Opposites Attract

As we round out our final year of high school, I reflect on the people I have met, befriended, and shared important memories with. Yes, similar interests brought me to these individuals; however, each one of them continuously shows me that opposites attract. Due to this concept, I have made friends with people who hold extremely conservative views, with those who find an addiction to corny romantic comedies, and even with those who can jam out all night to a nice Metallica Pandora station. In this way, I feel as if I can relate to Jim and Will's odd relationship in the fiction novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. The way that Bradbury indirectly characterizes Jim from the very beginning as a risk-taker when he remains hesitant to protect his house from lightning striking, questioning, "why spoil the fun?" juxtaposes the pragmatic nature of Will who persuades Jim to protect his home (10). I believe that Bradbury sees the world as an open canvas in which people are put together to grow and learn from others. The differences between Will and Jim remain apparent to any reader; yet, their differences remain the reason that they stick together. Without their counterpart, they have nothing to keep them grounded. With this enlightenment on human relationships, I agree with Bradbury's outlook on the world. Mr. Halloway truly captures my appreciation as he watches the two young boys and thinks, "that's friendship, each playing the potter" (18). Within his thoughts, Mr. Halloway makes the assertion that friends fall molded by friends in order to bring diversity and open-mindedness to each other. In these ways, I find myself with a similar outlook on life as Bradbury. We both believe that uniform likeness has the ability to make life dull and boring. No growth can be made as an individual without having an open-mind to the world. So, my advice to any readers follows (as corny as cliches come): Never judge a book by its cover. You never know how dramatically someone can change you before you allow yourself to get to know him or her. Whether you believe in Evolution or Creationism, the fact of the matter remains that people's differences stand to thank for the advancement of our culture. We continue to make progress as individuals because we can learn and grasp different opinions from those with opposite outlooks on life.