“The office: Not so secret Santa” is a modern day situation exemplifying Marcel Mauss’ theories on the rituals of gift giving in his book “ The Gift”. Marcel Mauss’ refers to the ritual as potlatch that binds the recipient and the giver in a continuous bond of commitment, which both, the recipient and the donor cannot escape. Through the analysis of the clip and the book ‘The Gift’ I have established that a gift plays four important roles, of a present; of poison; as a special ability and of a bond and I verify that there indeed exist no free gifts or as Mary Douglas states, “There are no free gifts; gift cycles engage persons in permanent commitments that articulate the dominant institutions” Gift plays an important role of a ‘present’ …show more content…
If the recipient is not in a financial position to reciprocate the gift of the donor with similar or more value, then the receiver is put under continuous debt to repay the amount until accomplished. The fact that the gift is something that is given, received and dangerous to accept as it must be reciprocated makes it poison. Ryan, who is the receiver of Michael’s expensive gift, finds it difficult to accept the gift from his employer, as he is certain he will not be able to reciprocate with the same value causing the gift to become a poison. The recipient is in a state of dependence upon the donor. Moreover Michael mentions at the beginning of the clip that a gift is a way to show how many dollars a person means to someone. He explicitly states that money can buy people; Ryan, as a result will always be indebted to Michael until repayment of the poisonous gift. Similar to the Germanic contract, where in, “the Wadiatio ritual proves the presence of the creation of obligations and acts as a binding force that engages authority and Mana (prestige) of the man who hands it over.” The recipient of the gift remains in an inferior position until they are not freed from the engagement wager. Further, when Michael was disappointed by Phyllis’ handcrafted mitten, Phyllis’ gift turned in to poison not only for her but also for Michael as the latter explicitly showed his disapproval by introducing the ‘Yankee swap’ to exchange gifts and hurt Phyllis’ emotions. As stated in “ The Gift”, “Communism and too much generosity is as harmful to him and society as the selfishness of our cotemporaries or the individualism of our laws. Michael caused his gift to turn into poison for himself, as he expected more from the
The Simple Gift is a free verse novel and a compelling story of a 16 year old boy, Billy who leaves his abusive fathers home and dull schooling life, anticipating for something better than what he left behind. He finds a home in an abandoned freight train outside a small town. He falls in love with a wealthy girl Caitlin and befriends a fellow train resident, Old Bill. Billy is voluntarily homeless but now has a future that he did not have before. This book is a life-affirming look at the characteristics of humanity, generosity and love.
At the end of the story, Scrooge sends the Cratchit family a huge turkey and for the first time he does not care about announcing who gave this wonderful gift. Scrooge has learned that “giving is more important than receiving and the gift is one of profound pleasure” (English works). Finally, Scrooge has learned the true meaning of being a compassionate and loveable
The general Argument made by Christella Morris in her work “The Gift of Not Giving a Thing” is that Morris Appreciate all the gift that they’ve been receiving from their family and friends. More specifically, Morris argues that It's better if the children had some experience outside rather than staying at home playing their toys. She writes “So, starting now, this year before the holiday season begins I'm beginning a new tradition. Although we’ll always be grateful for the presents received” (Paragraph 4). In this passage, Morriss is suggesting that why doesn't she start a new tradition that will let her children learn new things and experience but still she is is still thankful for the tangible things that they've been receiving. In conclusion,
Gift-giving nowadays is no longer an act of kindness, but rather a political measure, taken to ensure one’s status with one’s acquaintances. While the general feeling of "goodwill towards men" still pervades the season, albeit filtered through television and municipal decorating projects, there is a great tension that precedes the actual Christmas holiday itself. I remember Christmases of my youth as enjoyable times, to be sure, but also as times when it was best to stay clear of my mother, who was inevitably in
The following paper compares a popular short films character, The Grinch, of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, with Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The reason such a comparison seems apt is that the Grinch seems to have all a “man” could want, but is nonetheless unhappy and miserable. Although his material needs have been met, he lacks a sense of belonging, does not have true self-esteem, and has never come close to Maslow’s descriptions of self-actualization. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” shows the evolution of the Grinch from a miser and robber to a being of generosity and empathy. Using Maslow’s theory allows us to see the Grinch’s structure and development of personality, the psychopathology, therapeutic techniques, and the limitations
Gift giving is a concept that not only occurs in the three disciplines but also in our everyday life. The gift economy works when a person gives a gift and then expects the other person to reciprocate the gift giving and do something nice for them. This is significant because the concepts of gift giving and reciprocation is an endless cycle. This cycle of gift giving is seen in the disciplines we study (literature, art, and music). Literal gift giving is the actual giving of a gift in hoping that the receiver will reciprocate the gift. Literal gifts are often seen in in the literature novels, such as Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Metaphoric gifts show the significance and symbolic ways of gift giving. Metaphoric gifts are often seen in art and music
What about other countries though? Is the Christmas season all about giving and receiving gifts? Are children in Spain rewarded by Santa with gifts and toys on Christmas Eve? In this essay we will look at what Christmas season means in Spain, and what traditions are prevalent in their culture. We will also look at the Christmas related traditions of Americans, and how those compare and contrast to those in Spain.
