The Man In The Well Analysis

The Man In The Well : Peer Pressure
In life many times we have to make hard decisions, but our moral opinion can be swayed by our peers in certain ways, which is known as peer pressure. This is shown a couple of times in the story “the Man in the Well,” Throughout the story the narrator and his peers stumble on a man who has fallen in a well and begs for help. A few main characters want to actually help the man in many instances yet decided not to by the actions of their fellow peers.

The Man in the Well, a short story by Ira Sher. The story is the troubles of a man who is trapped in a well and begs for the help of the local village children. The story is told through the perspective of a young village boy who discovers the man while playing.
The reason would be that it shows how harsh society has become through the ages and how our morality has changed.We have became a more individualistic society, we worry what others think of us and how our reputation is perceived. Also, because of this we are more succumbed to peer pressure and the effects it has on us. We have accepted it more the idea of going against the thought of what our peers think is more of a punishment now. For example, in the late 60s if you were caught doing drugs you would have been seen as a loser who was going nowhere in life, but today when a joint is passed around at a party and you don't take a hit then you're seen as a loser. This thought is also at play at the man in the well, they're playing a game with the man seeing how long they can last before they actually help him, well none of the kids wants to be the first to go and tell their parents for help so they wait and let others decide for the fear of what their peers may think. However, none of the children crack under the pressure, which in turn results in the man’s fatality, so some speculators may conclude, due to the changing of our culture through times that maybe if one of the children broke under the pressure and stood up for what was right the outcome of the story may have ended quite differently. The children are also a bit harsh in how they just stand aside and watch at the brutality of how
The ending of the story could have been changed i perhaps the peer pressure did not hang so heavy on the children and possibly one of them were able to speak out against their friends and save the man, but they did not and this shows a basis of how our morals have become more individualistic through time. We have lost the ability to stand up for what is right due to the fear of what others think, and see this through the story of “ the man in the well”. Also, the peer pressure not only affected the man’s life but the children as well, they will probably never be the same because of the decision they made. We need to revert to our old morals and try and think of others like we do ourselves, and maybe the thought of peer pressure will dissipate entirely that way no instances like “the man in the well” will occur. Lastly, it is best to try and remember to stand up for what you believe is right because every action has an effect and you do not want someone else’s decision affecting