Summary:
Miss Amy in "Johnny Bear" by John Steinbeck is driven to suicide by people in her town because she felt she couldn't meet their expectations to be a role model for children. The townspeople's "community conscience" use Amy and her sister as examples of how not to behave.
Miss Amy feel that she is not good enough and can't meet the standard in Johnny Bear by John Steinbeck. She feels that the town expects her to be a role model for children, expects her to set the standard for good behavior, and expects her to lead an exemplary life. Unfortunately Amy is unable to cope with the pressures of being the "community conscience." Unfortunately, Miss Amy commits suicide. I believe that the townspeople are responsible for Miss Amy's death. They consistently use Amy and her sister to show the townspeople the right thing to do. The story suggests that Miss Amy is pregnant with the child of an Asian man which the community considers unacceptable. It is Miss Amy's inability to live up to these unrealistic standards and her fear of the townspeople's reaction when she fails that drive Miss Amy to suicide.
As I mentioned before, the community uses the Hawkins sisters as role models for their children. Alex says, "They can't do anything bad. It wouldn't be good for any of us if the Hawkins sisters weren't the Hawkins sisters" (309). How would you feel if you couldn't make even one mistake? If you were scrutinized for everything you did, and a whole town was relying on you? The pressure and the stress must be unbearable. Perhaps the town should choose role models who are real people that make mistakes and persevere through.
Towards the end of the story the reader discovers Miss Amy has an illegitimate child. The father is Asian which the townspeople find even more unacceptable. This would surely ruin Miss Amy and her sister's reputations. Many times in the story Emalin is quoted saying "you must help it, why you'd be better dead" (309). Not only would this ruin their reputations, but it would also make them social outcasts. I believe Miss Amy feared this life and decided to take her own instead.
Some might say that Johnny Bear is responsible for Miss Amy's death. After all Johnny Bear is the one who tells Miss Amy's secret. But wasn't it the whole town that encouraged Johnny to go and listen to her? If not for the unrealistic expectations placed on Miss Amy the outing of her secret would not have pushed her to suicide.
Remember Miss Amy lives a pampered life on the outside; however on the inside she must go through the daily struggle to be prefect. She eventually can no longer take the pressure that is put upon her by the townspeople. The town holds her and her sister to such unrealistic standards. They serve as the town's role models and "community conscience" (309) which is extremely stressful. Miss Amy also has an illegitimate child with an Asian man which the town would not accept. I believe it is the townspeople are responsible for Miss Amy committing suicide.
This is the complete article, containing 476 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
