The Purpose Of Life Is A Life Worth Analysis

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose” was said by Athena Orchard, a 13 year old girl who died of cancer in 2014. Athena suffered from osteosarcoma, also known as bone cancer, in her spine and skull. Despite the pain of the chemotherapy that she went through, Athena Orchard never lost her positive attitude. Much like the film reviewer Roger Ebert and technical visionary Steve Jobs, Miss Orchard did not view life as something worth a price tag. In her times of suffering, she found light in life laden with IVs and surgery and made the most out of a horrible situation. That is how life should be valued in contemporary America: by what one makes out of the experiences that can shape one’s character. Roger Ebert also suffered from cancer, resulting

It’s very unfortunate that people think this way. There are far too many factors that go into valuing a person. In the article, What is a Life Worth by Amanda Ripley, Ripley says to “tack on an extra $50,000 in pain and suffering for a spouse and for each child” (Ripley 7). From the tone of the article, Ripley does not agree with the “calculus” (Ripley 5) created by Kenneth Feinberg, a man who works to put a monetary value on the lives of victims of 9/11. How can you put a price on what influence that person had on their family? No amount of money can equal the love of a parent or spouse. Money does not equate to feelings or emotions a person creates for others, which is what the victim’s families have lost. The cash amount for loss doesn’t take into consideration how the deceased treated others or how they contributed to the world. It only takes into consideration how much their house costs and how much money their kids need for college. Although the money does help the families, there 's no real way to put an exact price on their loved ones. In Ripley’s article, she includes a widow named Maureen Halvorson saying “I just can’t accept the fact that the Federal Government is saying my husband and my brother are worth nothing”(Ripley 12). According to the calculated plan, spouses and family members of victims of 9/11 receive little to no money to help support their grief-stricken families (Ripley

There’s no way to put a value on life because there 's too many factors that go into evaluating a person’s character and influence. If one has good character and a positive attitude, one has more of a value than someone with bad character and a negative attitude. We have to make the most of every minute; not everyone is lucky enough to have a lot of time, such as Ebert, Jobs, and Miss Orchard. Love has earned a place as a value of life, along with how much you love one gives or if one loves what they do. “I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.” (Jobs 15) The influence one’s love has on the world and others makes a difference in the way others estimate one’s value. No matter what hard times come a person’s way, in order to make the most out of one’s life and add as much value to it as possible, one must make the best out of the worst situations.“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.” (Jobs