The Unknown Citizen By F. H. Auden, A & P

In a famous poem by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” he writes: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--/I took the one less traveled by, /And that has made all the difference.” Some people may argue that the roads less traveled are the ones taken by nonconformists while the easier, more traveled roads are taken by conformists. The metaphor of Robert Frost’s poem can be seen in Arthur Miller’s play about the Salem witchcraft trials, “The Crucible.” In the play the reader is introduced to characters that are non-conformist and other characters that are conformist. Through the actions taken by these characters, the reader can conclude that conformity is either a good thing or a bad thing.

1976. The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition to his or her society. In a critical essay, analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.

One has the capability to determine from right and wrong and having the determination to stand up for what one believes in, no matter what the price is. In Sophocles’ Antigone, a written dramatic play, Sophocles portrays the theme that at times of one’s life, it is necessary to follow moral law and ignore political law. In the play, a determined and courageous woman named Antigone is loyal to her beloved brother by granting him a proper burial and having to suffer the consequences for revolting. Throughout Antigone, several incidents occurred where the political law was of no importance to the individual. Conflicts between Antigone and Ismene and then with Creon and Antigone are examples of the theme. The theme also ties with the

The outstanding play “Antigone” written by Sophocles introduces how Antigone can reveal the honor within a family. “Antigone” produces a tragic hero, which is Antigone because of her pride and imitation of action.

Individuals and society often disagree over morals and values, and the resulting conflicts arise in a vast range of ways. One way society conflicts with individuals is when society tries to restrict what people say, as seen in James Sterngold’s article “Censorship in the Age of Anything Goes”. Other times, individuals will be too afraid to speak out against society for fear of having society turn against them, as seen in Arthur Miller’s allegorical play, The Crucible. On the other hand, when individuals do defy society, there can be positive results, as seen in J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye. As such, when the beliefs of individuals and society come into conflict, the individuals can either let the controlling society forcefully

Imagine living in a society where everything someone does is conforming to someone else. In the novella Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, the author talks about conformity by referring to how all men need to be alike and fit in with each other. Equality 7-2521 the street sweeper, believes in the feeling of individualism and rejects the collectivist society around him. Social conformity becomes dangerous in Anthem because while Equality 7-2521 follows all the rules at the beginning of the novella, throughout the book he begins to break them.

President James Garfield’s tragic death is brought to new life in the book The Destiny of the Republic. Author Candice Millard shows readers just how that very incident brought one nation together. This being in the middle of the Gilded Age, at times it looked like the nation had everything under its belt but in reality, people didn’t see the corrupt happenings at that time. Through poverty, war, a surprising turn in events, to downright failure in medicine, President Garfield’s life was a downward spiral and he wasn’t even aware. As much as Garfield was unaware of that, Americans at the time were unaware that they were slowly beginning to unite over the ignorance of both Doctor Bliss and Charles Guiteau. Millard didn’t just write a book of a detailed and historic biography, she wrote somewhat effortlessly of the personal yet challenging circumstances Garfield and his family were in and simply told a story.

The play “Antigone” is a tragedy by Sophocles. One main theme of the play is Religion vs. the state. This theme is seen throughout the play. Antigone is the supporter of religion and following the laws of the gods and the king of Thebes, Creon, is the state. In the play Creon has made it against the law to bury Antigone’s brother, something that goes against the laws of the gods, this is the cause of most conflict in the story. This struggle helps to develop the tragic form by giving the reader parts of the form through different characters.

The differing views on conformity and nonconformity have created a controversial argument in society. Many, like John F. Kennedy, believe that instead of being a conformist, one should strive to believe in his or her own thoughts and actions as “conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” Sophocles uses Antigone to portray a strong and courageous character that does not hesitate to do what she thinks is right according to the law of the Gods. Martin Luther King Jr. expresses his point of view in his sermon stating how you should be conformed to God with a transformed mind. Although they have similar views on conformity, Sophocles and Martin Luther King Jr. think differently on the topic of nonconformity.

Standing for what you believe in and knowing what's right and wrong is important . In the play, Antigone, Sophocles demonstrates that through the conflict of the character. The play is a well-known tragic drama about the conflict between Antigone and her uncle Creon who is king of Thebes. Both characters have different beliefs, ideas and opinions regarding divine law and civil law.The conflict between civil and divine law through Antigone and Creon, shows the important one's beliefs and how it impacts the outcome of the play. A reader can Identifying which law is more essential in the play by taking a look at how the laws affect the characters and the result of the play Both Antigone and Creon go at it expressing each others beliefs and whether one is right or wrong.Throughout the play civil law is more significant and powerful. In Antigone the author Sophocles demonstrates the how important one's moral beliefs is, through the actions of the characters and how the beliefs impact the outcome of the play.

Throughout history, every individual is forced to conform to the absurdity of societal norms. If an individual were to not conform to societal ideals, such as not agreeing to the status quo of what is good and what is bad, society would alienate and oppress that individual. The protagonists of the Existential Unit challenge the absurdity of societal norms, arguing that there is no need for governing, order, nor meaning to everything. Contrary to the ideals of existentialists, society wants individuals to be obedient, remorseful, and rationalize everything. The literary works of the Existential Unit use the protagonists’ choice and commitment to portray the author’s perspective of rebelling against the conformity of societal standards by

The first chapter of Citizen by Claudia Rankine immediately caught my attention. It starts with a line that anyone can relate to, “when you are alone and too tired even to turn on any of your devices” (5). This line makes the reader dig through their memory to find a time when they felt these two things, alone and tired. It immediately drew me in and allowed me to relate to the writer. The story becomes Claudia’s memories. However, through second person story telling the reader begins to feel as though they are the ones experiencing these moments. This experience enhanced the story by stirring up the things Claudia might have been feeling within the reader. The feelings from the first story increase as the stories go on. I would describe these

At his trial, Hank Rearden declares: “The public good be damned, I will have no part of it!” What does he mean? How does this issue relate to the novel’s theme?

The different portrayals of female characters Antigone and Lysistrata illustrate the fundamental nature of the proper Athenian woman. Sophocles' Antigone allows the reader to see that outrage over social injustices does not give women the excuse to rebel against authority, while Aristophanes' Lysistrata reveals that challenging authority in the polis becomes acceptable only when it's faced with destruction through war. Sophocles and Aristophanes use different means to illustrate the same idea; the ideal Athenian woman's ultimate loyalty lies with her polis. This Greek concept of the proper woman seems so vital when considering Athenian society because both a tragedy and comedy revolve around this concept. The differing roles accorded to

Individualism is upholding behavior or beliefs that are divergent from mainstream standards. Furthermore, the relationship between the individual and the community is one of constant turmoil because the community’s obstinance in considering new ideas is in direct conflict to the individual’s tendency to dismiss conformity. An English autobiography from the late-medieval era, The Book of Margery Kempe, delineates the author as an outlier within the community due to her outlandish Christian practices. Similarly, Cervantes’s Spanish Golden Age novel, Don Quixote, illustrates the titular character falling victim to communal rejection as a result of his eccentricity. This paper will argue that in both texts communities reject individualism because they fear that their value of conformity is being threatened. It will conclude that a resolution to this conflict is constituted in the compassion and acceptance of various characters throughout the two texts.