Materialism in The Great Gatsby Essay -- Great Gatsby Essays

Materialism may be defined as attention to or emphasis on material objects, needs or considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual values. The acquisition of material wealth is often equated with happiness in this country. This is true today, and it was true during the 1920's, the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. That the majority of Americans believe that wealth and happiness are the same is a result of our market economy that encourages consumption and conditions us to think that we need material possessions to be happy. According to Andrew Bard Schmookler, "Wealth and human fulfillment have become equated in the predominant ideology of liberal society, even though the great spiritual teachers of humanity have all taught otherwise." (17)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What happened to Gatsby's generation? The 20's were an age of a consumption ethic that was needed to provide markets for the new commodities that streamed from the production lines (Cowley, 53). The same problem exists today ... our materialistic attitudes are a result of the free market economy in this country. Consumers are taught that they need to have all these things that the businesses are trying to sell.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It's true that this desire for things is what drives our economy. The free market has given us great blessings, but it has in some ways also put us on the wrong path -- the path to a selfish, unhappy society. Michael Lerner, who worked as a psychotherapist to middle-income Americans notes that    "The problem is that the deprivation of meaning is a social problem, rooted in part in the dynamics of the competitive marketplace, in part in the materialism and selfishness that receive social sanction.... ...sterlin, Richard A. "Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot?". Nations and Households in Economic Growth:   Essays in Honor of Moses Abramovitz. Eds. Paul A. David and Melvin W. Reder. New York: Academic Press, Inc. 1974 (89-125) Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. Kasser, Tim, and Richard M. Ryan. "A Dark Side of the American Dream: Correlates of Financial Success as a Central Life Aspiration. " Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65.2 (1993): 410-13. Lerner, Michael. "Gurus of Cynicism vs. the Politics of Meaning." Houston Chronicle 24 June 1993, 2 star ed.: B11. Montagu, Ashley. Touching.   2nd ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. Schmookler, Andrew Bard. "The Insatiable Society: Materialistic Values and Human Needs." The Futurist July 1991: 17-23. J:ofsengclarklcarolyns.doc   

Wandering Girl

Wandering Girl By Glenyse Ward Published by Magabala Books Aboriginal Cooperation, 1998. 157 pages. The story Wandering Girl is about an Aboriginal girl named Glenyse who was put into a Wandering Mission. At the age of sixteen, she was to leave and work for a wealthy white family without choice; but by the end of the book, she finally escapes to have a better future. The book was chosen as a standard reading resource for the year ten curriculum. Might I say I really didn’t enjoy reading the book, mainly because during my school experience I have read many books like this one.I was hoping for a new adventure; not the same old storyline. The book, in my opinion was like reading a story that wasn’t rich enough in depth, it felt disjointed. I would have liked more interaction and conversations experienced between each of the character. The book was very plain, like a children’s novel. She said this and he angrily replied that, I thought. To be quite honest, that†™s what drew me off of it. It wasn’t a positive reading experience, it was boring and my mind didn’t want to engage with the book.Every character in the book was believable, but I didn’t have a favourite. None of the characters resinated with me. I couldn’t relate to what the characters were going through or how they felt. What they did or were going through didn’t catch my attention. I looked at the book, trying to relate with each character; but none of them/or me wanted to connect. We were like two of the same magnets with the same charge. The author though, did well with creating the characters as realistically as she could. The story to me seemed as two way street, real with a hint of fakery within the book.Every character had that realistic vibe, yet they all seemed to be imaginary. My interest wasn’t held throughout the whole entire novel. The first ten pages, I was in; but when I reached page eleven, I knew what was going down. I w as interested to hear about the missionary, what it was about. Nevertheless I didn’t want to hear about another girl in the same situation. I have always felt bad about the stolen generation, but having to hear the same type of story again and again; it took out all of my interest.I tried giving it a fair go, but it didn’t mix with me; I was the oil and the book was the water. Favourite scene in the novel would have had to be the moment when she saw her friend from the mission, for the first time in months. The connection between them was there, completely obvious to the reader (myself). I enjoyed that moment because I knew they had history which created a nice section in the book itself. Knowing that she had a past with one of the characters, made the book that slightly more pleasant.Having only one enjoyable moment in the book, I would’ve liked to change a lot of things in the book. For example, I would have liked Ms Bigelow to have karma come and bite her in the behind. I wanted her to experience something bad in repayment for what she did to Glenyse. Yes that sounds a bit sore, but justice would’ve been something nice to serve within those 157 pages. I also would have also liked to of heard more about her future. Maybe a paragraph about the rest of her life story or a chapter on her achievements in life.

Distinguish Between French Verbs Savoir and Connaître

French has two verbs which can be translated to the English verb to know: savoir and connaà ®tre. This can be confusing to English speakers (though it might be easy for Spanish speakers), because in fact there are distinct differences in meaning and usage for the two verbs. Possible Uses for Savoir to know how to do something; savoir is followed by an infinitive (note that the word how is not translated into French):Savez-vous conduire  ?Do you know how to drive?Je ne sais pas nager.I dont know how to swim.to know plus a subordinate clause:Je sais quil la fait.I know he did it.Je sais oà ¹ il est.I know where he is.In the passà © composà ©, savoir means to learn or to find out:Jai su quil la fait.I found out that he did it. Possible Uses for Connaà ®tre to know a personJe connais Pierrette.I know Pierrette.to be familiar or acquainted with a person or thingJe connais bien Toulouse.I know / am familiar with Toulouse.Je connais cette nouvelle - je lai lue lannà ©e dernià ¨re.I know / am familiar with this short story - I read it last year.In the passà © composà ©, connaà ®tre means to meet (for the first time) / become acquainted with:Jai connu Pierrette à   Lyon.I met Pierrette in Lyon.Note that connaà ®tre always needs a direct object; it cannot be followed by a clause or infinitive:Je connais son poà ¨me.I am familiar with his poem.Je connais bien ton pà ¨re.I know your father well.Nous connaissons Paris.We know/are familiar with Paris.Il la connaà ®t.He knows her. Savoir or Connaà ®tre For some meanings, either verb can be used. to know (have) a piece of information:Je sais / connais son nom.I know his name.Nous savons / connaissons dà ©jà   sa rà ©ponse.We already know his response.to know by heart (have memorized):Elle sait / connaà ®t cette chanson par cÅ“ur.She knows this song by heart.Sais-tu / Connais-tu ton discours par cÅ“ur?Do you know your speech by heart? Ignorer Ignorer is a related verb which means not to know in the sense of to be unaware of. Depending on the context, it can replace either ne pas savoir or ne pas connaà ®tre. Jignore quand il arrivera.I dont know when he is arriving.Il ignore Ionesco.Hes not aware of (doesnt know about) Ionesco.