People face pressure in their lives every day, especially in college, because students are working hard to get a successful job. Why is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the university with the highest suicide rate in America? Could it be because pressure, whether academic, social, peer, or environmental tend to affect young people in a negative way? By comparing and contrasting social pressure, peer pressure and environmental pressure in Lord of the Flies by William Golding and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, similarities are evident, such as the reasons for characters to associate with one another, characters craving acceptance, and new environments causing characters to act out. However, each novel has distinct differences such
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Both characters in the Lord of the Flies and The Kite Runner crave the acceptance of their peers. Although Baba technically is not Amir 's peer, he is the main character whom Amir craves acceptance and praise from. “Mine was Baba” (Hosseini 11). From this quote it is concluded that Amir 's first word is Baba, and throughout his life, Amir strives for is his dad to genuinely love him. Similarly, when Ralph arrives on the island and is elected chief, he immediately gains the boys acceptance. As the story progresses however, Jack becomes the favored leader of the group leaving Ralph emotionally burdened. “Why do you hate me?... The silence lengthened. Ralph, still hot and hurt, turned away first.” (Golding 118). Ralph growingly feels more upset as each boy slowly turns on him. Ralph begins to feel lonely on the island and craves the acceptance from the boys as a peer, and a chief. Peer pressure and the desire for acceptance roots a sadness in both characters throughout their …show more content…
In Lord of the Flies the new environment of the island leads to Jack 's savagery and killing. “At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 153). The boys have no rules on the island which causes them, and especially Jack to act with savagery and no remorse, as shown by the way Simon is murdered. Similarly, Sohrab being told he can come to America, and then having it stripped away, causes his suicide attempt as shown in the following passage, “‘No it 's not. Not that place. God, oh God. Please, no! … Please promise you won 't!’” (Golding 342). Sohrab panics at the thought of his chance at safety being taken away, and his downhill path from happiness begins at that moment. The pressure of the environment leads both characters to think irrationally and almost results in Jack losing his humanity forever, and Sohrab 's
Both characters in the Lord of the Flies and The Kite Runner crave the acceptance of their peers. Although Baba technically is not Amir 's peer, he is the main character whom Amir craves acceptance and praise from. “Mine was Baba” (Hosseini 11). From this quote it is concluded that Amir 's first word is Baba, and throughout his life, Amir strives for is his dad to genuinely love him. Similarly, when Ralph arrives on the island and is elected chief, he immediately gains the boys acceptance. As the story progresses however, Jack becomes the favored leader of the group leaving Ralph emotionally burdened. “Why do you hate me?... The silence lengthened. Ralph, still hot and hurt, turned away first.” (Golding 118). Ralph growingly feels more upset as each boy slowly turns on him. Ralph begins to feel lonely on the island and craves the acceptance from the boys as a peer, and a chief. Peer pressure and the desire for acceptance roots a sadness in both characters throughout their …show more content…
In Lord of the Flies the new environment of the island leads to Jack 's savagery and killing. “At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt on to the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 153). The boys have no rules on the island which causes them, and especially Jack to act with savagery and no remorse, as shown by the way Simon is murdered. Similarly, Sohrab being told he can come to America, and then having it stripped away, causes his suicide attempt as shown in the following passage, “‘No it 's not. Not that place. God, oh God. Please, no! … Please promise you won 't!’” (Golding 342). Sohrab panics at the thought of his chance at safety being taken away, and his downhill path from happiness begins at that moment. The pressure of the environment leads both characters to think irrationally and almost results in Jack losing his humanity forever, and Sohrab 's