Individualism in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken,...

Individualism in Robert Frosts The Road Not Taken, Zalman Kings In Gods Hands and James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Every society has certain values and generally accepted ways of living that are considered normal. These principles are what keep societies organized and orderly. Conforming to these principles, however, is not necessarily the road to happiness for every individual. The main character, Shane, in In God’s Hands, Sonny, in Sonny’s Blues, and the speaker in The Road Not Taken, all choose not to live by what is considered normal, or popular, and are able to find happiness by living as individuals. Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken is a poem about the choices every person must make in their life. The first line of†¦show more content†¦Though it would seem that Sonny’s life would be miserable compared to that of his brother, he is able to find happiness with his unusual lifestyle. Throughout most of the story Sonny seems to be out of place. He is not accepted by society, and not understood by his family. At the end of the story, however, when Sonny takes his brother to a blues club to see him perform, Sonny becomes the successful and popular one, while his brother is the outsider. When Sonny’s brother first gets to the club he realizes that â€Å"everyone at the bar knew Sonny†. The line, â€Å"Here, I was in Sonny’s world. Or, rather: his kingdom. Here, it was not even a question that his veins bore royal blood†, shows that Sonny was happy and respected by the people at the club. Though the life of a heroin addict is certa inly not considered normal, and should not be glorified, Sonny is still able to find happiness in his individuality. Zalman King’s In God’s Hands is a movie about three surfers who are traveling around the world training to become big wave surfers (meaning that they will use jet skis to be towed into waves in excess of forty feet). The main character of this story is Shane, who is the best surfer out of the three, but whose personality is very different from his two companions. Shane is a spiritual loner, who has made surfing his entire life. While his friends spend much of their lives partying, and chasing women, Shane spends his