All of us pass through adolescence before reaching adulthood. It is a crucial stage in everyone’s life that plays a big role in the adult life. “The Jacket” is a representation of Gary Soto’s adolescent life. It is a short story depicting his hardships as an adolescent as he battled with peer pressure and low self-esteem or lack of confidence caused by the ugly green jacket. The jacket serves as a symbol of his personal battles, growth, maturity, and his readiness to face the cold and harsh challenges in his life. The narrator strongly claimed that his clothes have failed him when he recalled the green jacket he wore on his fifth and sixth grade. He believed that instead of looking like a champion, his day-old guacamole colored jacket has embarrassed him that lead him to think it has failed him (Soto, 473). He had actually hoped and requested to his mom a different jacket. It is the kind of jacket that the bikers wear which is black leather and silver stud with enough belts that will make him look brave. But disappointment struck him when he found an ordinary green jacket instead. He stared at the jacket and wanted to cry because to him it was ugly and so big. Moreover, he knew he will have to bear with the fact that he will be wearing that ugly jacket for a very long time. For a brief moment he was still in denial and was expecting it was his brother’s jacket. Acceptance came later since he has no other choice but to wear it. With a heavy heart he slipped into his jacket and decided to head out of the house. On his way out he played and teased his dog Brownie, who in return bit him and accidentally ripped a portion of his left sleeve. It was his first unlucky day and he started thinking things happen because of his claim that t... ... middle of paper ... ...roach to writing Sentences and Paragraphs. 2nd Ed. Chris Juzwiak. Boston. 2009. 473-475. Print. Kiran-Esen, Binnaz. "Analyzing Peer Pressure And Self-Efficacy Expectations Among Adolescents." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 40.8 (2012): 1301-1309. Academic Search Premier”. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Sae-Young, Han, and Kim Yeon-Hwa. "Interpersonal Rejection Experiences And Shame As Predictors Of Susceptibility To Peer Pressure Among Korean Children." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 40.7 (2012): 1213-1231. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Singleton, Laura. “Developmental Differences And Their Clinical Impact In Adolescents.” British Journal of Nursing 16.3 (2007): 140-143. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov 2013. World Health Organization. “Health Topics: Adolescent Health.” www.who.int.com n.d. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
As the writer gave freedom to her son, he tore a binder paper from the notebook, and he started writing about any story he wanted. Moreover, she was startled when she saw his story about The Boy In The Red Sox Shirt and Baggy Jeans. It was about a fourteen-year old girl, who
In “The Jacket” by Gary Soto, the use of figurative language and perspective show his feelings towards the jacket and help describe it. In the beginning of the story Gary Soto opens with a statement about how his jacket determined his popularity. Then the reader is then introduced to a description of the jacket that he is hoping to get. He then receives a new jacket which he abhors, which he blames for all of his problems, unable to take responsibility. He also becomes very paranoid that he is being judged and laughed at. As he wears the jacket he slowly begins to accept that it is his new reality and becomes sentimentally attached.
Students encounter many complications during their school career. Some students are smart, but just don’t apply themselves, or have similar hardships that are going on in their lives. These can be fixed if one can find motivation and confidence. In the story “Zero,” Paul Logan coasts through high school and college. Logan doesn’t know the tools to succeed in school, which causes his grades to fall. In the story “The Jacket,” Gary Soto explains how the way one dresses can influences how they feel about themself. Which in this case he gets an ugly jacket; which causes him to be depressed and his grades to fall. Albeit Logan and Soto went through similar hardships, they both succeed with motivation and confidence.
Countless individuals can relate to what Gary has gone through, and what he thought of certain objects he had, in specific that jacket. All Gary ever wanted was a jacket with black leather, belts around it that can tie down a whole small town, and studs on it. A jacket reminiscent of those the bikers wore. The story itself is thought-provoking, delightful, impressive, as well as breath of fresh air. Gary at one point stated that he would rather be cold in frigid weather than suffer the agony of wearing that hideous jacket. Who wouldn’t want to die of hypothermia on account of an atrocious jacket that mortifies you just by one look, simply for it being a total eye sore. What makes this story an interesting one is that he conveys his emotions and thoughts in a story-like manner despite it being an autobiography. From the start, Gary comfortably described downhill roller coaster of emotions and events in regards to that unsightly jacket. In defiance to what Gary had told his mother, she went and bought a jacket, not considering style, or taking into attention the details Gary gave of his ideal jacket, as a substitute of that amazing jacket he desired, he received a
In "The Jacket" Gary Soto uses symbolism to reflect on the characterization and development of the narrator. Soto seems to focus mainly on a jacket, which has several meanings throughout the story. The jacket is used as a symbol to portray poverty, the narrator's insecurity, and the narrator's form of self-destruction.
