The beliefs and values people hold concerning the physical and social world are essential to self-definition and social interaction. Additionally, the traditions and norms perpetuated through families and societies are a major factor in formulating an individual's belief system, which will continuously be carried out throughout their life. However, these beliefs are slowly adopted over time through different means and consequently reflect upon the well-being and interpretations of individuals in everyday life. As a result, this essay will address the crucial development of one's beliefs on account of their personal experience, relationships with others and society, while relating to the main social theme of beliefs and values selected from the "The Guardians" by Andrew Pyper. Furthermore, the essay will establish this idea through credible research, readings and the novel itself.
One could argue that personal experience plays an important role in the development of an individual's belief system and overall values towards life. Behavior and personality traits of adults are simply extensions of their childhood experiences. "The difference between men and boys is the size of their toys." This is a very accurate saying when it comes to psychology because it has been proven that a person will try to fulfill his or her same childhood desires in adulthood in a way that is acceptable by his or her society and culture. Therefore, childhood experiences do not only affect adulthood but they can be used to provide a vivid depiction of their personality and behavior, while resembling their values and beliefs. Conversely, the well-written novel "The Guardians" by Andrew Pyper emphasized the development of the protagonist, Trevor, from adolescence into adulthood. Convincingly, the novel portrayed a unique parallelism between the young and old Trevor to provide the audience with an insight on his growing beliefs and values as an individual.