Cultural Influence
...o her guests. The guests, unaware of the true nature of the meat, enjoy this delectable but unrecognizable meal. Once the meat is identified, the guests react severely, often vomiting. According to Kluckhohn, this violent reaction is attributed to the guest’s cultural upbringing. They were raised in an environment that accepts eating chicken or beef, but not an animal such as snake. Therefore, when they realize that they have violated what their culture deems acceptable, the people react severely. Kluckhohn uses these examples to prove that one’s cultural upbringing dramatically influences an individual’s beliefs and behavior. However, I believe that an individual’s actions create and influence his or her culture. For example, the early Native Americans learned that by planting corn during a certain season, it grew better. In response to this discovery, all other Native American tribes began to plant corn during the ideal season. This lead to a change in the way their culture worked. Another example is the colonization of America. When British colonists immigrated to this uncharted land, they decided to govern themselves. Instead of setting up a monarchy, they created a fledgling democracy. The actions of these colonists led to a profound change in the colonial political system, and ultimately their culture. Author Mark Twain’s title character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, also supports my argument. Huck befriends an escaped slave named Jim. During this time period, slavery was legal and there were laws against helping slaves. However, instead of turning Jim in, which would have been culturally acceptable, Huck helps Jim to freedom. Although Huck Finn and Jim are fictional characters, Mark Twain demonstrates the changing attitudes of the people in his novel...