First Impressions Are Not Always Correct

528 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: First impression essay

It takes more than a casual “hello” down the hallway to truly know a person. It is actually very difficult, and takes time, to know someone on a personal level. As human beings we often base our perceptions of people off of what we have heard. In Inherit the Wind Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee show us why these perceptions are usually inaccurate. They show us that once you put aside the rumors and look into a person’s heart, you may be stunned. Towards the beginning of the book we were introduced to Cates. He was made out to be this terrible criminal. The reader was given this first impression automatically. While on the other hand, Brady goes in and steals the show. He was what we call an “idol” to the public. Cates, a school teacher, was put into jail for reading out of Darwin’s Origin of Species. This was against the law in Hillsboro. The people of Hillsboro did not want their children hearing anything other than what was “preached” to them. The town was brainwashed by these ideas that they truly knew nothing about. The “Monkey Trial” was about to begin. The lawyers were en...

Show More
Related

  • The Impacts of Mistakes Made in Whirligig, by Paul Fleischman

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    When it comes to friendship, personality type, race, and age are trivial matters; Brent’s strong bonds with Emil, the African American children, and the painter prove this. However, the idea of looking beneath the surface applies to not only the characters of the story, but also real people in our world. Humans need to learn how to accept everyone the way they are, for mankind is simply too judgemental. Paul Fleischman is trying to warn humanity about the many consequences that can occur if people continue to refuse to embrace one another’s flaws and faults. No one is perfect, so why judge? Just like Brent’s whirligigs’ interconnected parts, the world and all its people are linked together in a way that people should be able to feel the truth of a relationship regardless of each other’s outer appearances and characteristics.

    Read More

  • Miss Strangeworth In Shirley Jackson's The Possibility Of Evil

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sometimes the way people act around you isn’t the way they act around other people. A good example of this is Shirley Jackson’s, “The Possibility of Evil”. The main character, Miss Strangeworth, isn’t as nice as she may seem. Miss Strangeworth’s character can be analyzed by considering what she does, what the narrator says about her, and how other characters interact with her.

    Read More

  • The Negative Qualities of Donald Martin in Garner's A Manly Heart

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many sorts of people, who depict different traits. Many teenagers make up different stories about themselves just to adjust in a certain group. However, some people do not realize that they are leaving behind their real identity when they are being untruthful about themselves. In the short story, A Manly Heart by Hugh Garner, the main character, Donald Martin, portrays many characteristics that make him extremely judgmental about everyone around him. He judges everyone on their class, the way they get dressed, etc, without even knowing the true nature of them. Donald Martin is a middle class, seventeen year old young boy, graduating from Rutland Preparatory School, who is trying to adjust in high society. And during this process, he hurts many of his loved ones. For instance, he starts disliking his own mother only because she is not as rich or as sophisticated as rich people. There are many quotes in this short story that prove that Donald Martin is basically pessimistic, unappreciative and a liar.

    Read More

  • Individuality In Willy Loman's Death Of A Salesman

    1987 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is human nature for a person to desire to better understand themselves and to acquire a distinct identity. People look to what is simple and familiar when trying to gain a sense of individuality. These identifiers can be found in the jobs people perform, the relationships they share, and any other type of activity that takes place in their daily life. It is also in this search for understanding that can cause the relationships a person shares, such as with close family and friends, to be strained. Willy Loman, the leading character in the play Death of a Salesman attempts to comprehend his place in society, but at the same time he loses the one thing that is his source for identification-his family.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Blind Man By Raymond Carver

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    Carver progresses the narrator’s tone throughout the story, from disdainful to cautious to introspective by developing his relationship with Robert, and forcing them to interact with each other, to express that false presumptions about strangers, based on someone else’s experience or stories, can be misleading.

    Read More

  • First Impressions Can Change It All

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fifteen seconds go by and you have already made a first impression of a person. The first impressions you get of a person might not always be who they turn out to be. It is about giving people a chance as shown in Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is a book first titled First Impressions. Pride and Prejudice is a book where the characters make the plot and the novel itself. It is based upon the first impressions one character makes of another and the story revolves around this. First Impressions embody the themes in the novel. Mr. Darcy is one major character in which people make many first impressions of him and try to form him into the character they think he is. One person that makes such an impression of him is Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth’s judgments are correct most of the time with some characters but when it comes to Mr. Darcy it soon shows that her impressions of him are incorrect. Elizabeth also lets those words Mr. Wickham says of Darcy steer her impressions in that incorrect way. When Elizabeth finds out that what others tell her is not true her impressions are contradicted. The first impressions of Darcy and Elizabeth affect the plot and structure of Pride and Prejudice by their influences on other characters.

