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Compare and Contrast Essay

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Compare and Contrast Essay
Compare and Contrast Essay

-Use the characters from the glass castle to compare and contrast socialization and self-actualization.
-Consider each implication –humanistic psychology and symbolic interactionism
-Understand the theories of Rodgers, Maslow, Cooley, and Bronfenbrenner

Self-actualization is when you fulfil your full potential and become capable of everything you can be. Socialization is the process where an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position. Both self-actualization and socialization are found in the book The Glass Castle. The characters in The Glass Castle have all gone through their own personal struggles to help find out who they truly are. Jeanette Walls, the main character and narrator, has gone through so much, and in the end it made her the strong, independent person that she is. Jeanette did not grow up in a standard household. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother was negligent. This led to an interesting childhood for Jeanette. She moved around a lot at an early age. Rex, her father, was doing his best to provide for the family, but maintaining a source of income wasn’t always easy. Even at a young age Jeanette learned to fend for herself. By the age of three she was already cooking for herself. This is where we first see her parents’ unconventional style of living. While cooking Jeanette burns herself, and needs to be taken to the hospital. While at the hospital Jeanette is treated like a princess. She is given everything she asks for and more. However, her family does not abide by normal hospital behavior.

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