Internal Conflict In 'Varieties Of Protest'

In “Varieties of Protest”, the main character struggles with an internal conflict because he loves running. The problem is, Smith, begins to notice what the dispute that comes with what running and racing actually are. Running provides a person’s sensitivity to feel free, racing prompts a person feel like property and a slave to their society. Smith can be compared to many influential figures in history. There are prodigious amounts of diverse connections between Rosa Parks and Smith, but one sticks out the most. Rosa Parks knew what her beliefs and intentions were, and she didn’t let anyone destroy her hope for equality. The government couldn’t hold back how aggressively she felt about the divide between races. Rosa wasn’t willing to conform and listen to the bus driver like other people of her race. Protesting her rights for herself and others, she refused to follow the bus driver’s instructions, much like Smith opposed the governor. …show more content…
When Smith realized he wanted the run and not race, he was able to break away from the conventionality of his society and become who/ what he wanted to become. Smith is a character who didn’t want his society to decide who he was, he wanted to be the adjudicator of his life. People all around the world, conform to society's viewpoints. Peer pressure is an enormous component of this. The thoughts that run through a person’s mind usually start with “What will they think about it?”, human nature is to put other’s opinions above all. Conformity is the way of the humans, when someone breaks free from the society’s standards it is looked down upon. The governor was mad at Smith for not winning the race, but up until that point, Smith was a slave to his society. Smith had a realization that he should run through his life, making decisions based on what he wanted, not