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It was harder for the bear to keep his identity because every person in the bureaucracy is convinced that he is "a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat." Even the zoo bears and the circus bears reject him because he lives in a factory, so it was easier for the bear to conform to avoid shame from the factory workers.

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Tashlin suggests that individuals will often hide their true identity in order to assimilate into a different culture. He writes, "No indeed, [the Bear] knew he wasn't a silly man, and he wasn't a silly bear either." He resorted to working in the factory because his bear comrades could not argue with the bureaucracy about his true identity, but at the end of the story, he knows himself well enough to stop his labor and hibernate.

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Tashlin suggests that authoritarian influence can be a multi-faceted process. The Bear is forced to live in a factory setting because of deforestation and industrialization (which he cannot control), thus he feels obligated to work so he does not get displaced further. We know the Bear is a rational creature who persists in defending his identity, but it is difficult when the bureaucracy slaps their ideal label on him. They exploit him until he takes his life into his own hands (claws?); although he cannot go back to the community of Bears, he learns he can be comfortable following his own norms and values.

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It is so difficult for a person to go against the group because they may fear shame or excommunication as a result of their actions. Rebels are seen to disrupt the social order, and since most societies have specific mores, it is better to follow the rules than suffer the consequences.

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My desire to belong is often challenged by my nonconformist behaviors. I can struggle with picking up certain values because of my personal beliefs; although it can make it difficult for me to communicate at times, I like to learn from others about what they believe so I can grow in empathy.

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The factory officials did not recognize the Bear for what he was because they assumed he was a worker who was slacking off. Hard work is a value in this establishment, so it makes sense as to why they would confront the Bear, but they should have listened to his truth.

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They didn't recognize the bear for who he was, because there was no forest around so they didn't think he was a bear. They believed him to be a man who was slacking off on his work.

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It was difficult for the bear to maintain his identity of a bear because everyone convinced him that he was a man rather than a bear. He was getting used to being called a man.

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The title The Bear that Wasn't means the bear wasn't a human, but everyone else thought he was.

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The Factory workers didn't recognize him because he didn't look like every other bear they had previously seen. He was different.

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The author is suggesting about the relationship between an individual and society is that an individual will do anything to remain relevant in society, and not to stand out.

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It became harder and harder because everyone else around him was telling him he was someone else and he should be someone else so his view of himself was warped.

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It means that even though he was a bear everyone assumed he was human.

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The author is suggesting that the bear feels obligated to work in the factor. He feels obligated because there is no more forest for him to live in and these people have put into his head that he is a man and not a bear.

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The title is foreshadow for what is to come. The Bear was found in a factory and no one believed that he was a bear. They thought they were a man that needed a shave. Therefore he was a bear that wasn't a bear

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It became harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity because he was constantly met with people who were doubting him and who were breaking down his identity. He was told again and again that he wasn't a bear from the people around him and eventually, he began to believe it.

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It was difficult for the bear to maintain his identity because he was told over and over again that he simply wasn't bear. If other people see you as something then that becomes the reality. If he wasn't a bear to everyone than that must mean he really wasn't a bear. This idea flourished in his mind until he started to believe it as well.

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Tashlin suggests that the view of a social group heavily effects the individuals view of him/herself. Individuals use what others think of them to view themselves, the mirror.

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The title "The bear that wasn't" refers to the way that the other humans perceive him and force him to be something he is not.

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Tashlin suggests that authorities view can even more heavily affect your view on yourself because they are supposed to be right.

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It is so difficult for a person to go against a group because they may be fearful that the group won't like them anymore. They may also not want to go against a group because of shame and being left out.

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The factory workers thought he was a worker that just didn't want to work so he was coming up with different excuses. They thought he was a man that just needed a shave.

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The factory didn't recognize the Bear for what he was because they thought he was something else and pushed those stereotypes onto him.

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It became harder and harder because as the story goes on the more people tell him what he is he starts to believe them and starts to feel crazy.

