Teacher
Class
Date
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Misconceptions
Caymen Meyers is a seventeen-year-old girl who is portrayed in the beginning of the novel as a person who dislikes rich people in general; however, as the plot develops and she gets to know Xander Spence, the richest boy in town, she realizes that money does not determine a person’s inner self. In the novel The Distance Between Us by Kasie West, the main character experiences a deep transformation which changes her life-long resentment towards the rich to a more comprehensive state of mind. Her perception of the wealthy is affected after meeting and falling in love with Xander, whom she analyzes meticulously before reaching her final conclusion that one’s character is independent of the amount of money he or she possesses.
At the beginning of the novel, Caymen Meyers explains quite directly her negative feelings towards rich people. “The rich are another type of species that I observe only from a safe distance. I don’t interact with them” (West 8). She knows that they possess more in the material aspect of their lives but considers them inferior when judging them by their actions and attitudes. Through these factors she concludes on their poor moral standards. The following quote is a perfect demonstration of how a small but significant action for years led Caymen towards a bitter generalization of all rich people. “He pockets his phone and beckons me over. Yes. Beckons. It’s the only word I can use to describe the motion. He hadn’t even glanced my way but held up his hand and moved two fingers in his direction” (2). Through this quote the reader can easily determine the character’s annoyance. Following this event, Caymen’s thoughts turn clearly resentful. “How is someone my age already so versed at beckoning? A lifetime of privilege, obviously” (3). Her disgust towards the summoner is evident.
Besides her own observation of the actions and attitudes of some rich people, another factor that greatly encourages Caymen’s resentment is her mother’s influence. Her mother is also a person who has negative feelings towards the rich and this greatly impacts Caymen’s perspective on the matter. “My mom is way better at hiding her resentment than I am. She even hides it from me. I chalk it up to years of practice” (6). In this quote Caymen communicates to the reader her mother’s equal, if not stronger, resentment towards the wealthy. The main character also expresses her opinion on her mother’s ability to hide it, accrediting it to all the years she has carried this affliction.
To sum up the root of Caymen and her mother’s hatred towards rich people, one must not omit the story of Caymen’s father. He was a rich boy who was dating Caymen’s mother. Eventually, Caymen’s mother got pregnant. The following quote explains the story and the source of their resentment. “As the spoiled kid of a wealthy family, he ran (...) His parents made her sign papers she didn’t understand that virtually said she could never go after him for child support. They gave her hush money (...) And this is why I have absolutely no desire to meet my gem of a father. Not that he’s tried” (21). They are both utterly convinced of the evil which resides in every rich person’s heart, until… Caymen meets someone who will completely change her perspective, eventually causing conflict with her inflexible mother.
Caymen meets Xander Spence in her mother’s doll store. At first, her preconceived idea of rich people negatively influences her first impression of Xander. However, once Caymen gets to know him she begins to realize that she might have been wrong about the wealthy after all. As their friendship develops further into a stronger relationship , she becomes convinced that her generalization had been wrong. As soon as a romantic relationship blossoms between the two, Caymen begins to fear her mother’s reaction to Xander. “I really want my mom to know Xander. Not only know him but like him” (172). At this point, Caymen is worrying about her mother’s opinion of not only Xander, but their relationship. She desperately wants her mother’s approval .
Once Caymen’s mother finds out about her relationship with rich boy Xander, she is not only angry, but is also worried about her daughter. “‘People like him don’t end up with people like us.’ I sigh. ‘Mom, please. This isn’t the eighteen hundreds’” (252). During a heated discussion with Caymen, her mother expresses her concern. However, Caymen is fully convinced that stereotyping wealthy people based on a few bad experiences is wrong, and she wants her mom to realize this too. The following quote accurately summarizes the conclusion Caymen reaches on rich people and the relationship that exists between their wealth and their attitudes, none at all. “Wasn’t it possible that money had nothing to do with the attitudes of the tiny slice of horrible people she [her mother] had been exposed to” (77 )?
By the end of the novel, Caymen’s transformation is evident. She has changed her point of view from being judgemental to being more rational and accurate with her perception of others. She has reached conclusions based on her own experience and has discarded preconceived ideas. From this character one can learn that even though most people are usually fast to create distorted preconceptions, the right thing to do is to get to know each person individually before drawing conclusions and arousing hostility. Prejudice is hurtful not only for the person being judged, but also for the person passing out judgement since it produces jaundice and hatred. Life should be free of stereotypes and misconceptions which often attempt to define members of society blindly instead of simply encouraging people to learn what is true about each unique individual that surrounds them.
Formatting: Presentation 5/5
Formatting: Research Skills 5/5
Conventions: 9/10
Content: Ideas/Support 18/20 (meticulously analyzed)
Content: Organization 10/10
94%