Bee, H. and Boyd, D. (2001). Physical and cognitive development in adolescence. Lifespan Development. 3ed., 292-293.
Many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to succumb to peer pressure. A person’s likelihood to be influenced can be affected by their level of self-esteem or their positive/ negative view of themselves. If a person conforms to peer pressure easily and has a low self-esteem level it may be beneficial to attain extra extrinsic support against peer pressure, especially in cases where the peer pressure influences a person negatively. This extrinsic support is reinforcement from an outside source to do or not do something. It is possible that those with high self-esteem are just less likely to be susceptible to peer pressure because they do not care what others think. In contrast lower self-esteem can cause people to devalue their own opinion and it may be associated with a higher rate of conformity.
When an individual take on the behaviors, attitudes, and styles of their peers because of the pressure of fitting in, this is peer conformity, also known as peer pressure. In most cultures the amount of time we spend with our peers tends to increase, as well as the effect they provide for support. Peer influence can start as soon as the third grade for some an...
On the 9th of November, I interviewed two college students about how they was peer pressured as an adolescent. Kelsie Brooks, a sophomore at East Tennessee State University, she experienced peer pressure when
Alert! Alert! We 've all seen it on TV shows and in the movies: a good kid with a good home and a good family life, but questionable friends. Soon enough, the kid is going out every night smoking, doing drugs, and partying. Every parenting book on the planet, it seems, has a section similar to this with warnings all over about how to save your child from the harmful, gripping effects of peer pressure. This all promotes the idea that peer pressure is damaging to school-children and teenagers. As a whole, society has become obsessed with individuals making decisions for themselves, so much so that we 've been trained to hear alarm bells when we think of peer pressure. However, though it is usually connoted as a negative influence, peer pressure perpetuates many positive qualities within a number of social situations.
Self- Efficacy as defined in "Teens’ Social Media Use and Collective Action”, is one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task. Self-Efficacy plays a role in how one approaches goals, tasks, and challenges (ix). Collective self-esteem, is “an individual’s self-concept derived from his/her ‘knowledge of membership’ in a social group together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership” (Seo et al. 885). Self-Esteem is an important psychological need of human beings. These are internal factors that affect how people view their external factors, and can affect how people modify their personal behaviors (Nio,
The concept of self-efficacy is grounded in Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory. Bandura (1994) defines perceived self-efficacy as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce efforts” (p. 71). In essence, one having strong self-efficacy experience increase in motivation, accomplishment, and personal well-being ( Bandura, 1994). Those with a low sense of self-efficacy, on the other hand, often suffer stress and depression; unbelieving of their capabilities and often succumbed to failure (Bandura, 1994).
Peer pressure is very common with teenagers now a days, being with group of friends for teenagers make them feel belong. Belongingness that they seek, to feel good about themselves and also to cope up with the trend that the society is feeding them. Being “cool” is what the teenagers want to be, they want to be famous to be idolize by their fellow teenagers. In that state of mentality, they do all odds to be famous or to be cool they try different things to stay cool. Others also try to fit in with their peer groups so that they are influenced to do things that they do not want to do to be belong to the group. Also if a teenager is rejected it can lead to hurting
“Confidence is knowing who you are and not changing it a bit, because of someone’s version of your reality is not their reality” (Shannon L. Alder). Throughout teenage years, this is one of the most important life lessons that is learned, because peer pressure can cause you not to be able to find your true identity. For example, during my freshman year of high school; I was picked on by a student, because she was influenced by others. Peer pressure influences teens to trust their friend’s judgement and experiment with drugs and alcohol. Not only affecting themselves; but also the people around them.
Teenagers become caught up with following peers, because the decision is made to become involved in experimental activities by choice. On the other hand, peer pressure in teens can allow mature growth in the student, because the individual can them become a leader within an environment in a positive manner. According to kidshealth.org, “Getting to know lots of different people-