What makes you different from the people around you, or is there even a difference between you and your peers? Do you like to be different from everyone else, or do you wish that you could be more like the people you are surrounded by? What separates us from the people who we are surrounded by is what is known as individualism. Individualism is a concept that has always been and will always be difficult for people to conquer. In today's society people pride themselves on being an individual. But I ask myself what truly defines someone as being an individual? Is it the people you are friends with, your family, the clothes you wear, where you live, where you go to school, how intelligent you are... What is it? There are always people that attempt to help others become an "individual", but in reality these people are just trying to guide others to become more like them.
This summer as I read Invisible Man, The Fountainhead, and Power of One the concept of weather to be an individual or blend in with the crowd was a theme that was reoccurring throughout all three works of literature. The characters in these novels were continuously faced with hardships which helped define them as individuals. People that were influential in the characters' lives would try to guide them and help them become an individual, with the intentions that they knew what would be best for this character. Growing up in today’s society you want to be an individual, but you also want to please people as well. I found that this topic was really apparent in Invisible Man. The main character in Invisible Man was craving to have his own identity. However, he did not want to be different from other people, which is why he joined the brotherhood. As a member of the brotherhood he would give powerful speeches about topics which sometimes he has no opinion about, but because people cheered him on during his speeches he continued to speak. This character did not necessarily agree with the motives of the brotherhood, but because he wanted to belong to something so bad he allowed the opinions and thoughts of others control his life. Throughout this novel, the invisible man constantly searched for his identity but was never truly successful at holding onto it.
There is a fine balance between fitting in with others, and being their identical twin. I think it can be challenging to find this balance, but I personally came to terms with who I am and how I want to live my life after sophomore year. I enjoy being, what I consider to be, and individual. I don’t allow the opinions of others to influence how I live my life. I am sure that some people view me as a conformist to my peers, but I would disagree with them. I am content with the fact that I do things which are not seen as the norm. I enjoy setting trends as opposed to following them. The way I dress is solely based upon my own style, the way I treat others is how I would like others to treat me, I don’t judge people based on what others think of them, and I enjoy having my own independent thoughts and feelings. I believe that people discover their identity and how to be an individual at different ages. Some people may discover this at the age of ten while others it may take them until they are eighty years old. I think in high school everybody likes to believe they are unique but in reality everyone knows that all a teenager wants is to fit in with their peers. From reading Invisible Man, The Fountainhead, and Power of One I was inspired by the ways the main characters in these novels dealt with being an individual and how they were strong enough to fight for what they believe in.
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