The first example I want to discuss is when Barbara was working as a waitress at Hearthside. She and a few of her co-workers were talking about their housing situations, and her Gail was telling her about sharing a room. "Gail is sharing a room, and her friends roommate is flirting with her, making her go crazy, but she says if she didn't have a roommate the rent would be impossible alone" (Pg.25). Then there is the Haitian cook who lives with his girlfriend, and two other unrelated people" (pg. 25). Tina and her husband pay $60 per night to stay at a Day's Inn, and Joan who lives in her van (pg. 26). All of these individuals mostly live in these types of situations because they cannot afford to pay…
For example, after the death of his first girl, Margaret, Malachy resorted to his problems by drinking alcohol. He would spend his daily wages to buy himself pleasure, instead of the food and nutrition his family really needed. Despite his actions, Frank looked past these proceedings and remembered his father when he was a child; recalling and seeing his father when he came home from his steady job. He would sit with Frank and his brothers around the fire telling stories to them about his life and hopes and plans for the future of the McCourt family. Frank never downs his father in this story because he does not want to put the focus on just one character's suffering or sins. In addition, Frank is able to shift his views from not just his father's sins but also his, his mothers, and the many others around him, saying everyone makes mistakes in his or her…
When I was younger, I thought money ruled everything but in reality it doesn’t. Working hard doesn’t apply anymore in today’s economy. Most of the people who are wealthy have grown into the money or inherited from their ancestor. People hold the wealthy to a higher standard/power therefore they think they are better than the middle/lower class. Even though money is a great asset to have, it can be a liability. As I read the essay about Tim Blixseth, he was an individual who was not impressed or got excited about how much money he and his family had. He wanted to be low key, an average middle class person who worked hard for what he got not just given. In the story “Living It” he tells us how he would wake up in different locations each night.…
A lot of times people think of money as a good thing, but really it corrupts. Jonathan Swift had said“A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.” When people gain a lot of wealth most of the time the start to look down on people but in the end it doesn't matter because we all end up the same. Dead. “We all gonna die, we bleed from similar veins.” Tupac Shakur explains this perfectly, no matter who we are we’re going to die because we are the same, human beings. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows how wealth creates social class which can ruin relationships.…
Arthur argues that singer does not reflect on the concept of entitlement and demands an overhaul of our moral code. When Arthur speaks about entitlement he states that if one is choosing to refuse to help someone one must show the unpleasantness that it would bring to himself and his family or you must consent. Arthur further goes on to state that if the farmers grows his own food he should be entitled to keep it for himself, because he earned it. That he should not be obligated to give what he earns away. In discussing further, Arthur discusses the we are not entitled to give body, that it is your body and you have a right to it and that outweighs any obligation one has to help another individual in need.…
Today people show how much money they have in different ways that don't include just plain saying that they have money. They hang out with certain people and go to certain places. Some people want to change their social class. For example a poor farmer’s daughter may want to associate with the upper class rather than the lower class where she came from but to do this she would have to change “social class.” This is what Gatsby did. He was born poor and worked his way to money. He wanted this change in social class and he went for it. Some people think this is no big deal to change social class because you surround yourself with who you want to be like. I think that it is stupid to change social class. There is no point. Everyone should accept everyone no matter the social class. If they don't do this and accept you as you then why would you want to associate with them?…
Overcoming a hardship is a difficult thing to do that shows strength and determination in one’s character. In the novel Angela’s Ashes, multiple characters throughout the book overcome their own hardships. For instance, Frank McCourt has multiple negative things thrown at him all through his childhood and teenage years. Such as, his father being a constant drunk forcing his mother to beg for food from the priest’s leftovers. Though Frank did not overcome this in the most legal ways at times he was still able to provide for his family. Another character who had to overcome obstacles was Angela herself. She had no support from her husband, who could be found drinking away any pay he made that day. Even when begging was frowned upon she still did what she had to provide for her children. Hardships are not just faced in books; they are a reality.…
