In my expository essay, I intend to discuss the necessity for people to adapt or overcome obstacles they may come across in life. Doing so, I will elaborate on the outcomes of compromise through adaptation as well as the consequences of stubbornness and refusal to change. These ideas are particularly relevant to modern day society, due to the ubiquitous power imbalance on global, political, economic and social levels forcing a significant portion of people to have to hinder themselves in order to avoid conflicting with those of an obstinate temperament. In order to support these ideas, I am particularly interested in referencing from Bruce Beresford’s “Paradise Road”, where through the observation of the character “Imogene” it is ostensible that those who display less of a will to adapt to the circumstances of the Sumatran war prison are less likely to survive in the condition. Early in the prison camp, Imogene refuses to participate in any group work due to her imperious belief that she is above everyone in the camp from a social perspective. She is condescending, snobbish and xenophobic. However, when she learns that Wing practically died in order for her to treat her malaria, we observe through an extreme close-up on her face that she is suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of guilt and sorrow due to her previously held previously held prejudices. Immediately after this scene, we observe a sudden increase in participation and cooperation from Imogene.
A person’s journey through life should not and will not be like driving down a smooth road; simple, consistent and predictable. There are always potholes, bumps along the way; obstacles we must overcome or avoid in order to keep moving forward. If we don’t respond to these obstacles, we may crash, leading us to a halt, setback or even an end to our journey.
Adaptation to whatever conflict we encounter is essential. Whether we adapt through