Fielder's Freak Analysis

The world is an extraordinary one of a kind place; as it provides us with all of the necessary means for life. In a similar fashion, the same concept applies to people, especially to the individuals that are viewed as different or are considered out of the social norm. Even so, every extraordinary person has an origin, just like an ordinary person. Be it a freak, nerd, or genius, they’re all considered an outlier in their own unique ways and talent is an attribute that differentiates an outlier from the average person. A person doesn’t have to conform to social-cultural norms to be a positive influence in society as demonstrated through Johnny Depp’s artistic performance. For instance, Depp is a perfect example of someone who is considered

People who don’t follow social norms become outcasts in society which it originated with the term ‘Freak.’ The origin of ‘Freak’ has been around for centuries. In Leslie Fiedler’s Freaks: Myths and Images of the Secret Self, Fielder points out how the name ‘Freaks’ has come about as well as how it has influenced the past and the present. Fielder emphasizes on how ‘Freaks’ are humans who physically look different from the majority of people. Fielder also perfectly complements the definition by pointing out how ‘Freaks’ come in all forms, and how they challenge the conventional division of gender, sex, and size. On the other hand, the term ‘monster’ is the oldest word that label human oddities, not ‘Freaks’. Since ancient time, ‘monsters’ are considered abominable. Therefore, when people relate themselves to ‘monsters’, they get scared and sympathize with themselves. In present day, ‘monsters’ who have physical abnormalities introduced the concept of mythical creatures which are presented in children’s literature, which eventually affect adolescents’ identities. In these fairy tales, there are ‘happy endings’ that are represented by awakening or growth, or even both. When a girl enters into physical maturity, only then can she believe that she is normal. When a person fails to be awakened or grow up, she will not obtain her ‘happy ending’. However, not everyone receive ‘happy endings’. If a person is too fat, too thin, too big,

Furthermore, consumerism has become part of teenage culture due to one of the needs to conform to norms in high-status groups. Also, the importance of parents, social class, school, and peers to a teenager are significant aspects that shape teenage culture. Additionally, status groups affect the lifestyle of a teenager, not only that, there could be emergence of different ‘cultures’ among groups. Teenagers, who are considered too young to be completely free, only have one ultimate power to control and that is status power. Although many people conform to social norms, in order to avoid being isolated and achieve success, Depp demonstrates that this is not