TOW #23: Yes, I'm in a Clique!

In the article featured in the New York Times, "Yes, I'm in a clique", Nathan Black describes the dynamics of the high school social scene, particularly cliques. Black was a freshman in high school when this essay was published in 1999 and not only is he incredibly eloquent while making his point, but he also has an in-depth understanding of what really goes on in the social aspects of high school. (For only a freshmen, he had a lot going for him.) To his audience of both high schoolers and parents alike, he essentially states that cliques are not necessarily a bad thing, contrary to popular opinion. Though his use of a blunt tone while describing personal experiences and figurative language, Nathan Black illustrates his firsthand knowledge of the topic and makes the claim that cliques are a natural part of high school social life. While describing the dynamics of a clique, he uses a simile to make a comparison. He says, "Each of these groups is as autonomous as any sovereign nation. The members sit together, eat together, go out together and, in this time of sorrow, often grieve together." This quote illustrates his understanding of the loyalty clique members feel towards one another, much like that of loyal members of a country. He also indicates with the word, "autonomous", that each does their own thing. Nathan utilizes a blunt tone through a majority of the essay, while describing his experience and ideals when it comes to cliques. He says, "That is not to say I think it's right to ridicule the people I think are nerds. While some cliques may go to extremes that border on outright discrimination, by high school most exclusivity is much more subtle; if I don't like someone, I ignore him. That way, he'll never even want to belong to my group because he doesn't know what we're like." This blunt description of the common philosophy held by many high-schoolers indicates that Nathan is incredibly educated on the subject. Through his use of words, like I, he makes his ideals and concepts more tangible for his audience. Overall, I think that Nathan wrote an excellent essay and did a great job achieving his purpose. Through his use of figurative language and a blunt tone, he claims that cliques are not necessarily a bad thing. In "Yes, I am in a clique", Nathan Black explains how cliques are a natural part of the high school social scene his eloquent description is truly one to remember.