You Can't Hide From Heritage

I personally believe that heritage does have a large impact on the individual person we become. Family members, especially parents, manage to ingrain certain beliefs and opinions into their children's minds. Also, we grow up in certain environments which become familiar and end up stimulating different viewpoints. This concept is especially shown within the memoir The Glass Castle. Although Jeanette Walls escapes the homeless life her parents live, she still carries many common values that her parents portrayed during her childhood. For example, her parents- Rose Mary and Rex Walls- both carry the strong belief that their children should not be coddled. So, Jeannette learned at a young age to become very independent, and she carries that with her as she progresses in age. Also, her parents encouraged hard work, which is demonstrated through Jeannette's overall achievements from education to her overall career. Another example of heritage influence is shown through the historical figure Martin Luther King Jr.. Like his father he grew up to become a Pastor for a baptist church. This depicts the strong emphasis his family had toward religion, and how it influenced him through his choice of career. Also like his father, Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by reformers. His father named both him self and his son- King Jr.- after the reformer Martin Luther, who was a large figure in the 16th century Protestant  Reformation. While Martin Luther King Jr. was greatly inspired by the works of Mahatma Ghandi. This example also illustrates influence from heritage, and shows that "fighting for what you believe in" was encouraged within the King family. This most likely has a connection to Martin Luther King Jr.'s later achievement. Overall, Individuals may have the ability to stray away from family normality, but in the large picture heritage leaves some form of mark on every individual.