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How materialism affects in todays society
Materialistic nature of American society
Ways in which America is materialistic
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The graduate is based on Charles Webs novel. After World War II, baby boomers enjoyed good financial health, it’s in those revolutionary years that the young Benjamin graduated from College and has been the center of attention for his parents and his acquaintances. Ben’s wants his life different from these empty materialists because then his life will take on a meaning. The film takes place in 1967, Benjamin returns home on vacation and The Robinson couple, friends of their parents for years, are interested in him. The husband wants him to go out with his daughter Elaine, while his wife, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) wants to have intimacies with him. At first, he is terrified of the idea, but under the demeaning control of his eccentric parents,
Benjamin Braddock is drifting through life as The Graduate opens and he appears lost as his plane lands in Los Angeles while Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence” plays in the background. Benjamin comes from a well-to-do family in Los Angeles the son of a prosperous
“A&P” by John Updike and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner both explore class conflict and the problems that arise from it. In “A&P”, Sammy, the narrator, comments on a girl that he calls Queenie, who is more upper class, while he works at the A&P grocery store. Updike suggests that those with money have more freedom than those without. In “A Rose For Emily”, the entire town watches Emily as she falls deeper and deeper into mental illness. Here, Faulkner seems to suggest that those with money have less freedom. In “A&P”, Updike suggests that members of the middle class have a particular fascination with the rich, which ultimately leads to their demise. In “A Rose for Emily”, Faulkner also suggests that members of the middle class have a particular fascination with the rich, but that this ultimately leads to the demise of those in the upper class. This is evident in point of view, tone, and symbolism in “A&P” and “A Rose for Emily”.
An ideal life starts with one’s self. Overtime the building of relationships factor into your short and long-term goals to arrive at your future. It is your responsibility to create yourself into whatever it takes to reach the ideal life. As you struggle, several resources and means will make your ideal life that much easier to accomplish. Throughout it, the most important resource is your reputation; one way to build a reputation is debt. The character of reputation gained from debt is a pivotal step to achieve the ideal life through the role debt plays in our economy.
Less Than Zero is a debut novel of Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1985. It is a novel that is geared toward mainstream than literary fiction audience. Although Less Than Zero was loosely adapted into a movie in 1987 by 20th Century Fox, Ellis argued that there was no connection between the film and the novel except for the title, names of the characters, and the location of Southern California. By 2010, Ellis wrote his forthcoming novel Imperial Bedrooms the sequel to Less Than Zero. Overall Less Than Zero is a genre of fiction.
I read these three literary works the traditional way by reading them out of the anthology and also doing some research online. I read a few online summaries as well.
Freedom is heavily sought after and symbolized by flight with prominent themes of materialism, classism, and racism throughout Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon. The characters Milkman and Macon Dead represent these themes as Macon raises Milkman based on his own belief that ownership of people and wealth will give an individual freedom. Milkman grows up taking this idea as a way to personally obtain freedom while also coming to difficult terms with the racism and privilege that comes with these ideas and how they affect family and African Americans, and a way to use it as a search for an individual 's true self. Through the novel, Morrison shows that both set themselves in a state of mental imprisonment to these materials
Materialism has a negative influence on the characters in the novel, The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. “The most terrible thing about materialism even more terrible than its proneness to violence, is its boredom, from which sex, alcohol, drugs, all devices for putting out the accusing light of reason and suppressing the unrealizable aspirations of love, offers a prospect of deliverance.” This quote, stated by Malcolm Muggeridge, says that people get bored with the things that they have when they get new things all of the time. When they get bored with these things, they turn to stuff like sex, alcohol, and drugs. In The Great Gatsby, Myrtle, Daisy, and Gatsby are greatly influenced by money, and material things. The negative influence that materialism has on these characters is shown throughout the entire novel.
The most interesting dramatic parts of the film are the contrasts and juxtapositions presented when a janitor from a rough part of town mysteriously solves a very difficult math problem. This opens the door for a sociological examination of why higher education doesn’t really mean that much to a young man who has battled through a hard life and suddenly he is “discovered” and prodded to become an MIT-type person. He can change and grow if he decides that is what he wants, but was beaten down so many times as a kid he is reticent to do what others think he should do – even a psychologist that he learns to
The idea of materialism is not present in many of the verses written by Lao-tzu.
and his need or desire to be alone all the time, he doesn’t like to be
The term, “American Dream,” came from American historian James Truslow Adams who first used the term in his published book, “The Epic of America.” According to Adam himself, he believes that the American Dream is the “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” (Amadeo). The term has been used differently in today’s society and recalls it as maturing, getting married with the love of your life, having a beautiful home, and positioning in a good paying job to provide for your kids. Others say that the dream is to have a better life and do what you love. Either way, it all boggles down to just being happy. The “American Dream” became widely popular in the United States as Adam published his book during the 1930s and has been used in speeches, memoirs, and literature (Fallon). This term became important to the people in the U.S. because it sets a goal for all of the citizens to work hard for their dreams and happiness. Without this vision, most people wouldn’t know what to live for in life.
There are many periods throughout history that have made and shaped the nation. Starting when the nation was founded and leading all the way up to present day. Throughout the years there has always been the idea of an American Dream. The Modernist period is a time in American history that starts the beginning of breaking away from tradition. This era is estimated by many to be between the years of 1910 to 1940. Society during the Modernist era emphasized an immense deal on the idea of becoming someone or making a name for oneself. It was a time of change and prosperity, and the formation of a new American Dream. During the American Modernist period, Americans broke away from traditional writing styles and conservative lifestyles; transforming the American dream, into living leisurely and to the fullest.
In the media, prisons have always been depicted as a horrible place. The film, The Shawshank Redemption, is a prime example that supports the media 's suggestions about prison life. In the film we are familiarized with Andy Dufresne, who is a banker that is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. While trying to both remain discreet and find his prison identity, he assists Ellis Boyd 'Red ' Redding, a peddler, and Brooks Hatlen. In his attempt to fit into the rough prison subculture, Andy strategically starts a business relationship with the captain Captain Bryon Hadley and Samuel Norton. The film gives an insider 's look at various aspects of prison life. These aspects include prison culture; explicitly, guard subculture and inmate subculture.
The struggle for financial security and success has always been prominent in the American culture. The idea of the American dream captures the hearts of so many, yet leaves almost all of them enslaved in the endless economic struggle to achieve high status, wealth, and a house with a white picket fence. In Arthur Miller's, Death of a Salesman, we see how difficult it is for Willy Loman and his sons to achieve this so called American dream. In Lorraine Hansberry's, A Raisin in the Sun, she examines an African-American family's struggle to break out of the poverty that is preventing them from achieving some sort of financial stability, or in other words the American dream. Both plays explore the desire for wealth, driving forces that encourage the continued struggle for dreams, and how those dreams can lead to the patriarchal figure’s downfall. However, the plays contain minor differences, which have a common underlying factor, that leads A Raisin in the Sun to have a much more positive outcome than Death of a Salesman.
The American dream today is based on the fact that anyone living in America can achieve a perfect life if they work hard. Willy Loman, the father in the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, tries his hardest to reach the American dream as he grows up. The Loman’s life from beginning to end is a troubling story based on trying to become successful, or at least happy. Throughout their lives they encounter many problems causing Willy to have a tragic death due to the desire of succession. Willy wants to provide his wife Linda, and two sons Biff and Happy, the perfect life. Willy strives for the American dream throughout the entire play, yet never achieves what he hopes because there are too many problems standing in his way.