"Am I You"
... …Miss Marcey lives in the apartment building next to ours. I leave all the stolen goods, as gifts on her front steps ” (Henley 1581). She steals for other peoples’ benefit rather than her own. Ashbe’s choice in snacks is also an original aspect of her personality. From what she drinks ( “…I wonder if rum and Kool-Aid is good?” (Henley 1586)) to what she eats (“Here are some Cheerios and some cute, little, colored marshmallows to eat with your drink.” (Henley 1586)). Ashbe is an original, unique character and conformity in no way has an influence on her life. John Polk, on the other hand, is conformity’s poster child. He begins the play having made an appointment at a whore house, not because he wanted to but because that is what his friends got him for his 18th birthday and he believed that it would make his friends happy to do it. John was actually disgusted at the whole idea: “Yeah, I’m sure they gave a damn what I wanted. …I would have told them a handkerchief, a pair of argyle socks, but, no they have to get me a whore just because it’s a cool-ass thing to do. They make me sick ”( Henley 1592). But after saying all that Ashbe asked him if he would still go and he said yes. Because he didn’t know how to tell his friends no. In addition, he was willing to even put his own morals aside to please them; he makes his morals known when Ashbe confronts him about being a virgin: “John Polk. I thought I should be in love…” (Henley 1592). Another way that John Polk tries to please others is how he is going to college to be what his father wants him to be. When Ashbe asked John Polk what he was studying to be he goes on to say, “John Polk. I don’t know. … Dad wants me to help run his soybean farm. …Dad feels I should go to business school first” (Henley 1588). But what about what John Polk wants or feels? He never second guesses what others want from him and he doesn’t even realize it. This is detrimental because John isn’t playing a role in his own decision making process. This is important because other people are living John’s life for him. John Polk benefited a lot from Ashbe due to her eccentricity and originality. Ashbe helped John Polk realize that he wasn’t thinking at all for himself when making decisions. Ashbe makes clear her feelings toward John Polk’s attitude when she says “You think I want to be in some group…a sheep like you? A little sheep like you that does everything when he’s supposed to do it!” (Henley 1590). After Ashbe voices her opinion John Polk beco...