Conformity: A World Bound By Rules

Does thinking different, or dressing different, or looking different, guarantee I will be perceived as an outsider in our “society?” This theme of uniformity to society standards are the underlying theme of the three essays discussed in this essay. Judith Ortiz Cofer, professor of English at University of Georgia, discusses the social rejection she was shown as an offspring of a mixed-raced family in her essay “The Story of My Body.” Nora Ephron, movie director and senior editor for Esquire, also examines the theme of compliance to accepted norms in her essay “The Boston Photographs.” Lastly, Eric Schlosser, essayist and social critic, attacks the “homogenizing influence” of corporate America on the fast food industry and American culture, in his essay “What We Eat.”

Despite the advances we have made as a society, growing up in a mixed-race family is still frowned upon. In Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “The Story of My Body,” she relates a personal experience of prejudice she suffered simply because she was an exception to societal norms. Her first experience of racism dealt with her skin color. Cofer was considered an outsider in her home land of Puerto Rico due to her lighter skin; often she was referred to as “blanca” and ostracized for her “pale skin.” Similarly, she was called “colored” and looked at as being “dirty” by Americans. Additionally, Cofer was criticized for her height. By Puerto Rican standards she was considered tall; however, by American standards she was smaller and “had a reputation as a “shrimp,” a hopeless nonathlete.” Her small stature led to further torture while participating in gym, she expressed this stating “every child who is the last chosen for a team knows the torment of waiting to be called up.” Furthermore, she was ostracized for her looks. Despite thinking that she was pretty, she “found that the hierarchy for popularity was as follows: pretty white girl, pretty Jewish girl, pretty Puerto Rican girl, pretty black girl.” Another realization was that “Puerto Rican boys had learned to respond to a fuller figure: long necks and a perfect little nose were not what they looked for in a girl.” Cofers’ physical attributes limited her from achieving societal norms and resulted in the prejudice she experienced as a young adult.


Similarly, Nora Ephrons’ essay, “The Boston Photograph,” examines the theme of compliance to accepted norms. Initially, she focuses on how the sensational nature of the pictures, are contrary to expectations for newspapers. One example of the sensational nature of the photos were expressed in a letter-to-the-editor, the reader expresses dissatisfaction stating “I thought I was reading the National Enquirer.” Another periodical, the Star, even acknowledged the sensational nature of the photos and posted the headline “SENSATIONAL PHOTOS OF RESCUE ATTEMPT THAT FAILED.” Similarly, Ephron explored how photos of certain human events can cross the borders of traditional. Customarily, pictures involving death are perceived as taboo, so pictures involving fatal accidents, war, and murders are typically not printed by newspapers. Unfortunately, newspapers will print photos surrounding these events, Ephron states “murder victims are almost never photographed; they are granted their privacy. But their relatives are relentlessly pictured on their way in and out of hospitals and morgues.” Lastly, she argues that the perception of the photograph can lead to a violation of societal norms. Despite the woman desperately struggling to save the life of her family, one reader focused on the explicit nature of the photo commenting “you could have had some award-winning photographs of her underpants as her skirt billowed over her head, you voyeurs.” Another comment discussed how the reader compared the picture to some cheap thrill, the reader states the picture assigned “the agony of a human being in terror of imminent death to the status of a side-show act.” Ephron not only realized the power of a picture, but also realized the power of a picture that pushed the boundaries established by society.


Lastly, Eric Schlosser attacks the “homogenizing influence” of corporate America on the fast food industry and American culture, in his essay “What We Eat.” Schlossers’ first argument discusses how the fast food industry has developed a culture of conformity. Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s stated, “We will make conformists out of them in a hurry…The organization cannot trust the individual; the individual must trust the organization.” Schlosser also brings to light how fast food “has become the operating system of today’s retail economy […] obliterating regional differences, and spreading identical stores throughout the country.” Similarly, he explains how the success of fast food has evolved our nation into a nation of followers. The impact of McDonald’s on our nation has made McDonald’s “the world’s most famous brand,” becoming so powerful that 96 percent of schoolchildren could identify Ronald McDonald. The unprecedented success of McDonald’s has revised business models, Ephron stated “the key to a successful franchise […] can be expressed in one word: “uniformity.” Schlosser’s last argument deals with the social aspects of fast food in the assimilation of societal values. He discusses how integral fast food is to our nation, stating that “on any given day in the United States about one-quarter of the adult population visits a fast-food restaurant.” Additionally, he states “the fast-food industry has helped transform not only the American diet, but also our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture.” Schlosser demonstrated how the “McDonaldization of America,” would lead to a loss of individualism, and threaten every aspect of American culture.

Man has seemingly always fought change and in the process made outcasts of individuals who would defy the status quo. Cofer used her personal experience to show the prejudice we show each other due to differences in physical qualities. Similarly, Ephron discussed how societal standards can shape our very thoughts and viewpoints. Lastly, Schlosser argued how our society has been forced to conform due to the success of the fast-food industry. The persuasiveness of these essays inclines even the casual observer to acknowledge the influence of conformity in our lives, that innate desire to fit-in and not go against the status quo.