The Renegade

Nature versus nurture is always a controversial topic. In his personal essay The Renegade, Charles Simic focuses on how his upbringing impacted the person he became. The environment he grew up in, such as family, time period, and current events, ultimately shaped his beliefs and his life. Simic used many anecdotes from his past experiences to bring his story together. For example he included a story of his grandmother and what she taught him. As Simic grew up in Serbia, Hitler and his Nazis began to seize power throughout Europe and occupy Serbia. Simic was then subjected to a variety of opinions, including his grandmother’s, which foreshadowed the terror Hitler’s reign would bring. She warned her grandson to “beware of the so-called great leaders and the collective euphorias they excite” (228). The beliefs of Simic’s grandmother’s became his own and therefore made him hesitant to accept new leadership or authority. When Slobodan Milosevic became the Serbian president in 1989 Serbians loved him, except for Simic. Despite living in the United States at the time, Simic was worried by the new leader and thus became more involved in Serbian politics. Simic openly stated his distaste for Milosevic in an interview causing Simic’s friends and family to question his commitment as a Serb. This new identity as a renegade, or traitor, as some believed, resulted in Simic’s being more vocal and writing this essay.  At first Simic’s writing style made it hard to predict where the plot and general story were going, however looking back his purpose is easily identifiable . Simic wrote The Renegade to inform the reader, or anyone with a basic knowledge of Hitler, Milosevic, and conflict in Serbia, that one should not be just a blind follower. Simic wished to stress the importance of expressing personal opinion rather than simply agreeing with the majority.

Leaving like a renegade
http://blogs.yis.ac.jp/15bryana/2010/12/06/to-a-daughter-leaving-home-by-linda-pastan/