Being An Outsider Essay Sample

Have you ever been considered an outsider? How did that make you feel? The experience of being an outsider is not universal in any way. Everybody has been an outcast at least some point in their life. Then what constitutes being an outsider? Is it because they chose to be one? Is it because their peers view them as one? Is it because they feel like one? Everyone has a different perspective on who outsiders are and how it feels to be an outsider. I believe that the experience of being an outsider is not universal, that each person feels differently when considered an outsider.  

First, some people enjoy being outsiders. These people would rather do their own thing and do not feel obligated to be a part of the group. Also, these outsiders realize that because they are different from everybody else, they will succeed in life. This is the case in many high school students who are considered nerds or geeks because they are smart. This is best showcased in the article, “Revenge of the Geeks.” “In seven years of reporting from American middle and high schools, I’ve seen repeatedly that the differences that cause a student to be excluded in high school are often the same traits or skills that will serve him or her well after graduation.” (225) High school students who are smart might get outcasted, but they might not care because in the future it will pay off. Many are advocates of this and will not care that they are viewed as outsiders because they know that it will benefit them.

Secondly, some people are just viewed as outsiders. In Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the Ewell family is viewed differently from the rest of the town Maycomb.  Everyone in Maycomb can verify that the Ewells are dirty and diseased truants. “Every town the size of Maycomb has families like the Ewells. No economic fluctuations changed their status---people like the Ewells lived as guests of the county as guests of prosperity as well as in the depths of a depression.” (193) These Ewells are viewed differently as a part of the town of Maycomb, but they do not enjoy being viewed differently. Most outsiders are not always outsiders, but the Ewell family has always been outcasted and probably always will. This is another reason why the experience of being an outsider is not universal.

Finally, some people might just feel like outsiders. For example in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” Gregor Samsa is transformed into a giant bug overnight. At first he does not believe that it has happened. He soon realizes this is what his life will be like forever. He is unable to live a normal life and does not feel like himself. Samsa is a traveling salesman, and is responsible for being the main financial supporter for his family. After his transformation, he is unable to work. “I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.” (140) He does not feel like himself and is very uncomfortable. Samsa is an outsider, not by choice, but because he is different from

everybody around him.    

Some might object and say that because everyone perceives themselves to be an outsider at some point in our lives, the experience of being an outsider is universal. This argument may be valid, but it negates that, though each person will feel like an outsider at some point in their life, their experience will not be universal. Since each person is different, they will have a different experience when faced with being an outsider. This argument contradicts itself because its main point is that everyone has been an outsider, so they know the experience. We also know that each person is different and feels and experiences events differently. 

In conclusion, the experience of being an outsider is not universal because we all experience things differently. Everyone has been an outsider at some point in their life, but everyone experiences it differently. Some might enjoy being an outsider because they know it will pay off later in life. Some might just be viewed as an outsider, and might always be viewed that way. Some might just feel like an outsider and there might be nothing they can do about it. All in all, the experience of being an outsider is not universal. If everyone is so different from one another, how can we all experience the same thing?