Crossroads of Responsibility People are often faced with confliction when it comes to keeping their responsibility to themselves attuned to their inner values, or the values of someone they love. It’s a difficult choice, for a person to risk conflict between a loved one and have them not be accepting of who they are, or to neglect what they might really desire. This is the conflict between a responsibility to oneself and the responsibility to others. In the short stories Snow Falling On Cedars and The Lather a girl and boy face this issue.
In The Lather a boy imagines his future doing what his Father wants him to do. A life is displayed of him doing the same activities, day by day, and turning into the same man as his Father was. He didn’t …show more content…
We are taught and raised by our parents, so at a point we have to stop and ask ourselves, “Am I doing this because it’s who I am, or because it’s who my parents raised me to be?” I know several people who have already asked themselves this question, whether they ask themselves if their beliefs are their own, if their future job aspiration is their own, and many other situations. If a person doesn’t ask themselves this question at some point, they will likely look back someday and ask themselves where they went wrong, as their life is not their own. I personally have asked myself this in many situations already. Months ago, a friend and I had a falling out. My parents called social services on her Mother because she neglected to give my friend food, and other necessary items. Afterward the said friend insulted my family, and afterward blocked all contact with me. After this initial conflict wore down, we began to talk again and she asked me to hang out. My parents didn’t approve of me having her in my life, and staying commitment to being her friend. From their perspective she was a bad influence on me and would drag me down, and ultimately use and hurt me. Alternatively, I thought that she needed somebody who was a good influence in her life to help her get back on track, as she had dropped out of school and was for the majority alone. I believed
In The Lather a boy imagines his future doing what his Father wants him to do. A life is displayed of him doing the same activities, day by day, and turning into the same man as his Father was. He didn’t …show more content…
We are taught and raised by our parents, so at a point we have to stop and ask ourselves, “Am I doing this because it’s who I am, or because it’s who my parents raised me to be?” I know several people who have already asked themselves this question, whether they ask themselves if their beliefs are their own, if their future job aspiration is their own, and many other situations. If a person doesn’t ask themselves this question at some point, they will likely look back someday and ask themselves where they went wrong, as their life is not their own. I personally have asked myself this in many situations already. Months ago, a friend and I had a falling out. My parents called social services on her Mother because she neglected to give my friend food, and other necessary items. Afterward the said friend insulted my family, and afterward blocked all contact with me. After this initial conflict wore down, we began to talk again and she asked me to hang out. My parents didn’t approve of me having her in my life, and staying commitment to being her friend. From their perspective she was a bad influence on me and would drag me down, and ultimately use and hurt me. Alternatively, I thought that she needed somebody who was a good influence in her life to help her get back on track, as she had dropped out of school and was for the majority alone. I believed