Behaviours and Young Skins - Essay Example

Young Skins In most instances, the environment within which an individual grows up determines the behavior that the individual adopts and how they treat other members of the society. This is because their behavior becomes identical with the environment within which they live or even grow up. The behaviors that an individual is subjected to appear as the norms prompting the individual to imitate them. This is the main reason why different societies exhibit diverse behaviors. These behaviors are mostly exhibited when a person interacts with others. In the same way, the experiences that individuals encounter in the urban areas are different from those exhibited in the rural areas of the same country. This clearly indicates that, as Colin Barrett claims, the environment to which an individual is exposed determines their behavior leading to the creation of subjects that are unique to a specific environment. This is because these people exhibit similar behaviors in most aspects of their daily activities. Therefore, it is justifiable to argue that, as Barrett maintains, Glanbeigh creates its own unique subjects out of the people living in this region. Barrett blends into the behaviors that are being exhibited in Glanbeigh, since they are happening in his town. This implies that the behaviors that he has adopted are the results of living in this region. This makes the author’s argument stronger because he tends to use the personal perspective to show that even he himself has been affected by the environment in which he lives in indicating that the environment is in control of how individuals’ behaviors turn out. The exhibition of lust in this region is also a good example indicating the effect of the environment. Here, the author attempts to show what the young generations view as normal and what they should be doing at the specific age. For instance, the author shows how young men lure women into affairs such as through offering lifts in exchange of sexual favors. This is shown when Sarah is offered a lift and she declines to sit close to one of the men claiming that he would try something. This is a clear indication that lust has affected most of the people in this region. In addition, there is a mention of lesbians by the author and his friend, which shows that lust has also resulted into women to women relationships. The way in which Tug explains the situation shows that the environment has accepted the existence of lesbianism and has affected the people into accepting it. This implies that the perception of most societal aspects even those involving sexual orientations have been instilled into these people by the environment. Alcoholism has also been contributed by the environment. This is because the alcoholics tend to use drinking as a way to hide from the world. This has been adopted by many people especially those who become frustrated in accomplishing certain goals in life. The author strengthens this by indicating that he himself is a drunkard. In addition, as the author indicates, the young run the town. This also shows the influence of the environment. Here, the young feel that it is in their place to run the place in the same way as the previous generations did. Lust is explained in diverse ways that also include two main drugs, which are alcohol and smoking of cigarettes. The environment has crafted these individual in such a way that alcoholism is a way of life. This has left very few young individuals in this region who do not drink and the author is quick to notice this. Here, the author says that Tug is not a drunkard and continues to say that it is a good thing. Moreover, this environment treats people according to how they appear. Any changes that an individual may show at some points in life may change the overall perception of the society on this individual. Tug is a good example in this case. Although Tug was mostly preferred by most girls before the age of 16, most of them changed their perception when he began putting on weight. This is shown when the author refers to him as only 25 years of age but appearing 10 years older. This implies that the environment has taught these individuals to view others on certain grounds. Since most people share this perception, it is correct to deduce that Glanbeigh has created the subjects in such a way. The same case happens with Marlene who is viewed as not beautiful for the mere fact that she has acne scars on her cheeks. Therefore, in this Glanbeigh, the appearance of the person determines the society’s perception. Glanbeigh has also affected the residents in such a way that they view revenge as a way to resolve a problem. In one instance, two men, Eli and Doran discussed whether they should attend the burial of a woman who had been a lover to both of them. Since they did not agree with the behavior of the deceased, they were wondering whether they should consider attending the funeral. There are numerous instances that indicate revenge exhibited by the individuals living in this environment implying that the town has made them to behave in such a way. Moreover, this environment has also instilled a rude way in which individuals address each other. In spite of the fact that the author has concentrated on the young generations, these individuals must have inherited the behavior from a previous generation that may have also carried the behavior with them to older generations. This may be viewed as having inappropriate behavior, which could happen even when the youths are addressing older individuals who deserve respect. A good example is the way in which the residents tell another individual to go away. Here, they use the words ‘fuck off’ which is inappropriate. Therefore, it is clear that the environment, Glanbeigh, creates its subjects leading to individuals who exhibit similar behaviors. The representation of the individuals in Barrett’s stories reflects an attitude that not only dwells on the negatives but also strives to indicate that these negatives are not beneficial to the individuals. For instance, Barrette repetitively shows how the young generation has taken into drinking, which may confuse the reader into thinking that this act is supported. However, the author points out that it is not good. This is shown when he states that Tug does not drink, which is a good thing. The author also explains the negatives of drinking such as hangovers, which result to unpleasant feelings. Therefore, although the author himself is a drunkard, he makes it clear that it is not good to be a drunkard. This is an indication that the author has a negative attitude to the culture being exhibited in this community. In addition, when the author highlights the issue of Dolan and Eli discussing whether to attend a funeral of their previous lover, he is bothered by the fact that they would consider skipping the burial bearing in mind that they had been involved with the individual in the past. This also indicates that the author has a negative attitude with respect to the culture adopted by the community living in his town. Since the author dwells on negatives, it is clear that he is bothered by these practices and would like to see improvements. Here, the author has emphasized on lust, revenge, and frustrations exhibited by the young generations. Therefore, it is clear that the author has a negative attitude with regard to the culture that Glanbeigh has instilled on the subjects living in its environs. Read More