Mudia Ogbevire

Professor Young

English W 1101

6 February 2017

            In the novel Friendswood, the groupthink concept is evident throughout the novel. One of the main characters, Lee Knowles rebels against the groupthink concept in order to help the community. The Friendswood community has been ignoring conspicuous harmful effects of a chemical dumping in an area called Banes Field. Residents of the community are conforming to the masses by not doing anything to investigate the harmful chemicals. When a situation or idea presents danger, harm, or if it is inhumane, then it is necessary to dissent.

            To begin with, the Friendswood chemical situation could be examined more honestly if residents of the community agreed to dissent and figure out what the real effects of the chemicals. Citizens of the community mostly likely fear disagreeing with what they were told because of the bad treatment they would receive. Lee Knowles is shunned and judged throughout the community because she is choosing to dissent from popular beliefs of the town. It is appropriate for Lee to dispute or dissent with her town leaders because the situation is dangerous for individuals living in the community. People in the community could end up suffering from cancer, blood diseases and other diseases because of the chemical spill.

            In addition to the Friendswood chemical dumping, a situation where ideas and actions are inhumane is also when dissenting is necessary. For example, after Donald Trump won the presidency many people disliked his beliefs strongly. Instead of following the norm by accepting him as president, many people protested and chose to dissent. Donald Trump’s ideologies could be considered inhumane to some people. Trump figures that banning immigrants from the country is a decent idea, while other people find this to be inhumane. Those who find ideologies inhumane are just in dissenting and protesting.

            In summation, inhumane, harmful or dangerous ideas or actions are areas that dissenting would be necessary. In Friendswood, many people refuse to detach themselves from group thinking to dispute the chemical dumping issue. Whereas, after the Presidential Election many people dissented due to the inhumanity they felt that some people were being faced with.