Society is designed to be universal, and people accept it because that's what they were taught. From most people's perspective, everyone of the same race, religion, or sexual orientation follows the same stereotype. Unfortunately, this strict mentality makes it difficult for people who choose to step outside the norm. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is a novel that follows two young teenagers who experience their first love while facing their own struggles with race, appearance, and more. Dating from the 1960s, when society split in two during enormous cultural shifts, Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song about a man trying to find his place in society. Finally, “[I LOVE UNCERTAIN GESTURES]” by Valerio Magrelli is a poem that focuses on coming to terms with our flaws and accepting them as part of our identity. Comparing these three texts, it becomes clear that those who do not follow the normal expectations and norms of society are considered wrong to stand out. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original Essay On the surface, it seems that Eleanor and Park and “Ballad of a Thin Man” are similar because the “other” is isolated, but the causes of treatment are different. Eleanor feels like she "doesn't belong anywhere" and even when she is at home, she "pretends to be somewhere else" (Rowell 127). Similarly, Mr. Jones feels lost and alone in the 1960s, a time of advocacy for gender equality, diversity, and civil rights. Society was divided into two categories: the traditional and conservative older generation, and the more tolerant younger generation who protested for freedom and love. Mr. Jones doesn't know if he fits into either category, and he constantly wonders if he's "out here by himself" because he feels isolated because he doesn't fit in. (Dylan, line 10). But the causes of their isolation are different. Eleanor is isolated for superficial reasons like her appearance. On the first day of school, her classmates immediately judge her for her "tall size and awkwardness" and for her strange appearance while wearing "a man's shirt with half a dozen odd necklaces" (Rowell 127). Eleanor is bullied because of her appearance, as her wardrobe is much brighter and masculine than that of the average student. On the other hand, Mr. Jones is isolated because of his culture, beliefs, and values, which are far more serious matters. He is constantly reminded throughout the song that "something is happening" but "[he] [doesn't] know what it is", referring to the fact that he is now considered an outsider so as not to knowing which category to identify with, forcing him to be kept apart (Dylan, line 5). While the "others" in Eleanor and Park and "Ballad of a Thin Man" are both isolated, the cause of Eleanor's treatment is for aesthetic reasons, unlike Mr. Jones, who is treated poorly because he doesn't know where to go during the counterculture of the 1960s, a much more serious and controversial topic at the time. “Ballad of a Thin Man” and “[I LIKE UNCERTAIN GESTURES]” are told from opposing perspectives in terms of their treatment of the “other.” In "Ballad of a Thin Man", Mr. Jones is humiliated for being different when a geek, an artist who would hunt chickens alive, bite their heads off and swallow them, asks him "how does it feel to be a such a monster.” them for freakshows, which is quite ironic (Dylan, line 15). He is toldalso that “[he] should be forced to wear headphones,” which would prevent him from hearing others, thereby excluding him from the rest of society (Dylan, line 45). On the contrary, “[I LIKE UNCERTAIN GESTURES]” is told from the point of view of the narrator who wants “the other” to embrace their differences because this gives them individuality. To be accepted, people change the way they dress, their culture, their language, and much more. Throughout this process, people begin to lose parts of their personality and identity, and society begins to to resemble an assembly line where everything is perfectly synchronized and identical. Uncertain gestures such as “tripping” and “hitting [a] glass” create the “familiar rattle of the broken mechanism” that symbolizes a problem in the “assembly line” of society (Magrelli, lines 2-11). However, the narrator “likes uncertain gestures” because these are the mistakes that make humans human and make them unique from others. Unlike "Ballad of a Thin Man", the "other" chooses to accept that he is considered a flaw in society and to accept the fact that he is different from others by "declaring himself" and “dancing”. (Magrelli, lines 17-18). Ultimately, "Ballad of a Thin Man" portrays being "the other" as a humiliating and lonely experience, unlike "[I LOVE UNCERTAIN GESTURES]", which encourages "the other" to accept their imperfections and to express themselves freely. "[I LIKE UNCERTAIN GESTURES]" and Eleanor and Park differ in their treatment of "the other", they both have someone who appreciates differences and flaws. In “[I LOVE UNCERTAIN GESTURES],” the “other” is finally able to embrace his or her true self by “breaking” from societal norms (Magrelli, line 16). On the other hand, Eleanor feels trapped by her appearance and says that “she is stuck in her own skin” (Rowell 105). The people in Eleanor's life are not very tolerant, as seen at school where her classmates "[call] Eleanor Bozo", and at home where her stepfather, Richie, makes comments disgusting remarks about Eleanor, such as calling her a "slut in heat", making it virtually impossible for her to try to accept her appearance (Rowell 24, 67). However, Eleanor's looks are actually one of the things Park likes about her. Park "doesn't care" that Eleanor doesn't have girl's clothes, and "he rather likes that she [doesn't]" because the lack of feminine clothes sets her apart from others and this proves that Eleanor doesn't care. I don't need girly clothes to be beautiful (Rowell 159). Similarly, the narrator in “[I LIKE UNCERTAIN GESTURES]” “likes uncertain gestures.” Today's society can be described as robotic, and these uncertain gestures provide relief to the narrator because they make people seem much more authentic and real. Although "the other" is treated much worse in Eleanor and Park than in "[I LIKE UNCERTAIN GESTURES]", both texts mention how uniqueness is a good thing because it gives people character . The “other” in all three texts are seen as faults in society, but it is the way they are treated as wrong that sets them apart. In Eleanor and Park, Eleanor's appearance is described as a bizarre distorted image through glass: "Eleanor looks like her mother through an aquarium" (Rowell 18). Additionally, Mr. Jones is also referred to as a "monster" because he is an outcast because he does not know which side to support (Dylan, line 15). In “[I LOVE UNCERTAIN GESTURES],” the uncertain gestures resemble a dysfunction in today’s mechanical society. However, the texts differ in how they are treated as.