Ibarra 1

Josue Ibarra
English 113B
Professor Jon Beadle
11 May 2016
Nonconformity
In todays American society, most people practice or conform to their prevailing ideas.
Our society is so diverse in regards to ideologies. Everyone having their own ideology is part of
the social construction. This means that people follow or learn from others values, beliefs, and
norms. In some situations, people violate others ideologies. In other words, they are considered a
nonconformist. A nonconformist is a person whose behavior or views do not conform to
prevailing ideas. When this type of situation happens, it could be beneficiary or bad. Most of the
time, we have to respect ones ideology. In the book Every Day by David Levithan, A is a
nonconformist when he transitions through different bodies (identities) because A does not
respect Justin and Nathans ideology, which is displayed by social norms and values.
Someone who is a nonconformist can seem to be disrespectful or upright when ones
values are in place. In As situation, it seems to be disrespectful because he/she is not following
ones ideology. Everyone has the right to practice and follow their own prevailing ideas. Most of
us could say that changing ones ideology is a good thing, but we all know that ones values and
norms are more important. A is a nonconformist for a reason and it is really important to him/her.
As reason to be a nonconformist is his/her love for Rhiannon. A changes different identities and
bodies every day. When this occurs, A does everything in order to reach Rhiannon. Many of the
bodies he/she transitions into have different beliefs and values. A cannot identify with any of
them because As ideology is completely different than the others. For example, when A

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transitions to Justins body, Rhiannon noticed something different. Justin hardly acts nicely
towards Rhiannon. Rhiannon still loves Justin no matter how he acts towards her. Im glad
youre not mad at me, she says. I just want everything to be okay (Levithan 6). A will hurt
Rhiannon after he/she departs Justins body because she fell in love with the new Justin. In other
words, A made Justin seem like a good person and made a stronger relationship between them.
All of As actions are considering him/her as a nonconformist because he/she is not conforming
to Justins ideology.
Conforming to ones beliefs, values, and norms can be challenging because it is
something new. Beliefs, ideas, and so forth is the way social construction works. Everyones
social construction is different because of the variety of norms and values. In As situation, he/she
transitions through different identities and he/she is challenged by the persons ideology. In the
article Self-Identity and Culture by Ronald Jackson, Cersie Glenn, and Kesha William state
that, people tend to only really think about their identities when they are in crisis or when they
ae displaced or moved from where people believe they belong (120). In other words, when
someone is in class and they are called to participate in front of the class, the individual will
either not conform or conform to the instructions from the professor. This relates to A because
when he transitions to someones body, he/she starts to realize the situation he/she is in. When A
notices that Rhiannon is involved, he totally forgets about the person ideology. Rhiannon
represents a crisis for A because he/she is violating others ideology. For example, Nathan Daldry
a character who follows his parents directions. Nathan strongly believes in his morals. He knows
what is right and wrong. Normally, I would take these as parameters. Normally, I would stay
within Nathans safe zone. But not today (Levithan 68). In other words, A knows what he/she is
doing, but he/she will do anything in order to be with Rhiannon. A has the capability of knowing

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the person qualities and values when he/she alternates bodies. A is being a nonconformist
because he/she is not following Nathans ideology. A is doing the opposite of what Nathan would
do. Nathan is not a person that would go to parties and especially late at night. The outcome of
As actions caused Nathan to be in the news because Nathan thought there was a demon inside of
his body. A illustrates being selfish by hurting Nathan and Rhiannon. At the same time, A could
hurt himself/herself later on due to the cause of his/hers actions.
Being a nonconformist can be considered a rebel or an outsider to anyone that has a
different view of the world. As actions seem to be extreme. Especially, when A transitions to
Nathan Daldrys body and people who know Nathan very well would be surprised to hear that he
woke up in the middle of the street. Many could say that it seems to be disrespectful because A is
violating Nathans ideology. Nathans values are the things that make him standout because he is
a well-rounded character. The reader might say that it is good when A transitions to Justins body.
Rhiannon could now feel that Justin has change, but in reality it is As actions. There is a sense of
hope lost after A departs from Justins body. Justins character is way different than As. Justin
does not have the qualities and the right manners to treat a women in respectful way. When A
gets the opportunity to be with Rhiannon, A does everything to make Rhiannon feel loved again.
If I were really Justin, I would find something wrong with her. Right now. Tell her. Yell. Bring
her down. Put her in her place. But I cant. Im not Justin (Levithan 13). In other words, A
knows that Justin is capable of hurting Rhiannon in a physical and emotional way. A is not
following Justins ideology. A is a nonconformist because he/she is not conforming to Justins
values, which are negative in regards to Rhiannon.
Each individual has a set of norms to follow within their society. It is part of someones
ideology. Each character mentioned in Every Day follows their own ideology. They

