Conformity Vs Independence Essay

Conformity vs. Independence: The Struggle for Acceptance In today’s society, citizens of all paths of life continuously conform to social normality’s out of a fear of being ostracized. Those who are independent thinkers are considered a threat to the public for they vary from civilization’s perfect image, so they are reflected as outcasts and are throw aside without a second glance. Only when society’s outlook changes, those with an independent voice are able to seize the moment, and those who once stood in the spotlight no longer shine. Within The Fountainhead and Dead Poets Society, the theme of conformity versus independence is present throughout and with similar and dissimilar methods, they are able to express these views. In comparison …show more content…
In Dead Poets Society, it is incorrect to voice your opinions and to speak out against the public. The public’s opinion never changes unlike in The Fountainhead. Mr. Keating is pushed out of society and stripped of everything, for he does not comply with what society wants to make of him, whereas Roark is able to keep his job for modern architect is becoming more favorable within the city. The difference between the two men, is that Mr. Keating is caring and is concerned with what is happening with his students, whereas Roark does not care if the client is happy with his work. Roark is only concerned with having full control in building the vision that plays through his head. In both stories, there is the downfall of a character. In The Fountainhead, the characters range from Peter Keating to Gail Wynand, but the difference from Dead Poets Society is that those characters have conform to society. In Dead Poet Society, Neil Perry is the character that would have a downfall. He does not conform to society and has gone against what the public thinks he is supposed to do. When Neil has had enough pressure, he ends up taking his own life. These differences show the different ways that these views can be