Conforming To Society

Conforming To Society

To begin, conformity is one of the most influential forces that society has on a person. People have a natural need to be part of a group; therefore, they conform to the norms of the groups to be accepted, rather than being rejected. The more self esteem a person has, the more likely they are to have a greater resistance to conformity. However, the forces to conform are extremely strong. People like to belong and be in harmony with the rest of society. People will speculate as to what the norm may be, and will conform anyway to fit in with the crowd. The pressures to conform to society can be seen through the characters Marian and Clara in the novel The Edible Woman, and through the character Daughter in the poem A Prayer for my Daughter.
First, the pressures to conform to society can be seen through the character Marian in the novel The Edible Woman. Marian McAlpin is a conventional young woman who works a dull job. She is engaged to a man named Peter, a rising young attorney. She revolves her life around pleasing the people around her, especially Peter, because in the 1960’s that was the expectations of women. The first example that demonstrates Marian conforming to society is when she allows Peter to make her decisions for her. She says:
That was another nice thing about Peter. He could make that kind of decision so effortlessly. She had fallen into the habit in the last month or so of letting him choose for her. (Atwood 162)
Throughout the novel, Marian always has something to say, but keeps her opinions to herself. She knows she cannot voice her opinion because Peter makes the decisions, and she has to go along with his decisions whether she likes it or not. The second example that showcases Marian conforming to society is when she does whatever she can to satisfy Peter’s needs. Atwood writes:
I could use another drink,” Peter said; it was his way of asking her to get him one. The ashtray was removed from her back. She turned over and sat up, pulling...