Madison Staat

Mrs. Aaker

AP Lang

2019 November 01

Adversity essay

Adversity has an effect on all people of all walks of life, as it is apart of every individuals

everyday being. A well-known Roman poet that goes by the name of Horace, addresses this and

even goes as far as to say that adversity plays a significant role in developing ones persona and

righteous self. He speaks further into this by, claiming a person's talents and characteristics that

qualify them as unique, may submerge them to the horrific thought of becoming just a number in

a society filled with the same replicas of people with slight differences that make them stand out

in the negative point of view from the public. Adversity does make the bad parts of a person

stand out in a crowd compared to the positive aspects, however in certain stances adversity can

be overthrown and turned into diversity and this is shown through today's beauty standards,

mental illnesses and the external perspectives on them as well as the religious barrier between

people.

Fashion and beauty are incorporated into one’s life in many different manners. Whether

its seen on television through an ad, or just casually walking through a department store, people

of that industry want people to see it, see the different productions on the market, etc. However,

when adversity comes into play, people may have their opposing views on what is ‘beautiful’

really is in our generation. Ashley Gram, a famous, plus-sized model, defies what the so-called

normality of beauty once was. She pushes against the standards with her body-type proving that
although skinny is beautiful, so is plus-sized. Gram is a sole example of fighting against

adversity and wanting to be the same as everyone else simply for continuing her fight for her

career which has done her well seeing as she is very successful.

Another multi-sided argument dealing with lack of expression among people, is the

hardship of mental illness and the way the public makes it known and the disturbing effects it has

on people's lives. In the past I’ve been friends with people who have had severe anxiety and

depression and have felt that they had to suppress that part of them to feed into the societal

norms. In fact, I wasn't even aware of their problems until they spoke out and told me of them,

which just goes to show that anyone can be suffering silently and become subjected to the

pressures brought onto them through adversity and the need to feel ‘normal’. Some may say that

the people who go against adversity and actually speak out on their issues are just searching for

attention they don't already receive. In rare cases this may be true, however for most of the

population mental illness can affect their daily lives and can inflict true pain onto them and this

is only made worse from the feelings of normalization from todays people.

Religion is another subject that is once again tackled by pressures of society. The barriers

put between people because of their views