Nineteen Minutes

The genius versus nurture conflict has continuously been a arguable subject for the public. People want to know what effects our development, soulality, and especially our behavior, which influencems to convergency the two. The nature side of the argument believes that a tender is developed by the genes that atomic number 18 hard-wired into them. In other words, the reason why this human be causes the guidance he or she does today is because of the genes he or she were born with. On the other hand is nurture, which states a person is formed into the person they are by the environment.This suggests that a person is born with no inborn tendencies and recrudesce traits off of the setting and the people they are around. In Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult, ray Houghton, the main teenage character, suddenly snaps. Prior to prickings murders, he showed no aggression or violence whatsoever. Even his puerility best friend, Josie, who eventually became a member of the popular cro wd in school, made efforts to back him up. The sudden outburst from beam clearly show that his environment shaped him into the killer he became. An adolescent poop be bent and twisted into a completely different person.Hostile environments, alike(p) gr courseest for calamus, could distort whatsoever type of personality and shape the person in undesirable ways. A famous psychologist, by the name of Sigmund Freud, believed that there was evil build in us all. People, after his time, ran with this naturist sentiment and also said that it is in unrivalleds human nature to do wrong. It is a pessimistic view on the matter, however, they also opine that the evil, or wrongdoing, may be brought out with time. N whiznesstheless, this side of the debate be quiet thinks people are born as thieves, criminals, or in Peters case, murderers.Josies mother, Alex, has a strong first impression, from Peters childhood, as she recalls the day when Peter and Josie were playing with the firearm s. Alex states, I keep intellection about him as a little boysometimes I can still see him handing you that rifle- (Picoult 170). Alex references the time she walked in on Peter and Josie playing with the firearms, accidently left out by Peters father. She associates him as a little boy and relates it to why she thinks he killed his peers in naughty school. This is an easy way to blame Peter, despite the fact that he has been time-tested before by bullies, and never showed any aggression at the time.Also, kinda of blaming Peter, the finger should be pointed at Lewis Houghton. He is the one who made Peter knowledgeable about the guns at a young age, and also was peremptory by leaving them out with dupes around. If Peters biological genes were a factor, his aggression should have been presented at a younger age, when the bullying was excessive then too. In contrary to Freuds theory on human development, comes behaviorism. This theory, which was created by psychologist John B. Wa tson, essentially states that every infant is born with a blank slate.Meaning that any personality can be shape into what its educator or environment makes it to be. The most influential element of a childs life is clearly the parenting. This makes the child-parent bond the most classical relationship a child has. The way the child is shaped dictates how he or she will view the world, and more importantly themselves. The bullying was nimble for Peter. His first day, on the bus to school, resulted in a lost lunchbox and a few tears. The bullying continued and Peters parents were nonified. How Lewis and Lacy Houghton handled the smirch is vital.After the unpleasant incident, in a conversation with Peter, Lacy replies, I know about the lunch boxes. I know whats been personnel casualty on with the bullyingThe next time it happens, you have to start up for yourself. You have to, Peter, or IIm going to have to vindicate you (Picoult 73). The sudden change in Peters guidance is dra stic. This advanced approach for Peter suddenly makes violence acceptable. Even though Peter doesnt show it right away, due to shyness, a seed is pose which ultimately grows into the violence he displayed the day of the massacre at Sterling High.This type of shaping taught the child to become violent since he was non already. Due to the young age, the child will obey the parenting without question, or any conscious conflict. When a child reaches adolescence, physical maturity plays a major(ip) role in a humans development. The dramatic changes of the personify are a big change for any teenager. If ones physical development becomes delayed like Peters, then it can become complicated to live an ordinary steep school life. During adolescence is when one determines their identity, and with Peters difficulty to fit in, he had trouble decision who he was.With the stress and anxiety building for Peter, he cant even decipher if he is straight or not. The narrator states, He just wanted to know what it was like to be among guys who were braw, and totally alright with it. He wanted to know if they could look at him and know, instantly, that Peter belonged (Picoult 231). Its not that hitting puberty late was a bad matter for Peter, it just made it harder for him to uncover himself. He had to resort to the extreme by surrounding himself with homosexual men. Also, a run in with Mr. McCabe, a gay teacher at Sterling High, aided the discovery Peter necessitate to experience that he was straight all along.The confusion and delay of puberty makes it easy for a low self esteem to take place. bullying can be another significant factor in neighborly development. A dupe of bullying usually is incapable of having a high self esteem, and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. If bullying is suspected, it is important that the victim has psyche to go to. In Peters case he had no one. He learned early in life that he had to stick up for himself, so his parents were ruled out the equation early. If a victim of bullying cannot seek help, the bullying can cause emotional, social, and even donnish problems. Peter clearly had problems in these three areas.Combine the pressure built from the bullying with no one to talk to, and Peter was a aviate ready to pop. However, Peter shows no remorse after the incident. When talking to his lawyer he states, Why is everyone so upset that those jerks are dead? I mean people are crying over themand they were assholes, Every ones saying I ruined their lives, but no one seemed to care when my life was the one being ruined (Picoult 134). It is clear to see the damages given to Peter over time. What once seemed like a kid who wouldnt hurt a fly, is now a kid who shows no remorse and is forced to play survival of the fittest.With Peter Houghton as a prime example it is evident that nurture takes its course. Its not that Peter became one of the bullies, rather than he adapted to the dog eat dog world. Any parent imagines the pot ential their baby boy or girl can have when it is born. Some kids may be ignored, steered in the wrong direction, or bullied at school. No one can say what his or her child will be like before he or she is born. Nonetheless, every infant learns. What they learn makes up the world, but they mustiness make up their selves first. The environment around a child is searing to the learning and shaping he or she endures.