Kevin Alatorre

Honors Literature Composition 9

1 March 2015
Ecology Article #1
Today in society we tend to understand the way we have connected with each other in
political, social, and cultural forms. We have been carved and shape shifted by our environments
that have also been done by our political, social, and cultural forms. To understand the persona of
a human being is quite simplistic by the mere fact of where they have been developed in their
lives and how it can affect them. Even if they were not developed in specific environments, there
is characteristics of such places that can change the way we act and think. Imaging in society has
obviously and absolutely affected us in our time with things such as pop culture, media, religion,
and capitalism, so seeing that a physical environment image can change humans too now seems
not much of a difference.
In the proof that has been done with the article Where We Are Shapes Who We Are by
Adam Alter, there has been a complete and basic idea of events Alter mentions of how the small
details of environments has affected crime rates to dramatically lower. Alter gets the point across
that yes its very possible and true to change the behavior of a human as to just add or lose a
detail on the environment they are in. Because of these scenarios, Alter has proved the
psychology behind the peoples behavior to control them in a sort of diligent way with a rational
reason to why it changed.
The article The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding by Gregory Ciotti,
also is another explanation of a detailed summary on how colors through the eyes of humans can
affect the behavior and decisions of a person. It also explains on how capitalism can use this

advantage on businesses for the sales and profits of their own. As I have stated before, that
imaging is a huge part of capitalism. The article has stated facts of many uses for colors and how
it fits into our lives without us knowing how we are being psychologically changed by
environment.
These two articles are summarizing the main point of how our environments affect us in
our everyday lives with behaviours and decision making.Mirrors have the same effect and are
arguably even more powerful, because they compel us to peer, metaphorically, into our own
souls (Alter). colors and branding will tell you that it's far more important for your brand's
colors to support the personality you want to portray instead of trying to align with stereotypical
color associations (Ciotti). You can see that the human reaction towards an environment is also
effective, but it can also interfere with ones personal identity and traits. You can see that in
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray, as she has explained in her book. When I went
off to college I struggled bitterly to lose my identity (Ray 31). It was hard for her to cope
with changing areas because the junkyard raised and she also states If you stay in one place too
long, you know youll root (Ray 69).
In our past novels, there has been relation with the effects of an environment and has
even affected the plot of the characters story. In our current novel Ecology of a Cracker
Childhood by Janisse Ray, Janisse explains her story of how her home state Georgia is full of
such beautiful nature that she admires and learns to accept that her states nature is a part of her
life and will always be around her. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the setting shows
how these lost boys are stranded in an island giving them the emotional discharge of cabin fever
and causing the boys to go wild because of the isolation and haunting viewing of their
surroundings. The lost boys would chant, "Kill the pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood!" which

showed the obvious character development from their environment just like Janisse. In Animal
Farm by George Orwell, the pigs become more corruptive because of their lack of discipline and
care from humans which shifts the environment of the animals to depend on the pigs. ALL
ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
stated the shifted rules that changed just as the pigs did, because of their environment. In
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, Janisse shows the same change of character as the last two
novels, merely because of the way their environment was conditioned. What I come from has
made me who I am (Ray 33).
Personally, this is a great research to process from and learn about, especially when
youre visualizing how all the details from the places you go to daily and places you visit every
once in a while affect your decisions and behavior. You never know how your environment can
be based off from religious views, geographic areas, and social areas. A visual of someones
environment is also effective of ones attitude. It could slowly put you in a positive or in a
negative mood. There is a beautiful touch of aesthetics for environments that can greatly affect
the way a person thinks.
As it can be seen, the statements have factually told that our personas and decision
making can truly be chosen by the sighting of ones environment and the environments details.
It can change the way we see ourselves, the way we act, the way we think, and the way we feel.
This element is a method of possibly manipulating how we react to things, since it shows that
clearly in the industry of capitalism. The subconscious is not always changed by colors, but when
they are they create ways on how our actions will be done. An environment is made up of many
things that can create a social, political, and religious change to someones views, so the details
we see everyday might be there for the opportunity for us to change for the good or better.

Works Cited
Alter, Adam. Where We Are Shapes Who We Are. The New York Times. June 14 2013.
The New York Times Company. 1 March 2015
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/16/opinion/sunday/a-self-defined-by-place.html?_r=>
Ciotti, Gregory. The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding. Entrepreneur.
May 15 2014. Entrepreneur Media, Inc. 1 March 2015
<http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243181>
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. London: Faber & Faber, 17 September 1954.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Secker & Warburg, 17 August 1945.
Ray, Janisse. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood. Milkweed Editions: 2000.