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acknowledge their social norms and values. They are conforming within their beliefs. In regards
to A, he/she is not conforming to ones ideology. In other words, A is violating ones identity by
not conforming to someones social norms and values. Identities are made of connections with
and the acceptance into a group that has shared symbols, meanings, and norms for conduct
(Jackson, Glenn, and William 127). In other words, each character in Every Day have their
own identity and their identity is constructed by their social norms, values, and beliefs. For
example in Nathans situation, A transitions to Nathans body. Even though its only Saturday
morning, hes set his alarm for eight oclock, not wanting the day to go to waste. He was
probably in bed by ten (Levithan 66). A is aware of Nathans qualities. In the scholarly article
by Silvia Bellezze, Francesca Gino, and Anat Keinan states that Individuals who are aware of
social norms and expectations may still decide to deviate from standards of appropriate behavior
in the way they dress, speak, and behave (49). In other words, individuals are aware of their
social norms, but they will not conform no matter what. A is a perfect example in this situation
because he/she does understands Nathans ideology. A will do anything in order to be with
Rhiannon. As mentioned before, A broke Nathans parents rules by going to the party and not
coming home on time. Nathan truly values his family. As a reader, we do not expect Nathan to
cause turmoil. People that know Nathan will be surprise to hear about the whole situation. All of
As actions are considering him to be a nonconformist.
When someone conforms, they comply with the rules, standards, and so forth. When the
individual does not conform, they will fail or refuse to conform to a prevailing idea or practice.
There are two different kinds of conformity. The conforming action is divided in rational
conformity and irrational conformity. In the scholarly article, The Psychological Explanation of
Conformity by Guandong Song, Qinhai Ma, Fangfei Wu, and Lin Li states that Rational

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conformity is behavior guided by thinking, judgment, or reasoning. It occurs as a result of the
influences excreted by the objects behavior or attitude and includes abidance, compliance, and
obedience (1366). The authors imply that the individual is guided by their behavior. In As
situation, A is conforming rationally to his/her own ideology because A is reasoning his/her way
to be with Rhiannon. As ideology is taking advantage of other characters identity and not
respecting their social norms and values. A is violating ones ideology when he/she alternates
bodies. A clearly states that he/she could follow Justins ideology, but A wants conform to his/her
ideology. I could try to find one of Justins memories to share, but I dont want to do that. I want
to give Rhiannon something of my own (Levithan 20). A is not conforming to Justins ideology
because Justins values are harmful for Rhiannon. Justin does not respect Rhiannon and show her
love. A views are make him/her a nonconformist.
Many may believe that being a nonconformist is beneficial in some occasions.
Throughout the novel, A is seen as being a nonconformist because he/she does not follow ones
ideology. In other words, A actions seem to be negative. At the same time, As actions can seem
to be positive in some occasions. A could be in the right track in changing ones ideology. When
A transitions to Justins body, he/she makes Justin look better towards Rhiannon. Rhiannon is
feeling love again from Justin. Rhiannon is starting to believe in him. A is inserting his own
ideology in order to make Rhiannon feel loved. We should do this every Monday, she says. And
every Tuesday. And Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday (Levithan 16). The reader can tell
that Rhiannon hardly goes out with Justin. As ideology is the cause for Rhiannon to trust Justin
and her love towards him. Rhiannon loved Justin even before A transitioned to Justins body, but
she was concerned. Although, A is violating Justins ideology to what he holds or believes in
regards to Rhiannon, A is the last person to interfere with their relationship. When A leaves

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Justin, Justin will be the same again and will not treat Rhiannon like A did. Rhiannon will suffer
again. A will keep nonconforming to others ideology, until he/she finally leaves Rhiannon alone.
A has to conform to Justins ideology in order to make Rhiannon realize that Justin is not the
right guy for her. At the end of the novel, A wants Rhiannon to find a new path.
Throughout the novel Every Day, A is nonconforming to anyones ideology. A is
inserting his own ideology in order to be with Rhiannon. A fell in love with Rhiannon when
he/she transitioned to Justins body. A did not conform to Justins ideology. He/she violated a
great character that followed his norms and values. His name is Nathan Daldry. A did not
conform to Nathans ideology. A does not follow anyones ideology. Every character has their
right to preserve their ideologies. It is something that shapes them. In other words, A is violating
each characters social norms, values, and beliefs.

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Works Cited
Bellezza, Silvia, Francesca Gino, and Anat Keinan. "The Red Sneakers Effect: Inferring Status
and Competence from Signals of Nonconformity." J Consum Res Journal of Consumer
Research 41.1 (2014): 35-54. EBSCO. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
Jackson, Ronald, Cerise Glenn, and Kesha Williams. "Self-Identity and Culture." Inter/cultural
Communication: Representation and Construction of Culture. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2013.
117-39. Print.
Levithan, David. Every Day. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.
Song, GD, QH Ma, FF Wu, and L Li. "The Psychological Explanation of Conformity." Social
Behavior and Personality, 40.8 (2012): 1365-1372.