a gangster so my dad thought that he was a gangster. After knowing that Albert was innocent, my dad told him to not join people like them. Later, the gangsters were arrested and Albert went home. After all, stereotypes cause people to become outsiders.
In the same way, stereotype comes from the book,” The Outsiders.” Two characters from the book discuss stereotypes. Ponyboy, a greaser, states that socs have no problems. He thinks that all socs have a perfect life. Cherry, a socs, believes that all greasers are like dally. This means that she thinks that all greasers are mean, say bad words, and are very violent. Throughout the book, there are many examples of stereotypes.
Similarly, stereotypes are also explored in C. Addichie’s TED Talk called,” the danger of a single story.” In this presentation she discusses how she stereotype books, people, and how she was stereotype. She thought that books were about white people talking about the weather. She also talked about how her roommate stereotypes her by asking her how she learned English and what was her tribe. Finally, she stereotype Mexicans as people that just want to cross the border. She finally talked about how the world would be if we reject stereotypes, we would be in a paradise.
On the other hand, epiphanies challenge individuals to become a better person. An epiphany is a sudden realization. An example of someone that had an epiphany is my dad. He used to be with his friends all day and get drunk. He was 22, they lived in Tijuana, and my parents were already going out. Also he would play cards all night and bet whatever he had. To summaries, my dad was a total disaster.
There were two reasons that made him change. First, he crashed a woman with his car and the he realized that if he didn’t stop my mother would leave him. When he finally changed, he would visit his friends for five minutes and would never come home late. He wouldn’t get drunk and he stopped playing cards. He became responsible, honest, and a hard worker. In conclusion, epiphanies help people to change like my dad.
All in all to my dad, there is also an example of an epiphany in the book,” The Outsiders.” Johnny Cade is a character who goes from a zero to a hero. Johnny was a boy who didn’t care about his life because his dad beat him up and his mom ignore him, but after talking to Ponyboy he learned to express himself and he show Ponyboy that he was sensitive, he love nature, and care for others. He shows us this when he saves the kids in the burning church. After all, it doesn’t matter how you are, but who you chose to be.
In conclusion, learning about outsider, stereotypes, and epiphanies has helped me to “Become Human.” I learn that outsiders can be rejected by their race, gender, or like in the book” The Outsiders,” Ponyboy was an outsider in his community for being poor and in his gang for being sensitive and smart. Although many outsiders are rejected, others decide to be an outsider for many reasons, but mostly because they want to make a difference. Many people become outsiders because of stereotypes which are a belief of a group of people. There are many examples of stereotypes like in “The Outsiders,” Ponyboy stereotypes socs as rich kids that have no problems and hate greasers. Epiphanies are a sudden realization that makes a person change. The poem” The Rose that Grew from Concrete” talks about a person that had a harsh life and still was able to change even if no one cared. In “The Outsiders” two characters change still if no one agrees with them. Randy, who hated greasers, learns that socs and greasers are both alike. Johnny also learn that socs and greasers are both human and their only difference is money and feelings. I learn that being an outsider, stereotyping, and having an epiphany is part of becoming human.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsider.
New York: Penguin Group,
1967
Gonzalez, Ismael. Personal Interview.
14 August 2013.
“C. Addichies on the danger of a single story.”
www.tedtalk.com.web. July 2009