It is human nature as men and women to be frightened by change and uncomfortable within a foreign setting. It is difficult to adjust to a situation where the social mores are different from your own. This can lead an individual to lose sight of where one came from and can muddle one’s individuality. In many ways the idiom, “like a fish out of water”, summarizes this mindset. Similar to a disoriented fish gasping for air and searching for water, people who are uncomfortable in their environment yearn for familiarity and stability. This idea is prevalent in Edward Said’s short essay No Reconciliation Allowed as his Palestinian identity was uprooted from him when he was forced to take refuge in Egypt and later in a Massachusetts boarding
…show more content…
He writes how, “I seemed to be the only boy there who was not a native-born American, who did not speak with the required accent, and who had not grown up with baseball, basketball, and football” (98-99). Now on the surface, it seems that I fit the mold of the stereotypical student he is describing, however, I too felt this disconnect from my schoolmates upon arriving at Holy Cross. Said realizes that his new surroundings have caused a loss of home and language. In a critique of Joseph Conrad’s work, Said acknowledges that he too has lost his sense of identity, a loss that is’ “irredeemable, relentlessly anguished, raw, untreatable, always acute” (93). This supports the idea that if an individual fails to willingly engage in the process of adaptation, then said individual will lose his or her sense of …show more content…
His initial thoughts on the city indicate that he fully allowed himself to take on the American identity and embrace the city’s way of life. Many aspects from is account relate to my situation here at school. Simic finds satisfaction in many of the features taken for granted here in the United States. He writes’ “The there was the food. All these burgers, cherry Cokes, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, apple pie à la mode, and dozens of different candy bars had to be sampled. (...) I was eager to see and taste everything” (127). Simic embraces this new and foreign culture and is eager to have new experiences within the United States. By becoming involved in various activities that I never before had partook in allowed myself to further grasp what it meant to be a student at the College of the Holy Cross. Charles SImic refers to New York CIty as a “melting pot”, a place where you can be exposed to many varied ways of life. He explains, “The American identity is a strange concoction of cultures, but at its best it is a concoction prepared and cooked by each individual in his or her own kitchen” (132). This concept can basically be summarized by the idea that our identity in a new environment is created by the individual and is molded to how he or she chooses. SImic is implying that it is a personal choice whether to adapt to your surroundings or further ostracize
He writes how, “I seemed to be the only boy there who was not a native-born American, who did not speak with the required accent, and who had not grown up with baseball, basketball, and football” (98-99). Now on the surface, it seems that I fit the mold of the stereotypical student he is describing, however, I too felt this disconnect from my schoolmates upon arriving at Holy Cross. Said realizes that his new surroundings have caused a loss of home and language. In a critique of Joseph Conrad’s work, Said acknowledges that he too has lost his sense of identity, a loss that is’ “irredeemable, relentlessly anguished, raw, untreatable, always acute” (93). This supports the idea that if an individual fails to willingly engage in the process of adaptation, then said individual will lose his or her sense of …show more content…
His initial thoughts on the city indicate that he fully allowed himself to take on the American identity and embrace the city’s way of life. Many aspects from is account relate to my situation here at school. Simic finds satisfaction in many of the features taken for granted here in the United States. He writes’ “The there was the food. All these burgers, cherry Cokes, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, apple pie à la mode, and dozens of different candy bars had to be sampled. (...) I was eager to see and taste everything” (127). Simic embraces this new and foreign culture and is eager to have new experiences within the United States. By becoming involved in various activities that I never before had partook in allowed myself to further grasp what it meant to be a student at the College of the Holy Cross. Charles SImic refers to New York CIty as a “melting pot”, a place where you can be exposed to many varied ways of life. He explains, “The American identity is a strange concoction of cultures, but at its best it is a concoction prepared and cooked by each individual in his or her own kitchen” (132). This concept can basically be summarized by the idea that our identity in a new environment is created by the individual and is molded to how he or she chooses. SImic is implying that it is a personal choice whether to adapt to your surroundings or further ostracize