Unconditioned Response

I don't think the main cause of his problem is buying a new overcoat, but rather his own satisfaction with his dull life. He lives to copy and takes harsh ridicule from officers, and he doesn't enjoy anything new. My question is why is that? Does a name really define who you are in life, that he's going to be a mere copier for the rest of his life? Just because you're named Brittany doesn't mean you'll turn out to be a sterotypical party girl (I'm not hating on her, I like her fyi). I digress, but I don't think a name should define who a person is and becomes. So why doesn't Akaky have a thirst for adventure, curiousity, or any normal human desires (justified as a right to the "pursuit of happiness" )? What made him this way? If he had such a desire in the beginning of his life, he would learn how to control it later on in his life and he would know that he shouldn't put his entire heart and soul on just one thing. In this case, his overcoat is viciously stolen and it completely destroys him. If he had a sense of control over his desires, he might have not suffered such an ill fate. For instance, children who are not allowed out to socialize with their friends may become a party animal in college. They didn't have the chance to learn to control their desires, and when they have complete freedom, they go insane, for lack of a better word. My only problem is I don't see what could have caused Akaky's lack of effort in pursuing desires or even having desires to begin with. The answer could possibly be in Jessica Ng's blog "Who's the Villain?" explaining St. Petersburg as the main cause of Akaky's disposition. The weather, surroundings, and social ranking probably make it impossible for anyone to move up a class, thus Akaky could have learned at an early age that he should just settle for what he has. Of course, we learn later on, it's only human nature to have desires and pursue happiness. But his lack of control over it (unconditioned response), however, leads to his downfall.