The Impact of Greed and Superficial Materialism on Society
Humans know the price of everything and the value of nothing. From one’s first breath, you are placed into a social ranking. This ranking puts a price tag on you. In Russian society in the 1800’s, one might take a single glimpse at this price and determine your stature. Whereupon, if the price is high, one might feel more compelled to treat you with authority or respect. Money is power. If the price is inferior, one might feel the right to parade over you. You might see this classification on yourself and allow it to determine your desirability. Greed and superficial materialism are examples of how human nature is corrupt, according to Gogol and Tolstoy.
Materialism may serve as one’s
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In “The Overcoat”, Akaky is considered a fit of the lower class and concludes his views of self worth as inferior. As he goes through the motions in his daily existence, coworkers grasp onto his low self esteem and take advantage of this. Akaky absorbs this lack of respect, which he anticipates that he does not deserve more. Humanity has the ability to sense how one views themselves and this may begin to deflect how humanity sees you. For example, portrayed in “The Overcoat” “Until, after a while, people began to believe that he must have been born just as he was, shabby frock coat, bald patch, and all,” (Gogol 923). Comparing, the idea that one has the power to distinguish their personal value of life, a peasant in “How Much Land Does A Man Need”, displays values on the other end of the spectrum. The peasant states, “We’ll never grow rich, but we’ll always have enough to eat,” (Tolstoy 944). On the other hand, one might possess different views than others, by feeling confident and content in yourself this may positively direct others. Nevertheless, it is inevitable that society and human nature disperse into social classes, but it is in the power of one to determine their value of …show more content…
The amount of land a man desires is worth gambling over life. In Tolstoy’s piece of literature, Pahom expressed the importance of price in society in a rather ironic manner, “And what will be the price?” (Tolstoy 949). This is ironic because the price is ultimately his life. Pahom does not question the value of the land or the condition it is in. He questions the price and is unaware of the extreme cost, where his only focus is the affordability. Consequently, this depicts Pahom as having a one track mind and acting reckless because he is not considering the outcome of his affordability. Gogol portrayed the same theme through the characterization of Akaky and his concern with greed towards the end, corresponding to his sufferings. “The overcoat, which for a brief moment had brightened his wretched existence. Then a crushing blow had finished everything, a blow such as befalls the powerful of the earth…” (Gogol 938). This crushing blow was the end of his life influenced by the man who stole his overcoat in alliance with greed. Furthermore, Gogol demonstrates the calamity of attempting to maneuver your way up from poverty, only to be led to disappointment once after finding yourself back where you started. Overall, greed played a major role in the societies of “How Much Land Does A Man Need” and “The Overcoat”. In conclusion, greed and superficial materialism are used to criticize human nature and society in both “The Overcoat”
Money can cause people to act selfish and arrogant, especially when they have so much money they do noteven know what to spend it on. In the novel,
For millennia, there have been constant conflicts between the upper class and the lower class, characterized by the upper class’s sense of superiority towards those less economically prosperous. Mansfield, Gordimer, and Orwell describe these conflicts between the upper and lower classes to propose that completely transcending class prejudices is impossible and suggest that societal values have greater impact than individual values as they degrade both a person’s behavior and morality.
In “The Great Dictator” Charlie Chaplin said “In this world there is room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls.” What is greed? Greed is an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth. As a citizen of the United States, many have heard of the term the “American Dream”. James Truslow Adams, in his book “The Epic of America”, which was written in 1931, stated that the American dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (Adams p.214-215). It’s according to this dream that many people acquire this goal of becoming successful at all cost in America. At all cost, meaning they would do anything to gain success. The U.S even though it is based on opportunity has fallen to greed. The U.S citizens have fallen to greed because of selfish desires, wanting to maximize profit, and a strong fixation towards self-growth.
The Great Gatsby set in the glistening and glittering world of wealth and glamour of 1920s Jazz Age in America. However, the story of the poor boy who tried to fulfill the American Dream of living a richer and fuller life ends in Gatsby’s demise. One of the reasons for the tragedy is the corrupting influence of greed on Gatsby. As soon as Gatsby starts to see money as means of transforming his fantasy of winning Daisy’s love into reality, his dream turns into illusion. However, other characters of the novel are also affected by greed. On closer inspection it turns out that almost every individual in the novel is covetous of something other people have. In this view, the meaning of greed in the novel may be varied The greed is universally seen as desire for material things. However, in recent studies the definition of “greed” has come to include sexual greed and greed as idolatry, understood as fascination with a deity or a certain image (Rosner 2007, p. 7). The extended definition of greed provides valuable framework for research on The Great Gatsby because the objects of characters’ desires can be material, such as money and possessions, or less tangible, such as love or relationship.
society. Much of the world today is based on materialism and the worth of one’s
In Candide, by Voltaire, Candide struggles through a world torn by constant bloodshed and crime. As he travels, he and other characters are deceived, injured, and abused by the world around him. Voltaire’s Candide reveals another side of human beings’ hearts as he portrays humanity’s hamartias as greed, lust, and religion.
