The Differences of Morals in Societies

Julie Zook

Mrs. Burnett

12 AP English

27 December 2011

The Differences of Morals in Societies

            There are many controversies over what is considered moral.  Societies have different opinions over what is right and wrong.  Normal traditions in one society could be barbaric to others.  There is no one correct answer about what is right.  In different parts of the world, people live the lifestyles they do according to customs; however, their everyday viewpoints can be perceived wrong when compared to other areas.

            The everyday life in America seems normal to the people that participate in it.  If people find out that other areas in the world are doing something different, people perceive it as wrong.  However, everyone is right depending on their societies.  In China, families are allowed to have only one child.  The increasing population in that area made the government create a law that limited the amount of children.  Compared to other societies, this seems odd.  Families in other places can have as many children as they want. 

            The people that live in America have so many freedoms that they find it hard to believe that others do not.  Waiting in lines to go on rides makes Americans impatient while other people have to wait just to get food in order to survive.  Most people are close to starvation and they have to live day to day just to get what they need to live.  Americans have a large variety of food that is very easy to obtain.  We do not have to hunt or wait to get the necessities for life.

            There are many diseases that are widespread in other countries.  We are lucky to have shots to get rid of most illnesses but others are not able to obtain these shots.  Even though America has more freedom, that does not mean that everything we are doing is correct.  Other societies have disagreements with the way we live our everyday lives.  There is no right tradition that is being used throughout the world.  Something is only right in that society and not in others. 

            In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Nwoye was taught to live his life according to the traditions of his tribe.  His father tried to influence him to become a better man.  Okonkwo was looked up to in his tribe because he followed the traditions as best as he could.  Nwoye noticed some traditions that he disliked about his tribe.  The traditions were considered correct according to everyone in the tribe but he didn’t feel that way.  He decided to follow different traditions by becoming a Christian.  

            Even though there are different traditions, they are correct based on the society that people live in.  Most societies do not have the same customs as others.  However, there are still some similarities between societies.  Some areas would only do part of the customs of others.  So, customs are moral depending on where people live.