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Adversity Essay-Madison Staat
Adversity Essay-Madison Staat
Adversity Essay-Madison Staat
Mrs. Aaker
AP Lang
2019 November 01
Adversity essay
Adversity has an effect on all people of all walks of life, as it is apart of every individuals
everyday being. A well-known Roman poet that goes by the name of Horace, addresses this and
even goes as far as to say that adversity plays a significant role in developing ones persona and
righteous self. He speaks further into this by, claiming a person's talents and characteristics that
qualify them as unique, may submerge them to the horrific thought of becoming just a number in
a society filled with the same replicas of people with slight differences that make them stand out
in the negative point of view from the public. Adversity does make the bad parts of a person
stand out in a crowd compared to the positive aspects, however in certain stances adversity can
be overthrown and turned into diversity and this is shown through today's beauty standards,
mental illnesses and the external perspectives on them as well as the religious barrier between
people.
Fashion and beauty are incorporated into one’s life in many different manners. Whether
its seen on television through an ad, or just casually walking through a department store, people
of that industry want people to see it, see the different productions on the market, etc. However,
when adversity comes into play, people may have their opposing views on what is ‘beautiful’
really is in our generation. Ashley Gram, a famous, plus-sized model, defies what the so-called
normality of beauty once was. She pushes against the standards with her body-type proving that
although skinny is beautiful, so is plus-sized. Gram is a sole example of fighting against
adversity and wanting to be the same as everyone else simply for continuing her fight for her
career which has done her well seeing as she is very successful.
Another multi-sided argument dealing with lack of expression among people, is the
hardship of mental illness and the way the public makes it known and the disturbing effects it has
on people's lives. In the past I’ve been friends with people who have had severe anxiety and
depression and have felt that they had to suppress that part of them to feed into the societal
norms. In fact, I wasn't even aware of their problems until they spoke out and told me of them,
which just goes to show that anyone can be suffering silently and become subjected to the
pressures brought onto them through adversity and the need to feel ‘normal’. Some may say that
the people who go against adversity and actually speak out on their issues are just searching for
attention they don't already receive. In rare cases this may be true, however for most of the
population mental illness can affect their daily lives and can inflict true pain onto them and this
is only made worse from the feelings of normalization from todays people.
Religion is another subject that is once again tackled by pressures of society. The barriers