The capitalist society in which we live has developed an unspoken caste system around the material wealth and worth of a person. Specific clothing brands, access to technology, access to education, and modes of transportation are all seen as indicative of not only a person’s social class, but often times also causes assumptions to be made about his or her character, and since this is such a major part of our society, we as people have been brainwashed into defining ourselves in the very same way. The desperate desire to be wealthy- and therefore valuable according to our social class system- has a rotting effect on the soul. Spending so much energy and attention on the superficial forces the individual to neglect other aspects of the world. To use an old aphorism, man cannot enjoy the color of the sky if his eyes are cast down at his pocketbook. The incredible beauty of the world in which we live soothes the soul, while the pursuit of material wealth corrupts it. Floating in a wealth-clouded oblivion to this beauty disconnects one from him/herself, and much of a person’s identity can be lost in this
“Money is the root of all evil”(Levit). Man and his love of money has destroyed lives since the beginning of time. Men have fought in wars over money, given up family relationships for money and done things they would have never thought that they would be capable of doing because of money. In the movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author demonstrates how the love and worship of money and all of the trappings that come with it can destroy lives. In the novel Jay Gatsby has lavish parties, wears expensive gaudy clothes, drives fancy cars and tries to show his former love how important and wealthy he has become. He believes a lie, that by achieving the status that most Americans, in th...
The short story “How Much Land Does One Man Need?” is about how a man named Pahom went obsessed with greed. The author believes that Pahom’s greed disconnects him from everything that’s important. Pahom is never satisfied with the land he already has; and he keeps fighting to get more than he already needs. Pahom being blinded by temptations causes him to loss his trust with others around him, and his self control when it comes to more land.
Arthur Ashe once said, “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however makes a life.” Such is the case in Nikolai Gogol’s short story The Overcoat. Gogol takes a man without a friend in the world and gives him a new overcoat. The new overcoat represents a new life and a new identity for the man and instantaneously he is much happier. The man, Akaky Akakievich, basis his “new life” upon the love that he gives to his overcoat, and what he feels it gives him in return. Before long, Akaky begins to care more about his beautiful coat and less about the people around him. Thus is the theme of the story. Often material things are more important in our lives than people, resulting in the emptiness of one’s heart and soul. One cannot be truly happy with his possessions alone. He needs more than that. He needs people his life, whom he can call friends.
Greed, being a key human condition, has shaped society from the very start. In fact, some scholars believe that greed was the first major milestone of human success, when the first human wondered why he/she had to scrounge around for necessities; it is a part of being human to be greedy. Wanting a new car, to be loved by another, or to desire the feeling of well doing when feeding the needy, these are all factions of greed...
There is a little too much greed going on in society. My definition of greed is when a limitless person selfishly wants something and the obsessive addictions is that enough is never enough. The dictionaries definition is ‘an inordinate or insatiable longing, especially for wealth, status, and power.’ People do not realize that greed concentrated too much on earthly thoughts. People think the need of wanting something is just a thought, however if you continue to think about it, eventually the person will find a way to allow greed to take over the thoughts. Greed can make a man, but it can also destroy him ten times over. It is one thing to want money or materialistic ideals, but the necessity almost unavoidably becomes greed. Greed is something
Gilkey states, “What is economic or social security when all is insecure? What is fame when the cheering crowds have taken to the hills? What is social prestige in a society which lives huddled in caves and subway stations?” If the primary focus of human beings is to get rich and obtain all material possessions, then the time for self-evaluation is minimal. One cannot grow in their moral character and reflect on goodness while he or she is preoccupied with other things. Similarly, being moral requires human beings to act through relationship because one’s actions could affect the other
Money and Happiness are two things that we have all given a lot thought. We put lots of effort into these two things either trying to earn them or trying to increase them. The connection we make between money and happiness is strange because they are two very different concepts. Money is tangible, you can quantify it, and know exactly how much of it you have at any given time. Happiness, on the other hand, is subjective, elusive, has different meanings for different people and despite the efforts of behavioral scientist and psychologist alike, there is no definitive way to measure happiness. In other word, counting happiness is much more difficult than counting dollar bills. How can we possibly make this connection? Well, money, specifically in large quantity, allows for the freedom to do and have anything you want. And in simplest term, happiness can be thought of as life satisfaction and enjoyment. So wouldn’t it make sense that the ability to do everything you desire, result in greater satisfaction with your life.
Gino and Mogilner (2013) have recently conducted a correlational study highlighting the link between time, money and morality. It was found that focusing on money decreases an individuals morality, whilst focusing on time found an increase. This was measured through the percentage of cheaters on a test, after either being primed with time or money. Gino and Mogilner (2013) have suggested their findings are to do with higher or lower levels of self-reflection in which an individual experiences after time or money primes, respectively. The link between money and morality is clearly shown throughout the study, as well as the link between self-reflection and morality. Although, the link between time and morality is not as convincing, as a clear decrease in cheating is not consistent throughout all four experiments. Gino and Mogilner’s (2013) study has shown a link between time, money and morality – although not all aspects are entirely convincing.