Man From The South Analysis

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Pages: 5

Society frequently pressures individuals into making wrong decisions that may result in negative outcomes in the long run. In both “Man From the South” by Roald Dahl and “Stealing North” by Richard Wright, the protagonists are both forced to make choices they are uneasy about making. In “Man From the South” by Roald Dahl, four vacationers visit Jamaica. Carlos, the man from the south, bets the American vacationer. The narrator, also a visitor, and the English girl witness this bet and go along with it because of the pressure from the group. Bets are common, and are usually not considered to be harmful, but what makes this certain bet peculiar is that Carlos bets his Cadillac for the American Cadet’s finger. Most people would agree that betting …show more content…
At the pool, in the shade, Carlos, the little man, bets his Cadillac for the American Cadet’s finger. The American Cadet, who tries to hit two birds with one stone, accepts, since he is trying to impress the English girl, as well. This rather unusual bet surprises him. Dahl writes, “There was a silence then, and I could see that the little man has succeeded in disturbing the boy with his absurd proposal…. ’Now just let me check up on this bet of yours,’ he said at last….’But I tink you are afraid’” (Dahl 6). Carlos acts as if it does not trouble him that the American Cadet will not go along with the bet. This persuades the boy to go along with the bet.This proves that it does not matter how hard a person tries to convince another, it matters how effectively one carries out the task because a person never wants to feel different than the group.The boy has no choice but to go along with it. Not only does he wish to impress the English girl, but he craves to blend in with the rest. This portrays that an individual can take extreme measures to be assimilated into a crowd because of pressure from others. Again, the little man is bluffing apathy. His trick deceives his victim and the victim feels trapped. However, his deception reveals the true colors of all humans. This shows that the need to fit in is in all humans and is usually only supported by mere …show more content…
The American Cadet is forced into betting his finger for a car, since he only wants to fit in, and not one person attempts to step in and stop the bet. With Richard, he is told to forget about his dreams and not go to school, he is discouraged that he’ll ever become a writer, simply because he is black. Both, the American Cadet and Richard, are told to make decisions they are not willing to take. They may not know this, but it could ruin their future and lead to even worse choices. People all around the world make decisions, everyone has to, from little children to old adults. But, the options they choose may not be the best one out there, and they may need to reconsider. However, pressure influences the individual to make the worst choices that may destroy their hopes and dreams. And no person wants their goals vanquished. Pressure is what the individual then needs to