The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick explores the causes and challenges of homelessness in today's youth. It highlights the struggles that a victim of homelessness would go through, such as finding a place to sleep every night, and finding a source of food and money. The Simple Gift also showed some causes of homelessness, which were demonstrated in the book through out the story.
The well known holiday of Christmas today is far from what it was in it’s former being. Many aspects led to the change in Christmas, however Charles Dickens, a Victorian era author was arguably the most influential in the change. There was a time when christmas was not much more important than your average holiday. Without the work of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Regency Christmas would not have changed to be the way it is today. As we examine the Regency Christmas, the Christmas events in A Christmas Carol, new Christmas ideas, and today’s new christmas we will form the true Christmas.
In "The Gift Outright," Robert Frost traces the development of American culture from colonial times to a more present perspective. He tells the American story of colonialism, freedom, westward expansion, and the quest to develop a specifically American culture. In doing this, he focuses on explaining ways in which Americans supported the growth and development of their country and culture. Frost suggests that Americans showed their allegiance to their developing country and culture in several ways: battlefield bravery, commitment of talents to the good of the country, and dedication to expanding the United States' land and power. His reflection on the past is also a call for action in the future. He acknowledges that American culture is still not fully developed and the continued dedication of Americans, like occurred in the past, is required for the United States to recognize her full potential.
Friendship means different things for everyone. It can mean happiness and trust. Friends are important to connect to, talk to, and to help in tough situations. Friends help teach life lessons. Most importantly, friends are there to love and to feel loved. The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick revolves around the friendship between the main characters, Old Bill, Billy, and Caitlin. Their friendship resulted in them learning valuable life lessons and experiencing the power of love.
In Charles Dickens’, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge lives as the unhappy owner of an accounting office who mistreats those around him. Scrooge has not lived life in a satisfying manner and now resides in isolation, in no hurry to right the wrongs of his past. Through the intercession of three ghosts, Scrooge journeys to Christmases of the past, present, and future and transforms from a man of greed into one of care and compassion. In the beginning of the story, Dickens contrasts the harsh personality of Scrooge with, “Gentlemen of the free-and-easy sort” (Dickens 31). Scrooge’s treatment of others is not easy to overlook, but he must seek forgiveness and set himself free.
The holidays, that begin promptly after Thanksgiving Day is over, are a time for gift-giving and displaying affection for others through material objects. For my family, Christmas gifts are a way to communicate thoughtfulness and overall love for one another. My identical twin sister, Samantha, shares this sentiment and spent an extended period of time looking for a present that would perfectly convey her sisterly love for me, and the fact that she actually purchased items that I would use and like exemplified her intentions. However, I did not go through this materialistic process this past holiday, and I inadvertently interrupted what Marcel Mauss describes as reciprocation. He claims that giving a gift is not simply giving over an object to another person, but actually giving up part of the ownership and handing over a component of the essence of the person. For me to not give a gift to my sister in return this past Christmas, it essentially broke down the reciprocity of the process and rejected my sister and her offer to share part of herself with me. Mauss and his thoughts explain exactly why my sister was angry with me throughout the holidays, a reason I had yet to grasp until understanding Mauss’s concepts. He also describes the purpose of the gift, which is not an entirely economic action.
worse. Since these people make very little money, their gifts come more from the heart
Ah, to be a kid again. How wonderful it would be to relive the magic of Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I have always been a kid at heart and a true lover of Christmas. But as we get older and we realize that Santa Claus and the North Pole were just stories our parents told us so we’d behave, Christmas starts to lose that magical feeling. No matter how much we might still love it, Christmastime just isn’t the same as when we were young. And at a time of all the aggravating shopping hustle and bustle, dents in the pockets, headaches, traffic jams and long lines, I begin to realize that God has sent me the most magical Christmas gift of all, a beautiful three year old whom I can relive Christmas in all over. Through my child’s eyes, I see myself each time his face lights up at the sight of Santa, and I feel his anticipation each morning as he faithfully opens up one more window on the Christmas calendar. Tonight, as we decorate the tree, I admiringly watched his tiny fingers delicately place each of the ornaments on all the same branches until they drooped to the floor. So proud of his work, I secretly placed some elsewhere, as to not hurt his feelings, and wondered how many times my own mother had done the same thing. And after a long day of shopping and excitement, I watched his eyelids begin to droop while lying underneath the warm glow of the Christmas tree lights.