the three activities collision...BAM!!!

As class is coming to an end, I am able to reflect how the last activities have helped me learn about identity and culture. Reading, Perk of A Wallflower, Never Let Me Go, and watching Murderball, were not only entertaining, but served the purpose of testing my new knowledge. This class has made me reflect on incidents, which help me understand society. At the end of this class, I am able to conclude that culture greatly affects identities. Also, I made the conclusion, identities effect culture. I have realized, individuals who take a stand for what they believe in, can impact society. This relates to the segment of This American Life, which showcases people who take a stand.


In the book, Perks of A Wallflower, Charlie seems like he is continuously figuring out how to fit into society. He tries to stop being a wallflower and become more active. Charlie was so socially inept throughout the book. It seemed he did not know the rules of society. He especially did not know the rules of high school and family. When he told Bill about his sister and her boyfriend, breaking her trust did not bother him. It was good Charlie told about his sister’s abusive boyfriend, but he should have been more reluctant to break his promise. He does not understand the rules brothers and sisters have to preserve their unique relationship. Charlie is oblivious when it comes to the rules of high school. It seemed he was constantly crying. It is a known rule, boys are not supposed to cry or show any emotion. However, Charlie does not seem to understand what seems to be a law in high school. It was frustrating when Charlie had the opportunity to make a move on Samantha, but he was to incompetent to think of taking any actions. Charlie was more consumed with Sam’s happiness, than his own. At times, I saw culture, impacting Charlie. When he allowed culture to form him and he started to fit in, he ran away to his books. I am not sure if Charlie will ever be “normal” or fit into society. However, is that horrible? After all, this class has definitely made me ponder about the word, “normal”. What is normal? Is anyone normal?


Never Let Me Go, brought up the question, what makes humans human? Why are clones not considered human? We are told this book through the perspective of a clone named Kathy. When I read this book, I was shocked to discover Kathy was a clone. She seemed to have many human characteristics. She probably had more human characteristics than the actual human beings in this book. I am not sure what makes humans human. The clones in this book would make artwork; this artwork expressed their souls. I would think having a soul is what makes humans human. However, these clones with human qualities were made for different purpose than to be human like. Many of the clones thought they would go into the real world and fulfill these dreams, but their lives held a different purpose. Their purpose in life was to donate their organs, nothing more. If I had a clone, I am not sure what would separate us as a clone and a human. I would think a soul separates a clone from a human, but this book pushes the fact that clones have souls. Culture says clones are not truly humans and are morally wrong. The world I grow up in stresses, humans are normal. Once again I am stuck figuring out what is “normal”?


The movie, Muderball, was about quadriplegics who participate in this very physical sport. Culture influences individuals and makes them believe quadriplegics are not normal. However, even though quadriplegics are in a wheel chair, the people who play Muderball contradict society. The people in society feel bad for the quadriplegics, but as they said, they do not want people sympathy. There was a funny scene in the movie, where a quadriplegic makes fun of people who feel bad for him. He states how he goes to the grocery and people ask him if he needs help getting back in his car. His comment to this was “I wouldn’t come to the grocery store if I couldn’t get back in my car.” This shows how culture has made quadriplegics not fit into the “normal” category of society and why people feel bad for them. This movie and the individuals who are in it show how identities can influence culture and society.


In all three of these activities, I was posed with the question, What is “normal”? Throughout this paper, I have put quotations around normal because I believe there is no such thing as “normal”. Everyone is unique and different, but culture stresses being “normal”. It is interesting how in many aspects of culture and society, everyone strives to be “normal”. However, no one is really able to achieve this goal because they do not know what is “normal”. We should just take the word, normal, out of the human language. Also the word, weird, should be removed. After someone in class mentioned, when using the word weird, step back and say different. I have done this a few times and realized, people are not weird. They are just different; there is nothing wrong with that. A negative word like weird should not be used to classify someone. These last few activities have helped me see how identity and culture have so much in common. No wonder this class is called Identity and Culture.