It is said that life is a constant struggle. While that may be right, it is just as true that some people suffer more than others in this world and that some types of struggles have more implications than others. One of the most frustrating and painful struggles is the struggle for acceptance. And while it may be painful, it also helps build character and strengthens those who persevere it.
One character that struggles to be accepted is Cal. The cause of most of his struggles is his brother Aaron. Aaron is well liked by everyone at school and outside of school. He is seemingly perfect, and makes friends with everyone. He is accepted. Cal, on the other hand, is respected by his peers, but he has very few friends, and people always look at him as the darker of the two brothers. Cal lives his life wishing that he was good like his brother, and wishing that he could be accepted like his brother. However painful it is for Cal to experience this, it certainly strengthens him. After he has had enough with his brother, Cal finally tells Aron who their mother is. Aron runs off and joins the army, and later dies. This in turn causes Adam to have a stroke. Cal blames himself for everything, and in his sorrow, grief, and guilt, he thinks about committing suicide. Most other characters did commit suicide when faced with similar amounts of guilt and sorrow, but because Cal has always had to struggle for acceptance, he is strong enough to withstand the great waves that are crashing down on him.
Another character who struggled for acceptance is Will. Throughout his childhood, Will struggles to be accepted by the rest of his family. This is so because he has a knack for business and money, a trait that has never well respected by the other Hamiltons. While he is never accepted by any of his brothers or sisters, Will turns out to be the most profitable and stable among the children, and not just because he is a businessman. He makes the most money, but he is also much more emotionally stable when painful incidents occur. When Tom accidentally kills Bessie and consequently himself, Will does not lash out, act irrationally, or do anything outside his character, which others in the family have been known to do. He remains stable and is the most successful Hamilton.
Lee is a third character who struggles for acceptance. Because he is Chinese, people expect him to speak poor English and to talk very little in general. However, Lee is a very sophisticated man who speaks English well and also likes to go into deep discussions with others. Although he isn't very vocal about it, Lee struggles to be accepted as a real, intelligent person, and not just the Chinese stereotype that many Americans project onto him. Although he wants to be accepted, people will not accept him when he speaks in plain English, and so he must speak in a primitive, broken English. Even so, Lee goes on to become very influential in the lives of others, especially the Trasks, and is much more than a mere servant. Lee is an example of one who rises out of their struggles in greatness.
Cal, Will, and Lee are three characters who, in general, struggle more than others to be accepted when they are young. And yet they do not just crumble into a meaningless existence. They are strengthened, and end up being much more successful than characters who, by contrast, do not have to struggle with acceptance. Cal doesn't run off like his brother does when he realizes who his mother was. Will doesn't crash emotionally like some of his brothers and sisters do when hard times came. And Lee holds a meaningful and fulfilling life, unlike many in the world he lives in.
