Outsiders: Misunderstood or Misjudged? Outsiders, defined as a person who does not belong to a particular group. The bigger question is: What qualifies them as an outsider? Or how does one determine that this “outsider” really is different from everyone else? Do we get to know this person before we provide them with the title or do we simply give it to them based on the way we view them from afar? Let us consider that the title of “outsider” is mainly given by observation, judgement, rather than by truly getting to know one, understanding. Some examples to back our consideration are real-life situations, in circumstances of the short story, “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, and in the song “Dumb” by Nirvana. We can refer to either a present or past situation, maybe a class or while walking through the halls of school, picture someone you think of as an outsider. You most likely barely know them, you probably have not even spoken to them. Take a look at that situation and you can determine that you may have only misjudged them, they may have some of the same interests and likings as you, but you have never taken the time or gotten the chance …show more content…
When Gregor ever so suddenly transforms into a beetle, his family avoids him in disgust and makes no effort to cure or ameliorate him. In the beginning of his transformation, Gregor’s sister tries to accompany him in his tough times, but this is only to please her parents. The story exemplifies common misjudging of outsiders because Gregor’s parents barely do anything to alleviate his complications, they misjudge him because of his appearance and assume he is no longer capable of functioning along with humanity. They never attempt to understand him. In fact, Gregor’s father even attacks him: “And so he scurried away from his father, stopped when his father remained standing, and scampered forward again when his father merely stirred.” (Kafka,
Another person, that can be referred as an outsider is Johnny. “We beat the Socs.We stomped them-chased them outa our territory. Johnny didn’t even
is that there are outsiders in today’s society. When one is made into an outsider, the bias
What is an outsider? The literal definition would be either: “A person who does not belong to a particular group” or “a challenger who is unexpected to win”. In S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders both definitions work well into the story. Throughout the book Ponyboy and the other Greasers are left out and avoided because of how people see them as hoods.
An outsider can be a person who does normally not fit in with the people around them, acknowledging that they are unique and special in their own way. Another way an outsider can be looked at as is “a person not belonging to a particular group, set, party, etc.” (Dictionary.com). With there being different meanings to the word outsider an actual outsider can be timid and absent to the people around them or they can be outspoken and persistent by any means necessary.
In conclusion, an outsider is someone who is not accepted or included in a particular social group. The notion of being an outsider can indeed be universal, as nearly everyone has felt like an outsider at some point. Those treated as outsiders are often individuals who differ from the social norm, whether through race, economic status, or behavior, to say a few. An outsider is someone who can begin to feel isolated, and lonely, as well as someone who yearns for a sense of belonging. In Of Mice and Men, the character of Curley’s wife could be argued to be the biggest outsider due to her behavior, status, and overall reputation, and the resulting social isolation she experiences on the ranch.
Being an outsider means you are set apart from the "norms" of society. Not fitting social images can make a person feel unconnected to a group, making them an outsider. The passage "Outsider in a Small Town" explains this idea extremely well when it states, "The next Sunday, we went to a church where no one looked like us. We crossed the line, breaking an unspoken rule. We were the outsiders who didn’t understand the order.
There is a bountiful number of outsiders in our society and we are wondering, why are they outsiders and what have they done to become that, what defines them? Outsiders in our society are simply misunderstood and people do not understand them, hence them being outsiders. The reasons that seem to make outsiders misunderstood is that they do not like or do the popular stuff at the time. Also, those who are outsiders are seen as people that are “different,” but really are misunderstood. Outsiders are just misunderstood in society and not purposely being pushed out.
What is an outsider? An outsider is a person who is not excepted by or is isolated by society. Have you ever been an “outsider”? Everyone experiences a situation where they weren’t able to fit in. The feeling of not being able to fit it is universal. Not everyone is the same and in certain situations you may not be able to bond with everyone. Everyone is focused on being judged or being the person who is judging someone. If you are not like everyone in your society group, those people don’t except you. Nowadays our society feels that if you aren’t up to people’s expectations, you are known to be an “outsider”. Being an outsider is universal because not everyone is social, not everyone can afford nice things and not everyone is popular.
Are outsiders simply those who are misjudged or misunderstood? Whether outsiders are misjudged or misunderstood depends on whose perspective you view this question from. When you look at someone you are developing an opinion of them, and you may be misjudging them by deciding they are an outsider. While when you are the person being judged you feel that you are just simply misunderstood. You may have experienced one or probably both of these perspectives. Moreover to truly understand what it means to be an outsider you need to understand both of these perspectives.
Outsiders are continuously surrounding us and leaving a question in what role they play. Outsiders are people who stand apart from what is normal to the area. They will commonly be looked down upon. Outsiders are people who will stand apart from a group they don't want to mix with. Outsiders are usually looked down upon for good reasons sometimes.
When Gregor inexplicably becomes an insect his family is primarily worried about how this will affect them, and their financial security. The morning Gregor awakes as a monstrous vermin' is the first day he has missed work in five years; his family's immediate concern is for Gregor's job. His father begins to admonish him before he can even drag himself out of bed. When Gregor hears his sister crying at his door he thinks, "Why was she crying?? Because he was in danger of losing his job and then his boss would dun their parents for his old claims?" This is very significant to their relationship; he considers himself close to his sister, but feels her emotion spent on him is related to money. Gregor has been the sole breadwinner for years; working at a job he abhors only to pay his fathers debts. The family leads an extremely comfortable life of leisure; the father sits at the kitchen table and reads all day, the sister wears the best clothes and amuses herself by playing the violin, and all even take a mid-day nap. Gregor is extremely pleased and proud to provide them with this lifestyle; however, his generosity is met with resentment by his father and indifference by his sister and mother. Once the family grew accustomed to this lifestyle they no longer felt the need to be grateful, "they had grown used to it, they accepted the money, but no particularly warm feelings were generated any longer." At one point Gregor is deeply
An outsider is defined as “a person who does not belong to a particular group.” In the book, The Outsiders, many of the characters can be described as being an outcast from the social society. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Cherry are outsiders in this novel because none of them really fit into the groups that they’re “supposed” to be in.
it is obvious who the outsider in a group is, but sometimes it takes a
First of all, sometimes being an outsider is completely unavoidable. The Doll’s House is a short story that is about siblings, the Burnell children, who acquired a doll house and want to show it off to everyone in the neighborhood, except the two Kelvey sisters. The Kelveys were the poor children in the story, the outsiders. They were a good example of being outsiders because they were the last to see the doll house. Other outsiders who read this story could relate to that because of
Kafka’s Metamorphosis suggests to his readers to take a glimpse inside a dysfunctional atmosphere triggered from a painful childhood, to see how influential each member of the family contributes to the dynamics, but also to learn how to make light of the situation with acceptance. Kafka is reflecting on his own relationship with his family in Metamorphosis. He sees himself in Gregor, or is he him.