Compare And Contrast Djinn And Alice Walker

Final Essay – Prompt #3
The characters in Gary Shteyngart’s “Super Sad True Love Story”, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”, Russell Bank’s “Djinn”, and Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” are similar in that they all display a relationship between humans and their environment. When each passage is broken down and analyzed, however, there are clear differences in how the authors depict the effects of the environment on the development of individuals and their relationships. While the characters in “Djinn” and “Everyday Use” are examples of being products of their cultural and family environment, Emerson argues the opposite by saying humans should not be controlled by their environment and should never conform in “Self-Reliance”, and Shteyngart

Eunice had problems during her childhood causing her to become insecure and afraid of commitment when it comes to relationships which ultimately affected her relationship with Lenny. On the contrary, Dee had the lack of family environment to shape her and this can be clearly seen in the difference of personality and attitude between Maggie and her. Before Dee’s arrival we are made aware of Dee’s and her mom’s relationship, “Sometimes I dream a dream in which Dee and I are suddenly brought together on a TV program of this sort” (197). The reader can conclude that their relationship wasn’t very loving, but surface. This is the polar opposite from the relationship her mom has with Maggie, “And then the two of us sat there just enjoying, until it was time to go…” (205). When Dee came back from her schooling, she was very disrespectful to her family and her culture, “But she turned without a word and went out to Hakim-a-barber” (205), storming off with an attitude. However there was one instance where Dee seemed to enjoy her culture, “Wangero, though, went on through the chitlins and corn bread…everything delighted her. Even the fact that we still used the benched her daddy

Our environment only has the power over us that we allow it to have. Our environment does not affect all of us equally, because those who are less privileged are more susceptible to environmental influences because they lack the ability to overcome the effects of the economic environment. Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” states that children are also less susceptible to environmental influences and are more self-reliant because they are too young to be hesitant or hypocritical, “Infancy conforms to nobody” (269). I believe technological environment forces most significantly shape our lives because technology is something that we are in contact with at every second of the day and as seen in “Super Sad True Love Story” if we put all our energy into technology it can be wiped away and we are rendered helpless like Lenny after the Rupture, “My apparat isn’t connecting. I can’t connect. No one’s apparati are working anymore” (268). With that being said, I believe we should be somewhat resistant of this advancing environment or at least cautious. Physical environment is inevitable and can’t be changed, so I don’t think that is something that should be considered as a major influence on shaping our lives. Our family and cultural