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Kaitlyn Edington collaborated with her students to have them create an art piece in the style of the book, I Am Human, a children's book that teaches everyone to make their own choices, learn from mistakes, and promote empathy and kindness. I like this piece because of the innocence and positive nature that it emits. In Shaker Heights, they claim pride in their equality, calling themselves “color-blind”, and “woke” because of their attempts to be diverse. And yet, the majority of this neighborhood is white, the McCulloughs make a big show of how they introduce their adopted child to the Asian culture in stereotypical ways, and Elena feels the need to help Mia and Pearl because they are seemingly not well off. The art piece above demonstrates a connection between children, and the want to create a better world.

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Celeste Ng wrote Little Fires Everywhere with the inspiration of her childhood. She grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and used her experiences to shape the story. She has talked in interviews about how she incorporated issues of race, gender, class, and society, to not only unpack her experiences but also American culture and ideals.

The story takes place in the 90s, revolving around a wealthy, white, suburban neighborhood and the impact of two, unwealthy, black women entering the street, introducing everyone to change, and the negative reactions that follow.

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Bridgett Devoue wrote,

“We’re only haunted

By the things

We refuse

To accept”

A short yet impactful poem, that I believe speaks to my question of those who are unable to accept difference. In Little Fires Everywhere, Elena tries to prove herself a good person, having so much effort and exhaustion, to show she’s never looking for anything in return when in reality, she wants to be acknowledged and seen. She wants people to tell her she’s good, that she’s kind, perfect, and so wonderful. She can’t handle the idea of silent generosity, she only wants to be good when cameras are there. She is “haunted” by her inability to understand her kindness isn’t always wanted.

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“Why Change is So Scary, and How to Unlock Its Potential” by Maya Shankar

“...when we experience a change that we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves, it’s easy to feel that our lives are contracting, that we’re more limited than before.”

The struggle between wanting to maintain control and appearances to people, gives you this unprepared self to which one is unable to adapt to any form of change, especially within one’s self. Without the validation she receives from the good she does, Elena doesn’t handle things well. When Mia initially rejected Elena’s job offer, Elena didn’t know how to take that, and she felt inferior, and attacked. Her whole identity is ‘sharing’ what she has with others less fortunate. How can she fix Mia’s life if Mia doesn’t want help? Who is Elena if she can’t fix someone's life to be like hers?

https://www.ted.com/talks/maya_shankar_why_change_is_so_scary_and_how_to_unlock_its_potential/transcript

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Maya Shankar: Why change is so scary — and how to unlock its potential | TED Talk

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Unexpected change like an accident, an illness or a relationship that suddenly ends is inevitable -- and disorienting. With a heartfelt and optimistic take on life’s curveballs, cognitive scientist Maya Shankar shares how these challenging moments can inspire transformation, offering three questions to ask when facing uncertainty, so you can let go of rigidity and embrace change.

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“The Real Reason People Won’t Change” by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey. “Every manager is familiar with the employee who just won’t change. Sometimes it’s easy to see why—the employee fears a shift in power, the need to learn new skills, the stress of having to join a new team.”

I think this quote perfectly describes Elena Richardson, as well as the majority of Americans who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. Elena grew up in a white, and wealthy neighborhood, married, and had children in the very same neighborhood. She has not been exposed to change, of racial, physical, or material appearance, which is why she fears her daughter, Izzy. Izzy wants to be different and wants to show she’s not like her family or everyone else in Shaker Heights. Elena fears this because she does not know the repercussions of this, because when she sees people who are in fact, different, she notices the judgment that follows. This is one of the reasons she is so eager to help Mia and Pearl; she wants to see them adapt and form in line with the society in the town.

People, especially in America today, act very similarly to Elena. People were not raised to be sensitive or understanding. They were raised on views, and if one did not fit within those views, they were considered outcasts. A big example of this is the satanic panic, with goth people, and people who played rock music. This was a big “no-no” and freaked everyone out, causing people to shun and punish those socially who participated in these activities.

https://hbr.org/2001/11/the-real-reason-people-wont-change

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How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr gives us the point of view of Jill, a teenager grieving the loss of her father, witnessing her mother try to move on too quickly by adopting a child from a teenager mother, letting her move in until the baby arrives. A secondary point of view of the teenage mother, Mandy, who grew up unwanted, got pregnant, and ran away looking for a better life for her baby. Through the course of the book, Jill resents Mandy because she feels threatened that her mother gives her more attention than she ever did Jill, especially since her father died; although Jill never did much to connect with her mother. She didn’t want anything to change, except for her mother, whom she sets unreasonable expectations with.

This book revolves around changes, growth and adaptation to life and what gets thrown at you. Jill handles none of what is happening around her well, and spirals because nothing is the same. She grieves for her dad alone, thinking she’s the only one who cares he’s dead, and yet she learns that all she needed to do was talk to her mother, whom she resents. It took Mandy to walk into their lives to change the dynamic of their relationship.

A coming of age book that teaches young teens the power of change, and what good can be done with it.

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The Breakfast Club by John Hughes is a wonderful example of conformity and the pressure of society and parental figures put on young minds to create a perfect society. Teenagers are stuck in the school building for a Saturday detention and are forced to be around each other, even though all are very different, and in day-to-day would never interact with this kids. They use this detention and connect with each other, sharing their troubles and advice. It shows every kid struggles, and even if they seem to be “perfect” they feel the pressure of conformity to be the best and to look certain ways, get perfect grades, be the toughest, etc. These characters all have parents who want them to be a certain way, and all these kids want to do is make their parents happy, even to their own suffering. They see each other as threats, because of how differnet they appear in the hallways of the school, so they assert themselves as dominant and powerful to feel in control of who they are, when in reality they are just the same as everyone else.