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 he knew “...it was unfair of him to inflict his belief upon others…” (74) but yet he was looking forward to “going in disguise to the Tomkeys’ door…” (75). …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 marriage of Rajiv Kumar and Vandana Sinha. Their marriage was arranged, but it was not out of their hands. “[Rajiv] asked [his parents] to find a young woman who had been raised in an Indian city, spoke English and was willing to live in the United States. [...] They came up with more than 50 candidates, whose pictures and résumés were forwarded to Rajiv. The first packet he liked was Vandana's.” (Helft 85) “[Vandana] was introduced to several young men, shown numerous pictures, and told about their successful careers and distinguished families. Nothing clicked -- until she saw Rajiv’s résumé and picture.” (Helft 85) They had chosen each other. As another example, regard the marriage of high-school student Elsa’s parents. They met a couple of months before they married, through her mother’s uncle. They spoke for half an hour before agreeing to marry; they had similar views, beliefs, standards. and morals. They were not in love when they married, but over the years, they have fallen in love with each other. Oftentimes, children raised in a household where the parents’ marriage was arranged end up also having an arranged marriage, simply because there is no one to give them real-world advice about dating or finding a partner themselves. Because of the parents’ marriage, the idea of arranged marriage being “bad” in the eyes of others can be confusing. As a result, learning about “modern” views on arranged marriage can be a shock. Culture can affect the way one understands things, but not always in a negative way. Furthermore, in “An Indian Father's Plea”, the author uses education to show how a person's culture can influence their views on life. While writing a letter to Wind-Wolfs teacher, Wind-Wolf's dad states that, “ He listened to his mother count...beads and sort them out” (Lake 111). This shows that he uses different ways to learn because of his culture. Also, the author states “ He may be looking out the window as if daydreaming… because he has been taught to watch and study the changes in nature” (112). This
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 he knew “...it was unfair of him to inflict his belief upon others…” (74) but yet he was looking forward to “going in disguise to the Tomkeys’ door…” (75). …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 marriage of Rajiv Kumar and Vandana Sinha. Their marriage was arranged, but it was not out of their hands. “[Rajiv] asked [his parents] to find a young woman who had been raised in an Indian city, spoke English and was willing to live in the United States. [...] They came up with more than 50 candidates, whose pictures and résumés were forwarded to Rajiv. The first packet he liked was Vandana's.” (Helft 85) “[Vandana] was introduced to several young men, shown numerous pictures, and told about their successful careers and distinguished families. Nothing clicked -- until she saw Rajiv’s résumé and picture.” (Helft 85) They had chosen each other. As another example, regard the marriage of high-school student Elsa’s parents. They met a couple of months before they married, through her mother’s uncle. They spoke for half an hour before agreeing to marry; they had similar views, beliefs, standards. and morals. They were not in love when they married, but over the years, they have fallen in love with each other. Oftentimes, children raised in a household where the parents’ marriage was arranged end up also having an arranged marriage, simply because there is no one to give them real-world advice about dating or finding a partner themselves. Because of the parents’ marriage, the idea of arranged marriage being “bad” in the eyes of others can be confusing. As a result, learning about “modern” views on arranged marriage can be a shock. Culture can affect the way one understands things, but not always in a negative way. Furthermore, in “An Indian Father's Plea”, the author uses education to show how a person's culture can influence their views on life. While writing a letter to Wind-Wolfs teacher, Wind-Wolf's dad states that, “ He listened to his mother count...beads and sort them out” (Lake 111). This shows that he uses different ways to learn because of his culture. Also, the author states “ He may be looking out the window as if daydreaming… because he has been taught to watch and study the changes in nature” (112). This