Most developmental psychologists agree that adolescents crave the approval of their peers. While adults are certainly not immune from the pressure to conform, teenagers seem especially vulnerable to the temptation to sacrifice their individual values and desires in order to fit in. The selections in this section focus on the need for belonging and how it can impair our ability to think for ourselves and construct our own identity. Many coming of age stories illustrate the challenges of struggling for integrity in the face of pressures to conform.
“The Owl Who Was God” is a modern day fable by James Thurber that demonstrates the danger of not thinking for oneself. It is about a group of animals who pass along a rumor that the Owl knows all things because he can see in the dark. Ultimately, all the animals put their faith in the Owl and this makes them feel less afraid. They are relieved of the responsibility of making decisions. Finally, the Owl (who of course cannot see during the day) leads the group on a walk down the middle of the street. They are all hit by a truck because they will not believe that the wise and powerful Owl is leading them astray.
Because this story is a fable it is easy to chuckle at the stupidity of the animals. At first glance this seems like a simple cautionary tale, but as students discuss it I believe they will recognize how frightening “the follower” dynamic can be. They certainly will be able to point to incidents in history where people bindly followed the crowd towards a disasterous end. I suspect however, that students might dismiss the “group think” mentality as something that they are too smart to ge caught up in. The next two stories we study will offer a more in depth look at how in everyday life, it is difficult it to resist the pressure to conform.
“Salvation” is a short autobiographical sketch by Langston Hughes, the author of “Thank You M’am”. He recalls the pressure he felt to “be saved” during a revival meeting at his aunt’s church. He eventually decides to go through the motions to please the crowd of churchgoers. Later, he is despondent because he deceived everyone. He didn’t really “see” Jesus at all and now he “didn’t even believe there was a Jesus anymore, since he didn’t come to help [him].” (p. 1095)
“Initiation” was Sylvia Plath’s first published short story. While this story is not strictly autobiographical, it was inspired by an incident in the author’s life. The main character Millicent, is a girl pledging a sorority. During the hazing period, she discovers that she doesn’t want to take on a group identity because she will lose her authentic self. Ironically, while she is conducting bogus interviews with strangers on a bus (one of the stunts that her sorority “sisters” make her perform) she discovers that “So many people were shut up tight inside themselves like boxes, yet they would open up…if only you were interested in them. And really you didn’t have to belong to a club to feel related to other human beings.” Furthermore she realizes that she will have to give up a friend who hasn’t been accepted to the sorority and that she wil have to always wonder if the boy she likes is only interested in her because of her social status. Millicent decides to reject the invitation to become a member of the sorority and realizes that her own private initiation has just begun.
If she lived in a different neighborhood, Millicent’s story might have been about joining a gang. The stakes would be higher, but in many ways the theme would be the same: the temptation to sacrifice self inorder to belong. Evan Hunter wrote two thought provoking short stories that explore the appeal and consequences of gang membership. “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” and “The Last Spin” were both written in the 1960’s but are relevant today. These might be excellent selections to pair with “Initiation”.
Journal Prompts:
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· James Thurber wrote that the moral of his story “The Owl Who Was God” was
“You can fool too many people too much of the time.”
Why is it so easy to fool people? Where do you see this kind of thing happening in the world today?
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· Describe a time when you, like the boy in “Salvation,” felt pressured to conform to the expectations of parents or other authority figures.
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· Think about a time when you felt pressured to join a group or club. What kind of group was it? Where did the pressure come from-parents, teachers, friends or yourself? Why were you pressured to join the group.