Pressure in American Society Anonymous 11th Grade

People tend to hide their true personality from the exterior. Some individuals do it to keep their weaknesses or flaws hidden while others are reluctant to show their true self to prevent any harm that might externally or internally attack them by resulting from displaying their real personality. However, when a person is met with pressure or force, the depiction of their true personality is uncontrollably revealed or magnified. This behavioral knowledge is presented by Ralph Chang in Typical American where his true, inner personality slowly surfaces as he faces external and internal pressures. In "Typical American", Ralph Chang deals with family pressure, adjustment to American society, and business failure which reveals his passive personality and incompetence.

The family pressure, especially coming from his father, exhibits, Ralph's passive and incompetent personality. Growing up in the midst of smart and talented sisters, Ralph was loaded with heavy burden by his parent's high expectations as the only son in the family, but failed to be the paragon whom his parents imagined him to be. Jen writes, "A fellowship from the government! Field training! His on an advanced engineer... Of course, in the end, Yifeng(Ralph) did come...