We Were Given the Right To Freedom Of Expression for a Reason

After entirely altering the story line and plot to my first idea for a children’s book, I reorganized a different idea. I wanted to create a story that taught the kids to never be afraid to be themselves, use their right to freedom of expression, and live their life the way they want regardless of what other people think of their lifestyle choices and personal preferences. I wanted to include a moral of courage, persistence and most importantly, staying true to yourself. I believe that one of the best examples of this is the general high school standard of what to wear and what not to wear, what will get you made fun of, what will allow you to gain “friends”. Other people’s ignorance is what keeps teenagers back from dressing the way they would truly like to and expressing themselves in their own way, rather than conforming to the guidelines of what everyone else is wearing or what everyone else considers “in” at that moment in time. I wanted to teach the children that it’s okay to show your true self and have enough self-respect to present yourself differently than the others and even stand out in a crowd, regardless of what they may say or think of you. All that matters is that you are comfortable and confident in the way you look.

            The mentor text I picked from the list of choices I was given was the book called Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. This book is about a future society in which the age group known as the “Uglies” are forced to have mandatory plastic society in order to conform the way they look to fit the societal norms of the time period. The book exposes the flaws in being the same as everyone else around you and acting almost as a robot to society, possessing no creativity or unique self expression ever. Although there is a different spin on things, my story line relates a lot to this book. Clothing can be compared to physical features. The way you present yourself is entirely up to you and it is not right to allow others to change the way you make yourself appear when your heart says otherwise. No one should ever be pressured into wearing something just because it’s considered cool for their age group or labeled social group. My story also proves that your friends aren’t your true friends if they change the way they interact with you just because you changed the way your dress and present yourself. Today, sadly, a lot of high schools are segregated into groups and cliques simply based upon what type of clothes students wear and what their style is considered as. I strongly support the opposite opinion and would like to convey a message to the students that will stay with them and develop one they can implement in their own lives on a daily basis.