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It became harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity because the others were refusing to believe that he was a bear and was making assumptions about him based on his looks and surroundings ("You're a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat"). Over time, these repeated actions convinced the bear that he wasn't a bear because their opinions and assumptions overpowered the bear's.

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The need to be a part of a group causes people (and bears) to conform and act a part.

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It is so difficult to go against a group out of embarrassment or fear of being judged for being who you think you are. Its easier to be who others want you to be as they wont judge and hate you for it.

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The author suggests that society has a huge impact on how we view ourselves as individuals. And that society has the power to break down a person's identity and make them believe things about themselves that might not have any truth to it.

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It was hard for the bear to keep his identity because people kept telling him he wasn't a bear. Even the president himself told the bear he just needed a shave.

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It became harder for the bear to maintain his identity because he played the part of a factory worker for years and that is how he was perceived.

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I think it became harder for the Bear to keep his identity because everybody kept telling him he wasn't a bear even though he said he was.

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It becomes harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity because everyone he talks to is telling him he is not what he believes he is. This leads the bear to question if he is really a bear or just a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat.

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The author is trying to say that the relationship between self and society can change and be effected by each other. If society believes a certain thing then you will most likely conform to that ideology. The idea of self can be morphed by the impact of a group or society.

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The author suggests that people tend to go along with certain ideas because it is the belief held by the majority.

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The author is suggesting that man will do anything to become a "normal" and accepted member of society, even if that means acting like someone you aren't.

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Tashlin is suggesting that the relationship between an individual and society is that one will do anything to stay hidden in the crowd. Few people want to stick out and be known.

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Tashlin is suggesting that the higher ups at the factory are like the media/government, and they have a great impact on societal norms and the way that people act.

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As the bear moves up through the bureaucracy of the factory, it becomes harder and harder to maintain his identity because, as much as he can deny it when the Foreman, or even the General Manager tells him he's a bear, when it's the Vice President, President, and even other bears saying so, it seems that that must be the truth.

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The author suggests that societies perception of a person has a huge effect on how they perceive themselves even if it is inaccurate.

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The author is suggesting that powerful individuals and groups have the potential to shape the identity of those below them. If someone who is above you, in class or occupation, they could tell you things about yourself that you might believe because of who they are and the power they have.

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No I have never experienced this

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Tashlin is suggesting that over time, an individual will change their looks and personality to morph to one that matches society's. Because their uniqueness makes them believe that they stand out like a sore thumb, they would change themselves to fit in society to draw less attention to themselves.

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It became harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity because he was constantly told that he was wrong. Many different people told the bear that he was not a bear, and this caused him to question what he believed, wondering if he was lying to himself. Instead, he decides to conform in hopes of stopping the shame and humiliation he is experiencing.

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As a trans person, a large amount of people including my family view me as a cis woman, and push stereotypes of that onto me and when I don't conform I am punished and people do not take me seriously.

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The author is suggesting that people who maintain a higher status in society or a position of authority have power to decide the fate of the less powerful. In this example the higher the figure of authority was, the more his words impacted the views of others and how the bear viewed himself.

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It is hard for someone to go against a group because if everyone is telling you you are doing something and no one believes you, it is hard for them to listen to you and you eventually give in.

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It means even though he wasn't human everyone thought he was

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No I have not experienced this, I believe.

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In "The Bear That Wasn't", Tashlin aims to suggest that, though we try to the best of our ability to be our own people and not let others influence us, the fact of the matter is that they do. Much of an individual's identity is curated by what their particular society deems normal, reasonable, and acceptable.

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I haven't personally experienced this situation but I have seen others experience it when it comes to gender identity. People can view someone as one gender when they identify themselves as something different. This can cause the other person to question themselves and their decisions.

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Everyone thought he was not a bear, just a silly man in a fur coat in need of a shave.

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Tashlin is suggesting that society constantly tries to stereotype and project norms onto individuals, even if it's not how the individual feels. Often times, the individual will end up just conforming to society and not stand up for themself.

