April 26, 2013
Role Model Essay
Good or Bad?
Role models, role models are people that have the ability to impact a life, whether negative or positive. Role models also help shape the way an individual may present themselves in the future. The short story My Brother the Superhero, along with the movie The Great Santini both have role models that demonstrate negative behavior, as a result negatively affecting the protagonists. Not all role models have a bad influence; in the movies The Pursuit of Happyness and Gracie both the protagonists have role models that positively impact their lives. Both negative and positive role models impact lives differently. First one must identify a negative role model from a positive, and the effects each may have on life.
On the downside, it is easy to see that both the antagonists in My Brother the Superhero and The great Santini are negative role models. In My brother the Superhero, the unidentified older brother is a negative role model to his young nephew. The young boy begins speaking vulgarly saying such statements as “Hey, Ma, how’s it hanging” (Pg. 44, para.69). The uncle does not think about how his behaviors affect his nephew, who views him so highly. The uncle does not mean to be a negative role model; in fact he does not even realize the changes in his nephew. Whether aware or not the uncle impacts his nephews life negatively by presenting the acceptance of bad behavior. But in The Great Santini, the negative role model, Lt. Col. Bull Meechum, knows of his wrong actions but still continues to behave badly. Lt. Col. Bull Meechum runs his family much like a military commander, where they are all to obey his every order without question. Everything he does within the family is to build character, but in reality everything ends up being about him. Everything being about Meechum shows his children that it’s ok to be selfish. He lives by a mentality of “it’s his way or no way” and in the end it’s his kids that take on...