Social Acceptance and Its Consequences :: essays research papers

There is a moment in every persons life that defines whatthey allow be and how they will do in the future. Althoughmost people are unable to pinpoint the exact day and timeof this moment, it is usually in early adolescence andinvolves that persons peers and developing morals. It isusually caused by the metamorphosis from a completelydependent person to a social being where there is anincreased pressure to total in. The fictitious fibber in AliceAdams "Truth or Consequences" itself an excerpt fromher book To See You Again was unique in that she couldpinpoint this defining moment. Her experience withCarstairs Jones was a mixed blessing that she was not ableto overcome and, in light of how her life turned out, was aforeshadowing of involvements to come.Throughout the monologue, the narrator drops hints abouthow her " practice" past turned out. The many lovers shedhad three marriages and as many abortions. Each timeshe was seeking out to gain an upper hand in life and socialstatus. Once, she writes, "I was raped by someone towhom I was married." These are not part of what mostpeople would constitute as a "normal" life. The sublimationof her own values and morals to become part of the incrowd at her elementary school started with the maliciousgame of Truth or Consequences where she was the victimof a trick question designed to humilate her. Car Joneshappened to be the rock adjacent to the hard place shewas wedged between. Her ill fate conduct to the use of Car toprop her into social acceptance and the toll that Carimposed on her for her use of him caused confusion thatstayed with her throughout her life.In her own mind, the narrator decides that all of theseevents can be traced back to the incident with Car and, asindicated by the final line in the story, cause her to betraumatized and allow these things to happen. " he couldbe as haunted as I am by everything that ever happened inhis life." The traumatization threw t he narrator into the armsof the most popular kid in class and that in turn led to herdescent up the ladder of popularity. She reasons that toCar, the event was of little consequence and was quicklyforgotten. Just the last bad thing he could do before hissudden advancement to high school. He just floated aboveall of the inconsequential things that he did and followedwhat he wished with nary a look back.