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The Amish Community In The Devil's Playground

Decent Essays

From the start of the film the teenagers listed off a number of daily living options, they can be a part of once they turn sixteen. As a viewer, all of the things that were mentioned are a part of my daily life, for example: shopping at the mall, going to the movies, watch television, getting a haircut, and especially getting a car. To imagine living without these things seems very bizarre to me and makes me wonder what the world be would like if everyone lived this way. I also wonder if the world would become more peaceful or become more violent. At the age of sixteen being in the state of rumspringa seems like a very opportune time for self- discovery and possibly even growth. From an early age members of this community are taken into …show more content…

It was mentioned in the movie that the outside world is known as The Devil’s Playground. By having restricted boundaries to other communities, I feel it leads The Amish community to be stronger. For the sixteen-year-olds who are participating in rumspringa, they are likely to party and act like a ‘normal’ sixteen-year-old. Adolescents who are younger than sixteen are aware of the outside communities where, a few teenagers mentioned that they did imagine what life would be like if they did not grow up Amish. The idea of being a factory worker for the rest of his life troubled one young man. The idea of making a great deal of money is likely to become a problem for the Amish community. Having money could lead to wanting to buy a car or even spending the money on drugs. One man mentioned that he felt lost around the age of sixteen because he did not want to become a factory worker. The thought of moving out of their parents’ house is also another problem for The Amish teenagers. Some move out because they want to gain a different experience. A person could say that: by having such a strict life, it is likely that when given a chance an Amish teenager is likely to rebel just like Faron did. One girl mentions how she regrets trying beer, and hanging out with guys. The temptation of new experiences is something that she struggled …show more content…

This was mentioned briefly in the movie, but the external link gave me a better understanding of what education means to The Amish. The court case gave me insight into how strict this community really is. From the website, it is clear that living an Amish lifestyle is more important than conforming to other’s educational standards. The Amish strongly feel that being taught at home is just as valuable if not more so than getting educated within a classroom. When I first started watching the film, I thought about forcible conformity but quickly realized I was wrong. These realized people have a choice about whether or not to join The Amish community after sixteen. I was shocked about the court’s decision to allow this but happy that The Amish have the option to home-school their

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