Through the essays, “Us and Them”, “Matrimony with a Proper Stranger”, “An Indian Father’s Plea”, and “Dave Barry Does Japan”, the authors prove that a person’s culture informs the way he or she views others and the world through traditions, marriage, education, and communication.
The way a person views the world can have a lot to do with their culture, and cultural background. Tradition for example, can have a major impact on the way someone views the world around them. In the essay “Us and Them”, David Sedaris goes into detail about how the concept of going trick-or-treating “...was one of the things you were suppose to learn simply by being alive…” (75). Which of course not all Americans participate in this tradition, but the event is known throughout the country. Sedaris also mentions that …show more content…
Due to the fact that the Tomkeys were so different from what Sedaris was used to, he viewed them as “...ignorant and alone…”, (74) which was not necessarily true. They were just blind to the traditions of the culture surrounding them. In conclusion, Sedaris viewed the world around him negatively, when comparing other cultures to himself. The Tomkeys on the other hand have their own culture as well, and their cultural background is specifically why they are the way they are today.
Additionally, in Miguel Helft’s piece “Matrimony with a Proper Stranger”, he shows that arranged marriage, which is considered oppressive and archaic in America, is thought of very differently in other cultures. It is true that in the past, arranged marriages were agreed on from childhood, and possibly even before the birth of the children in question! In previous times, the bride and groom themselves had no choice in the happenings, and often, the woman was thought of as the man’s property. However, in more recent times, the couple is allowed much more freedom and choice in the event. As an example, consider Helft’s “Matrimony with a Proper Stranger”. In it, he talks about the
The way a person views the world can have a lot to do with their culture, and cultural background. Tradition for example, can have a major impact on the way someone views the world around them. In the essay “Us and Them”, David Sedaris goes into detail about how the concept of going trick-or-treating “...was one of the things you were suppose to learn simply by being alive…” (75). Which of course not all Americans participate in this tradition, but the event is known throughout the country. Sedaris also mentions that …show more content…
Due to the fact that the Tomkeys were so different from what Sedaris was used to, he viewed them as “...ignorant and alone…”, (74) which was not necessarily true. They were just blind to the traditions of the culture surrounding them. In conclusion, Sedaris viewed the world around him negatively, when comparing other cultures to himself. The Tomkeys on the other hand have their own culture as well, and their cultural background is specifically why they are the way they are today.
Additionally, in Miguel Helft’s piece “Matrimony with a Proper Stranger”, he shows that arranged marriage, which is considered oppressive and archaic in America, is thought of very differently in other cultures. It is true that in the past, arranged marriages were agreed on from childhood, and possibly even before the birth of the children in question! In previous times, the bride and groom themselves had no choice in the happenings, and often, the woman was thought of as the man’s property. However, in more recent times, the couple is allowed much more freedom and choice in the event. As an example, consider Helft’s “Matrimony with a Proper Stranger”. In it, he talks about the