r acceptance from her family. She chose her appearance, and her life was then forever damaged by that naive choice. Like Connie’s mother and sister, different types of people contibute to a person’s frame of reference and help to distinctively shape him.The environments in which a person is associated also contributes to molding his personality. The effects of a child’s environmental surroundings cannot help but draw somewhat of a reference to social stature or class definitions. For instance, people who live in wealthy, higher class areas are many times less appreciative of things. They don’t have to work for them; things are more often given to them. This strikes any commonalties that upper classes have with “lower” classes. Living in lower or middle-lower class areas makes people appreciate more all that they’ve worked so hard for. In any case, a child will most likely adopt very similar, if not the same, work ethics as those with which they grew up. Different types of environments shape children’s minds and attempt to teach them as much as possible about theirs’ and other various environments in order to prepare them for their own individual lives. Clearly, environments help in the determination and make-up of a person and the life they live.The process of one’s education, the effects of his social associations, and the environment in which he associates all come together to compose the essential contributors to the formation of a person’s character. As in Oates’ story, Connie’s experiences with her mother caused her to make a foolish decision reguarding her priorities, and it inevitably lead to her death. Her character flaws are what caused her own downfall. But who is to blame for the kind of person that Connie became? Is it her parents, or sister, or friends? Is it possible for her to blame herself? Afterall, she too was born tabul...