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It became harder for the bear to maintain his identity as he moved through the bureaucracy because he was told false information about his identity more and more times. The greater the amount of times that the bear was told he was not one, the more he began to believe this. (think there is a law for this, when someone tells you something about yourself repeatedly it becomes true)

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I'm not sure if I have ever experienced something like that. But then again I probably wouldn't know if I had. But the Bear is valid and I feel for him for what he had to go through.

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It can be hard for someone to go against a group because there is strength in numbers. People are more powerful when they have a group to support them and their ideologies. This makes the individual outnumbered and viewed as "less powerful". This makes it hard for the individual to stand against the group.

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The author is suggesting that when put in a public environment where they're vulnerable, an individual will succumb so far to the pressures, expectations, and beliefs that they question and begin to disbelieve their own identity.

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Tashlin suggests that the opinions and statements of powerful people are often assumed to be correct regardless of whether or not that's the case. Power correlates directly to influence. When an individual with less power hears the opinion of someone with more power, they may change themselves because they value the opinion of the more powerful individual.

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It is difficult for a person to go against the group because you may fear the consequences of going against the group. It is also difficult when you're against the majority.

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Tashlin is suggesting that powerful individuals and groups can shape the identity of those with less power and authority by essentially gaslighting them to the point where they don't even trust their own mind.

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It's difficult for a person to go against a group because you can feel very alienated and outnumbered. Especially if the group is filled with people you are friends with, it's scary because you could be cast out or bullied by the group but at the end of the day, you have to stand up for what you believe in.

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The bear factory didn't realize who he truly was and they steroetyped and didn't realize who he was.

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Groups affect our actions because we can sometimes feel forced to conform to the ideas that a group believes or thinks. It is human nature to want to feel included in a group or a community. In order to do so it can cause people to change their own identities to "fit in".

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The author is suggesting the society often tries to place labels on individuals and control them. The author is trying to state that individuals often listen to and follow what society says to do in order to fit in/avoid conflict. Based on how upset the humans got, the author also tried to describe that society gets angered by individuals that are unique and break norms.

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It became harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity because more people continued to tell him that he was not a bear. Even bears, who were like him in many ways, were telling the bear that he was not who he thought he was. This made the bear doubt everything about who he really was.

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I don't know that I've ever experience something that can be justifiably compared to the experiences of the bear, but I certainly know what it's like to question yourself due to the opinions of others. It often happens when we have opinions that differ from the majority, and after receiving negative responses, we begin to assume we must be wrong and we should change because nobody agrees.

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I have not personally experience this but i have seen others go through this . And this stereotyping of who they weren't.

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I have not faced a similar experience as the bear that I can think of. I feel like if I was in the bears situation I would probably do what he did.

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The title "The Bear that Wasn't" suggests that objectively the bear is in fact a bear, but everyone including himself has convinced him that he is not. Though the bear is definitely not a man, he comes to wonder if he is despite his prior confidence in his bear-ness.

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Our need to be a part of a group causes people to conform to the preset values and stereotypes set by certain groups even if you have to change yourself because of it. Sometimes, the want to have friends or to be a part of something feels more important than staying true to yourself. It's twisted but it's true.

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Tashlin suggests that authority figures have a big impact on the way you think and can sway your mind, similar to what happened with the Bear, President, and Vice Presidents

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I feel like it is difficult to go against a group because you don't want to be the outyler and be different from everyone else.

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Tashlin is suggesting that because of the authority that powerful individuals have over those with less power, they are able to persuade others. Because of their higher status, others tend to believe that what they say is valid or truthful and follow along with the powerful individual. This leads to identities of those with lesser power changing to please the individual with power.

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It became harder and harder for the bear to keep his identity because he started to belive what people said about him and that started to become a part of him. And he thought he was just a man who needed a shave

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Tashlin is trying to suggest that individuals/groups with a lot of power shape the identity of those without it by placing labels on them and telling them what they can and can't be. She is saying that groups with less power can be attempted to be gaslit and controlled.