In the novel when Malachy was not able to go get coal for his family, He said that he was not going to be a beggar when Frankie picked up a piece of coal. He did not care if his kid was sick or if it was cold in the room. Malachy was too much of a macho to pick up the coal even though he really needed the coal for his family. Without thinking of the consequences he made his family go and beg for coal.…
Children in Victorian Britain were treated in a way that their family could afford.The author of the article “What was a Victorian classroom like”, writes that ”They were treated by the family's wealth if they were rich they had good education and if they were poor they had poor education” ( BBC Victorian Britain children ). In other words this means that poor people were not treated as well and their kids did not have as many things as the rich kids. It isn’t fair for the poor kids that go to school because they have poor education and the rich kids had great education. This world needs to be fair. Because of people not having a lot of money their kids don’t get good education and have to suffer but the wealthy people still get to have fun and have good education.…
Money is power, which people want for themselves. The desire for money is a never ending trip and most individuals will do anything for this control. When people come in to some money, they feel superior, more powerful and above the rest of the other people that have less .they start hanging in crowds with the same level of income, so they feel better. I had a friend who once talk all the time, play together and hangout. When she got older, her family came in to money big time. Now she doesn’t talk to me, and never does anything with me. A…
Though the Great Gatsby is only nine chapters long, F. Scott Fitzgerald was able to convey many messages in this short book. The most recurring and powerful message was one dealing with money. In the roaring 1920’s when The Great Gatsby took place, how you obtained your money was very important and determined who you acquainted yourself with. It basically came down to the fact that there were two classes of people, those who were born with money and those who had to make their fortunes by working for it. These two classes clashed, for those who were born with money felt superior to those who were not. The chosen few who were born into wealth felt it was their obligation to keep the classes divided. Though one may “play” with the lesser fortunate classes, one did not stay for long or allow a lesser class into the circle that was the old rich.…
My parents still remind me urgently that I don’t want their lifestyle, but I ask why not? We aren’t living in poverty. Yes, we have to work hard to pay bills, but we’re comfortable. Millionaires may live lavishly but they most tolerate conventional corporate jobs, with long hours; leading them to sacrifice relations with their families. If that’s the “dream”, it’s absurd. Instead of striving for more money, we should…
In Great Expectations, Joe’s father made alcohol a priority, forgetting about the fact that his own son needed to be educated. This is exactly like Charles Dickens’ childhood since he couldn’t get an education either because his father went to jail for his debts. Both Joe and Charles Dickens had to work at a really young age to make up for their father’s mistakes, which is absolutely heart breaking. Both of their fathers are selfish for focusing on illegal matters and forgetting about their families. It made me develop some sort of disrespect for their fathers. They failed at protecting and being there for their families, and it’s so upsetting. However, I also feel sympathy for them since they lost their freedom because of dumb, childish mistakes. Clearly, the choices Joe’s father and Dickens’ father made negatively impacted each of their sons’ childhoods.…
“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.” (McCourt, 1996). Angela’s Ashes was a memoir based on the life of Frank McCourt, which ranged in various anecdotes and stories of Frank’s childhood and pursuit to his dreams to live in America. Frank faced various struggles especially his drunken father, who spent his paycheck, if he even had a job to a pint of beer to show his friend’s the money he has earned. With this it causes Frank’s family to go through struggles as to broken shoes, harsh conditioned homes, poor sanitation, plumbing, heat, and hope that they’ll survive through the great depression in Limerick, Ireland. Frankie was a boy who seemed to have high potential to be a great independent man. He always had a mind of his own, his own opinions, great responsibility, and determination. During his childhood he saw his Mother’s suffering, with the fact that she had to rely on the Father of her children to help them survive the great depression but with only giving them false hope, which resulted into his father, Malachy leaving the family. As Frank reached the age of teenage maturity Frankie, went out of his way to get a job and help out the family. With the qualities that Frank McCourt posses and learns throughout the memoir he improves himself and ventures back to America to achieve greatness.…
Lewis Lapham stated that the “American faith in money easily surpasses the degrees of intensity achieved by other societies”. As time goes on, it has become apparent that “money means so much to us” but it is only paper and that in actuality it cannot bring happiness. In my opinion, Lewis Lapham’s take on the attitudes toward wealth in the United States are correct. Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the rising rate of depression that is extremely apparent amongst the adolescent population both agree with Lapham’s opinions.…