Reflection On The Misfits

“I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way.” This is in the chorus of one of my favorite songs by Lady Gaga called “Born This Way.” It is a self-empowerment tune that tells the listeners to accept themselves for who they are. In my childhood, I was exposed to a novel that changed my life. The Misfits by James Howe, like the Lady Gaga song, conveys a message of self-acceptance. Casa by Judith Cofer, similar to the first two pieces of work, has a theme of pride in one’s individuality. James Howe’s novel, which I am reminded of through the story Casa, helped me change from a kid that was ashamed of his quiet personality to one that embraces his introversion. For many years before reading this book, I always saw myself as an outcast. For the longest time, I was always that smart kid that never talks. People would always ask me, “why are you so quiet?” Honestly, I never quite knew the answer myself. Why was I not popular? How come I did not sit at the cool kids …show more content…
The Gang of Five was bombarded my many names based on how others saw them. They struggled with who they were because they were punished for just being themselves. Cofer, on the other hand, had trouble identifying who she really is. All of her life, she was seen as “an oddball,” and she was always looking for ways to define “normal.” Reminiscing about Mamá telling stories helped her realize that though she is in America, she is still a Puerto Rican woman at heart, and nothing will ever change that. By the end of The Misfits, their classmates were aware that the Gang of Five was just like them. Likewise, anyone who saw Cofer could probably see that she is confident about who she is and where she came from. Moments after I read The Misfits, I became in a state similar to the two sets of characters. I went through the junior high and high school proud of my identity, and I am transitioning to college with that same level of confidence within