    Read More

  • Bertram Cates Strength

    139 Words  | 1 Pages

    “Do we call down hellfire on the man who has sinned against the Word?” (Lawrence and Lee 66). In a town where no one dared to commit the act of blasphemy, one man had the audacity to speak against his people’s beliefs. The name of this brave man is Bertram Cates. Cates was a school teacher who decided to teach his students about the concepts of evolution. According to the mayor, reverend, and local people, Cates’ acts were wrong and illegal. The towns people strongly believed that anything that contradicted their religious beliefs was a sin. Bertram Cates is the most important character in the play because he set an example for others to follow their hearts, was brave enough to openly challenge his town’s religious beliefs, and had the strength

    Read More

  • First Impressions

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    Human behavior is influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion, and genetics (Wikipedia, 2011). It falls within a range with some behavior being common, unusual, acceptable, and some outside acceptable limits (Wikipedia, 2011).

    Read More

  • Stereotypes - A Hasty Generalization

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stereotypes are everywhere and can be about anyone. Generalized remarks about gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or age are common forms of stereotyping. Any time someone makes hasty groupings whether by race, gender or an individual and makes a blanket judgment about them is stereotyping. Military members are no different than society. One of the military's greatest assets is its diverse workforce but with diversity comes stereotypes. As a woman in the military, I frequently encounter stereotypes and have made hasty conclusions about others. This paper will discuss a few stereotypes that I have faced in the military.

    Read More

  • Death Of A Salesman: Symbols

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nevertheless, in his job, it is not what you know, but it is who you know. Willy

    Read More

  • Relationships Between Characters In A Streetcar Named Desire By Tennessee Williams

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    Writers have taken the idea of human interaction and used it to their advantage. They let the confrontation of characters bring out their personality and use the human experience of company to pull out major life themes and ideas. This is represented in The Streetcar Named Desire, The Metamorphosis and “Everyday Use”. The constant interactions (or lack thereof) of fictional characters can lead real people to think that life always has to be built upon relationships so they can become who they should be. This is not true because it is who we want ourselves to become that guides our interactions with other

    Read More

  • The Significance of 'First Impressions' in 'Pride and Prejudice'

    1374 Words  | 3 Pages

    The title ‘First Impressions’ is very significant, because the novel revolves around issues which are based on judgemental people, who make and break first impressions.

    Read More

  • First Impressions

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    First impressions are what set the tone in any situation, personal or professional, and ultimately determine how we proceed behaviorally in that situation. Within a matter of seconds, a person will make their assessment of another person or a situation – an assessment that will carry through the remainder of the relationship. And while what we say may have an impact on how another person perceives us, studies have shown that much of our first impressions are based on body language.

    Read More

  • First Impressions

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    First impressions are important to anyone who has to form an opinion or base a decision on only one interaction. First impressions also set the precedent for how we perceive someone in the future. In business, one of the most common first impressions that leaders have to interpret is hiring interviews. That first impression can either be the first for a new employee or their last. As leaders, it’s also important to realize that our individual characteristics play a significant role in determining our first impression or perception of someone. Our reality is determined by our experiences in life that brought us to this point. It is never going to be the same as someone else’s reality. Those experiences determine what aspects of an interaction we choose to focus on and how we perceive a first impression.

    Read More

  • Appearances Can Be Deceiving

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Mind ToolsTM website, “It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed” (“Making”). This is a very disturbing thought. Imagine being judged after three seconds: a thousand 1, a thousand 2, a thousand 3. In that short amount of time, an opinion has already been formed. And a lot of times, the opinion that is formed is a lasting one, despite evidence contrary to the belief. Appearances are very important, even more so for leaders in our society. In “The Qualities of the Prince” Machiavelli explores what traits it takes for a leader to obtain and retain his position. One of the traits he explores is a leader’s appearance to his people. Therefore, physical appearance, intellectual appearance, and virtuous appearance are imperative if a leader wants to be effective.

    Read More

More about First Impressions Are Not Always Correct

Open Document