The contemporary world we live in has changed dramatically over time. Today, to survive, you have to believe in yourself. What I mean by believing in yourself is understanding your strengths and weaknesses, fighting for what you love, expressing yourself when appropriate, and not letting life stop you because you're confused. By reading Alexie's Indian Education and Alexie's What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, I learned a lot about the struggles of everyday life. These stories reflect today's modern life and the impact you have on yourself. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In my opinion, the current state of the contemporary world and survival depends on yourself and how far you can go. To survive, you cannot let another person judge you or determine what you can and cannot do. In Alexie's Indian Education, the author explains the unfair and terrible education system that was put in place for Indians. They weren't able to be who they wanted to be because of the automatic group they were separated into, making it seem like they wouldn't be successful. In second grade, the narrator talks about the setbacks that teachers tried to cause because he was of a different religion. “She sent me a letter home telling my parents to cut my braids or keep me at home.” (Alexie p89) Throughout his school years he was constantly bullied, but he knew he was different and didn't allow anyone to take that away from him. In the twelfth grade, “I walk down the aisle, valedictorian of this agricultural high school.” (Alexie p93) Despite everything he faced, he didn't allow anyone to determine his future. Many people face traumatic experiences because they are not considered what society considers “normal.” But to survive in today's world, you must beat all odds and show and prove your religion, race, ethnicity, gender or whatever category you represent. Another important feature you need is openness. You must be open to new things, to communication, to learn, to understand, to love. Which brings me to Carver's story, what we're talking about when we talk about love. In this story, there are two couples who each have a different idea of ​​what love is. A woman named Terri had a very traumatic romantic experience during her first marriage. She was constantly abused physically and mentally. She believed because her ex-husband killed himself for her and always said “I love you” that it was true love. “He was ready to die for this. He died for this. (Carver) Her current husband, Mel, didn't believe it was true love. He explains how you can love several people and then hate them some time later, so he wonders if it was really love. Just as Alexie supports in her statement "But I was saying goodbye to my tribe, to all the Indian girls and women I could have loved." (p91) Meanwhile, the second couple had been together for a short time, so Mel explained that they were in the "honeymoon" (Carver) phase of their marriage. This story reflects the contemporary world we live in today because love is controversial. No two people share the same kind of love. To love, you have to be open and willing. Also, don't let anyone tell you that what you think is real is fake...