Outliers Character Analysis

In Outliers, Malcom Gladwell discusses about cultural legacy. He explains that cultural legacy affects the people’s behaviors and toward success. He uses the examples of Harlan, Kentucky people that their cultural legacy led them to behave aggressively. Similarly, in Stand and Deliver, Escalante uses cultural legacies of students to go against their cultural legacy which stops them from being successful by showing the right guidance and support. Escalante comes from the same ethnic back ground with most of the students. Therefore, he knows that the most of the students’ families are poor and lack the importance of education. Even more, he sees that students in the class nor the school does not feel important to be highly educated. Therefore, …show more content…
In the beginning of the movie, he shows up late to the class with his fellow friend and when he makes fun of his “leader” friend in the class and keeps him after the class, Angel slaps him in the face as warning him. However, when Escalante tells the class that, being tough only gets frying chicken jobs, his direct message influenced Angel to change his attitude toward education. Even more, Escalante shows grace when Angel gets kicked out of class for leaving in the middle of the class due to his friends. Escalante accepts him back to class when he asked and even gave him three books instead of two that Angel asked for. He needed extra books because his friends did not like him to study so that he could be “smart”. His friends want him to follow their cultural legacy and disregard school. Escalante keeps forgiving and shows his kindness toward Angel and his students. It leads Angel to leave the gang and lead him to dress different than before. Even more, Escalante allows Angel and his grandmother to his house for dinner on a Christmas night. Before, meeting Escalante, Angel did not have parents to …show more content…
In addition, cultural legacies play a more significant role in directing students’ attitudes and behaviors in classes. From the film, Escalante believes that cultural legacies of his students would not lead them to study hard and become successful so that he uses his knowledge of students’ cultural legacies to change their attitudes in his classroom. Escalante tells the students that they are smarter than what they think of themselves, and he believes that they can be more successful than they think. For example, Ana, is the most excellent student in the classroom. However, she wants to go to college and attend medical school after. However, Ana’s dad does not want her to go to college and work at his restaurant instead. Her dad wants Ana to follow her cultural legacies like the rest of her family that works in the restaurant instead of pursuing higher education. Escalante directly talks in the classroom to influence her and the other students to abandon their cultural legacies, but to make a life better than their parents and families. Moreover, he insists on telling his students that knowledge is the only way to help them get better