Fujimori 1

KaitlynFujimori
Mrs.Housepian/Ms.Smart
English2HPeriod5
16November2015
CreatingOnesIdentity
Haveyoueverwonderedwhypeoplearethewaytheyare,andofallfactors,whathasthe
biggestinfluenceonthem?Manyfactorsplayaroleonthewaypeopledowhattheydo.These
differentfactorscanaffectonesdecisions.Asaresultofeachindividualhavingdifferent
experienceswith
family,society,andfriends,thishelpscreatethedistinctionbetweeneach
individual
.
Eachfactorcanplayapartinonesidentity,howeveranindividual'sidentityis
moldedbyfamilyandcangreatlyinfluenceonesviews,morals,andactions.
Animportantreasonforthewayonemayviewthingsisfromtheinfluenceoftheir
family
.Intheplay,
TwelveAngryMen
,twelvemenarepartofajurydecidingateenboys
innocence.
Towardtheendoftheplay,allbutjuror3saytheteenisinnocent.Juror3states,Its
thekids.Thewaytheyareyouknow?Theydontlisten.(Bitter)Ivegotakid...Hesbig,you
know.Ihaventseenhiminthreeyears.Rottenkid!Youworkyourheartout(Rose227).
Juror
3illustrateshisexperienceswithhisownkid,andhownegativeitwas.Asaresultofhischild
alwayscausingtrouble,Juror3believesthatallboysareguiltyandtrouble.
Juror3sexperience
withhissonhasaffectedhisviewstowardsallteenagers.Thisalsoaffectedhisdecisionon
decidingwhethertheboyisguiltyornot.
Inthesamefashion
,familyimpactedJemsviews
towardMaycombin
ToKillaMockingbird
.InthisnovelAtticus,Jemsfather,takesthecaseof
aninnocentAfricanAmericanmannamedTomRobinson.
Aftertheverdictwasannounced,Jem

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realized,Itslikebeinacaterpillarinacocoon,thatswhatitis...IalwaysthoughtMaycomb
folkswerethebestfolksintheworld,leastthatswhattheyseemedlike(Lee288)
.Jem
believeshehasbeenacaterpillarinacocoonfromMaycombsracismandprejudice.Jemhad
previouslybelievedthatMaycombsresidentswerefairandgoodpeople.
However,afterthejury
hadconvictedTomRobinsonguiltyeventhoughtheyknewthathewasnt,Jemsviewstowards
Maycombchanged.IfAtticushadnttakenthecaseandtheydidntgotothetrial,Jemwould
stillbeblindtoMaycombsracismandprejudice.
BothJuror3andJemsviewswereinfluenced
bytheirfamilysactions.
Familynotonlycanaffectonesviews,butitcanalsochangeorinfluenceonesmorals
.
Inthenovel
ToKillaMockingbird,
AtticusandScoutaretalking,andAtticustellsScout,
Scout
youllgetalongalotbetterwithallkindsoffolks.Youneverreallyunderstandapersonuntil
youconsiderthingsfromhispointofview...untilyouclimbintohisskinandwalkaroundin
it(Lee39)
.AtticusteachesScouttonotonlylookatthingsfromherpointofview,butto
understandsomeoneelsesperspectivebysteppingintotheirshoes.
AsaresultofAtticustelling
hertostepintoanother'sskin,shewontalwaysbesoquicktojudge.Scoutwillseehowthey
seethesituationorproblembeforeshejumpstoanyconclusions.
Additionally
,MayellaEwell
accusedTomRobinsonofrapingandtakingadvantageofher.Inherhousehold,sheisseenas
themotherlyfigure.
DuringtheTomRobinsoncase,Mayellaanswered,No,Idontrecollectif
hehitme.Imean,yesIdo,hehitme(Lee24)
.MayellasanswerisuncertaintowhetherTom
Robinsonhitherornot.Shesaysthatshedoesntrecall,butliesaboutTomRobinsonintrial
whenshechangeshermindlastminute.
Herdrunkdad,BobEwell,supposedlybeatsher,and
makeshersayanddowhathewants.Herfamilyandfamilylifeaffectedhermoralsby

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influencinghertosaythewrongthingtofollowwhatherdadwants,evenifthatmeansputting
aninnocentmaninjail.
Decidingwhatisrightorwrongcanbeinfluencedbyafamilymember
oroneslifeathome.
Inadditiontoviewsandmorals,familyalsoaffectsonesactions
.TheshortstoryTwo
Kindsdemonstrateshowfamilycanaffectonesactions.Jingmeismotherhadlosteverything
inChinawhenshedecidedtomovetoAmerica.ShewantsJingmeitobecomeaprodigy,
becauseshenevergotthesameopportunitiesinChinaasJingmeigetsinAmerica.
Jingmei
startsanargumentwithhermotherwhenshestates,Imnotgoingtoplayanymore(AmyTran
6)
.Jingmeitellshermotherthatsheistiredofhermotherpushinghertoohardandexpecting
toomuch.
Asaresultofhermothersexpectations,thiscausesJingmeitoquitplayingthe
piano.Jingmei
quitting
toplaythepianoissomethingshelaterregretswhenshefindstheold
pianoafterhermothersdeath.
Furthermore,
WalterCunninghaminthenovel
ToKilla
Mockingbird,
alsoshowshowfamilyhasaffectedhisactions.Thenewteacher,MissCaroline
offersaquartertoWalterCunninghamwithoutknowingthenatureoftheCunninghamfamily.
MissCarolineknowsheneedslunchandWalterresponds,Nomethankyoumaam(Lee26)
.
WhenMissCarolineoffers,Walterrefusestotakethequarter.
Waltersfamilyinfluenceshis
actionnottotakethequarterfromMissCaroline,becausehisfamilyvaluesnotto
takeanything
orborrowsomething
youcantreturnorpayback.
BothJingmeiandWalterCunninghamshow
howtheirfamilyandtheirvaluescanaffecttheiractions.
Onescreationoftheiridentityandtheirviews,morals,andactions,areimpactedby
manyfactors.However,familyshowsthebiggestinfluence.Familyaffectsonesviews,shown
inJuror3sperspectivestowardsallteenboysin
TwelveAngryMen
.Mayellalyingduringthe

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trialduetoherfatherandfamilydemonstrateshowitaffectsonesmoralsin
ToKilla
Mockingbird
.Inaddition,TwoKindsshowshowfamilycanaffectonesactionswhen
Jingmeiquitplayingthepianobecauseofhermothershighexpectations.Allthesestories
demonstratehowfamilyisthebiggestinfluencewhencreatingonesidentity.Thewayan
individualviewstheworld,theirmorals,andactionsplayabigpartwhenonecreatestheir
identity.

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WorksCited
Lee,Harper.
ToKillAMockingbird
.NewYork:HachetteBookGroup,1960.Print.
Rose,Reginald.
TwelveAngryMen
.
ABookofPlays.
Austin:Holt,RinehartandWinston,2000.
218256.Print.
Tan,Amy.TwoKinds.Literature&LanguageArts.Ed.JohnLaydenandHesterWeeden.
Austin:Holt,RinehartandWinston,2003.98107.Print.