The Influence Of Society In The Chrysalids By John Wyndham

While writing "The Power of The Situation" Lee Ross and Richard E. Nisbett explains, there are no indicators on a persons reaction given a certain situation ( 149). Ross and Nisbett continue to say, a person 's past cannot determine how a human 's actions will take place in a future scenario, even if the human has a kind heart, they may not always be willing to help a person in need. Leading into this Ross and Nisbett state, " Social Psychology has by now amassed a vast store of such empirical parables" (Ross and Nisbett 149). Many people believe a past of a person will help them to identify or interpret how a person will act; However, Ross and Nisbett believe for this to be a fundamental attribution error (149). The power of a situation causes people to act in ways they may not have ever dreamed of, for instance The My Lai Massacre. "The My Lai Massacre: A military Crime of Obedience" written by, Herbert C. Kelman and V. Lee Hamilton consists of a small series of crimes committed by our own military ( Kelman and Hamilton 131). During the massacre military soldiers were humiliating and dehumanizing the enemies simply because their leading officer commanded them to do so (140-141). As their once simple actions became an everyday routine, the soldiers never questioned the unjust commands given by the authority (140). Dawson and Downey followed the orders given by their superior in command without a hesitation to stop and think whether or not the actions soon to be taken were

The author’s purpose is to show how easily people are influenced by society and those around them.

Numerous individuals face threatening situations in their lifetime, however, there are different reactions and solutions to counter them, such as the “fight or flight” response. When an individual is placed in a situation to endanger themselves to save their companion, most individuals would rather protect themselves in despite of fear. In the novel Chrysalids John Wyndham explores a civilization that obsessively focuses on religious precepts and the importance of purity. Individuals with uncommon qualities and deviations such as would not meet this society’s ideals and are banished. Characters such as David, Rosalind, and Michael, who have unique telepathic powers and are part of a telepathic group, successfully keep their abilities hidden for a period of time. When they are discovered,

Robinson emphasizes some her argument on employing logical persuasion to counteract her shortcomings in credibility. It’s frequent that events in history can repeat themselves, and understanding the implications of past actions helps to prevent future mistakes. Fear is an emotion that is, in our society today, unavoidable. Yet, this is precisely what creates an atmosphere of political or social unrest within the nation and abroad. Because, it serves as a tool by which ideas can be spread or perhaps forced down upon those easily convinced. She cites guns as being a prime example of this case, saying: “gun sales stimulate gun sales,” and “when people see weapons, they have every reason on earth to fear the worst” (4 Robinson). Fear is better described as being ‘contagious’. As the threat of violence, for example, increases, the perceived need for violence in retaliation increases. The logical response

Opinion: “Opinions are intensely personal, so it is understandable that people have strong feelings about theirs. (Ruggiero, 2010, p.34). Your opinion may not be the truth but for an individual it is a personal view and not any one else’s.

Adversities are hard to avoid in one’s life; everyone has to face them at one point in their life. The effect it has on a person’s life can change their perspective towards the world. When problems arise individuals traditionally become stunned to such difficult situations that they face. The adversity becomes a brick wall that is challenging to break down. An individual's true character in addition to their nature is revealed when they face a conflict in their life or a challenge. The people who conquer the challenges that life throws at them, they are the only one’s worthy enough of being called a warrior. In the novel, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham has his protagonist David go through some conflicts which he overcomes throughout the story.

“‘She was competent, decisive, self-reliant; perhaps she intimidated them, for before long they drifted their attentions elsewhere’” (93).

Society can hold people back and keep them from improving. People might not think this is significant, but when reading The Lord of the Flies and looking back at the world’s history the reader can see that these things can cause societies to fall apart. The creepers in the book may seem unimportant, but the individual vines that make up the jungle creepers are symbolic of the individual citizens that make up a society. Like the ball of yarn, the separate strands are woven together, but they can easily be unraveled by a tug in the wrong direction or they can become so tangled together that they lose their individuality. People need to treat each other and society with care if society is to survive and grow

Everyone one has an opinion, especially when it comes to society,

Influence is powerful in determining one’s future. Actions behaviors and opinions are all connected to impact of others and the way they shape our views on the world as well as ourselves. Self-Image is dependent on the acceptance of others, thus always changing since one’s morals and ethics do not stay the same as time goes on. Influence of others play a role on how one tends to view themselves and people around them, by either being forced to conform to a country’s lifestyle, completing constant tasks to keep up with society’s demands, or being able to be content with oneself rather than being blinded of the onslaught of constant expectations.

“Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.” The posed question is if society is controlled by people, or are people controlled by society. Some may argue that society is controlled by people, but if you step into the light is that really the case. If you were to look at society, really look at it, who is being controlled. Its not society itself, sure people affect the directions society turns, but that is a small group of people who represent societies movement and trends. People do not really affect what society truly is. Society is, as said before, a mental concept, the popular, important figures in the world are the physical representation. The world is full of unique individuals, although everyone is under influence of society. It is subconscious, but always there. These next paragraphs will express how society controls people by elaborating on three main ideas that show up in the book Lord of The Flies. Society controls our actions, we learn from society and use it to try to be in control of others, and it is always there and so we have no idea what to do apart from it.

American psychologist, Rollo May, once said, “the opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.” This philosophy is supported by Solomon E.Asch’s in his article, “The Opinions and Social Pressure.” In the article, Asch conducts a series of experiments that centralize on the influences of social pressure and the extent to which an individual, when confronted by the differing opinions of a majority, will surrender their perceptions to others. Asch argues that although humans believe they’re independent in their decision-making, they tend to pay heed to the majority because they fear the scrutiny of others and being an outcast in the group.

We as a human race have become a byproduct of our society. Through media, technology, and social pressure, humans no longer run society, but it seems like we are run by society. The quote from sociologist Peter Berger states “Not only do people live in society but society lives in them” This statement is referring to a form of social control were groups and the people in those groups conform to society partially knowingly and partially as a reflection based on dominant social expectations. As I further explain Berger’s statement I will explain how individuality, identity, and freedom fit in to such a predetermined future.

People are judged; they are condemned by two words-civilized or barbaric. Yet, there are various components that coincide to make this perception. Society is not composed of a singular idea it is more so a coupling of ideas; society is interconnected. Gender decides the level of power and power decides who is rich. Abused power influences civilized or barbaric tendencies. The masses decide when power is abused and what is considered barbaric. A small faction of society believes differently from others creating this discord; that is why there is always opposition prevalent in society. In Les Miserables and The Kite Runner, there is strife happening in many relationships that display the aspects of society.

Society may be defined as a group of people living in agreement, having the same moralistic and judicial rules and standards. To live in a society, one must accept these standards and adopt them as their own. For example, living in the United States indicates that you respect the life, liberty and property of each individual, and you decide to accept the punishment if you violate any of these natural rights. Although one may not always agree with these standards, they choose to make sacrifices for the well-being of others. Society is responsible for creating an image of the ideal person, family, environment, and way of life. Our modern day society has dictated its own definition of beauty, happiness, and success. It seems society has accidentally tied these three together, and since these definitions are not universal, different societies may assign different meanings to each concept. Unlike societies explain why there are so many contrasting beliefs and viewpoints throughout the world today. The growth and morals of society are exclusively dependent on those who choose to be a part of something greater than them. Societies tend to grow only when people come to an understanding to be involved. Society is an accumulation of majority rule and the goals of the majority.