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Our need to be part of a group sometimes leads us to act in ways that we may not if we didn't feel that we had to. For example, someone may make a choice that goes against their morals and rationalize that being part of a group is more important.

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I think absolutely everyone in our society has experienced something like this, it's just a matter of whether or not they conformed. Heterosexuality is pushed upon us from birth, and it is the standard and expectation for all romantic relationships in one's life. As a bisexual person, I can tell you that compulsive heterosexuality is a real thing, and it's a direct result of heteronormativity in schools, entertainment, and media. I often find myself questioning whether I do lean one way or the other, because I feel like I should just be gay, and fully break social standards because I only think I like men because society's told me I do, or if I'm straight and just trying to be different.

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The author is suggesting that the way an individual views themself is different from how society views them. People seem to go along with what society tells them they should be, rather than who they really are.

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I do not think that I have experienced anything like this. If I did it might have occured when I was too young to really process it.

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I'm not sure if I have ever experienced this before. If I have, I probably didn't notice due to the fact that I thought I was bettering myself and not changing to fit into society.

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The title, "The Bear that Wasn't" is referring to what most people (society) tried to tell the bear it was, despite it being false.

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The author is suggesting that individuals with authority have an power over other to persuade their thinking even if they know the person in authority is incorrect.

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"The Bear that Wasn't" does validate the bear's identity as a bear, by calling him a bear, but the open-endedness allows for us to question whether it was a bear that he wasn't or it was anything but a bear that he wasn't.

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The author suggests about the relationship between an individual and society is the concept of who we and how society perceives everyone else and individuals vary in society,

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Tashlin is suggesting that powerful individuals and groups have a big impact on the shaping of other individuals' identities because what they say is supposedly more important than what individuals think or believe and if they have enough power, those with less power will begin to blindly follow.

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It is difficult to go against a group because it can make an individual feel lonely and in the wrong. Most people fear that going against the group will result in backlash from large amounts of people and skepticism, which can be stressful.

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Tashlin is suggesting that powerful individuals and groups can use their power to shape the identity of those with less power. And because they are in a high position it is likely you will believe what they are saying.

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It is difficult for a person to challenge the opinions and trends of a group because it can make the individual feel left out or even feel pressured to fit in with those who are members of the group, especially if the group consists of their close friends/peers.

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That a persons identity is more important than what you believe about a about someone's identity its about who they are really.

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I have never personally experienced the bear's problem, however I would like to think that I would be able to maintain my independence because I have a good understanding of my identity.

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The need to be a part of a group can cause people to change the way they dress or behave in search of acceptance because the need to be part of a group and not be alone is stronger than the desire to be true to oneself.

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It is hard for an individual to stand up against a group because it makes them the outlier and feels since the majority feel one way, they must be wrong for feeling another. Or they don't want to feel as though they are being "difficult".

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I think it became harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity because he went up the chain of command of humans. This highlights how people in power and positions of authority dictate our behavior and tell us how we should live our lives.

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The factory officials didn't recognize the bear for what he was because there was no forrest around and he didn't act like the other "real bears".

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I don't believe i've experienced this to the level the bear did, however I do know what it feels like to question your own opinions based on others input. I believe everyone has experience this to some level.

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I have experienced this on a smaller level, in dance when we are trying to clean the routine if there is the question asked even when I know I'm right I will start to think that I'm wrong just because they thought it was another way and I don't want to be wrong.

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The title is referring to how other people perceive the bear, since they thought that he wasn't a bear.

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The title means that people assumed that the bear was not a bear because he did not fit their description of what a bear is.

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The factory officials may have not noticed that the bear wasn't human because they got pulled into the assumption that since the bear was in a factory, he must work in the factory and just be making up excuses to not complete his work. This assumption was not fair to the bear because the workers should not conclude traits about the bear without taking into consideration the bear's claims about himself.

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The factory officals did not think he was a bear because he was not in a zoo or a cage.