...Are the rich happy? Sasha Winther 2.p – Solrød Gymnasium Stephen Leacock’s literary achievement is largely in the mastery of the comic sketch. He has written a collection of short pieces that are unrelated to each other. He writes styling is miniaturist, and his focus is on the small details. The subject he usually writes about, are extensive, but usually appeals to the average man. The humor is a form of frustration or mild victimization, in this case the rich man’s sadness over the resignation of his butler. ’’Are the rich happy?’’ is written by Stephen Leacock, 1916. It is from the collection Further Foolishness: Sketches and Satires on the Follies of the Day. The text has an episodic structure, and there is a lot of narration. He tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using vague descriptive language. The descriptions are unclear, one cannot see or feel, but it is easy to understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles. He makes a clear comparison between the rich and the poor. In his text he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him that it is impossible to keep up with the rich and that it is better to accept the fact of being poor. He describes how a man can only give him a plain meal that he calls a home dinner, but that it takes three men and two women to serve it. Stephen Leacock shows his opinion by using sarcasm. It is the irony and the...
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...“Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him with great frankness that it is impossible to keep up with the rich and that it is better to accept the fact of being poor. He speaks of how the man can only...
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...“Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him with great frankness that it is impossible to keep up with the rich and that it is better to accept the fact of being poor. He speaks of how the man can only...
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...“Are the Rich Happy?” written by Stephen Leacock (1916) for the narrative essay and “Homeless” written by Anna Quindlen (n.d.) for the descriptive essay. The title of both essays is what caught my eye and the reason why I read them. Although, I enjoyed reading both essays, I felt the descriptive essay “Homeless” had more value and was the better read. Therefore, in this essay, I am going to compare/contrast the author’s purpose, the difference in their use of descriptive language, and the impact on the reader’s that each author intended to accomplish through the essay that they wrote. I also plan to show why, in the case of these two essays, I felt that the descriptive essay “Homeless” was the better read. One comparison of these two essays is the descriptive language they use. A narrative essay is written to tell a story. In the essay “Are the Rich Happy?” the author Leacock tells a story of his encounters with people he thought to be rich. He sarcastically tells the story using some vague descriptive language. His descriptions are not such that you can see or feel but, so that you understand who he is talking about, their expressions, and their lifestyles so that you can see the comparison he is making between the rich and the poor. In his essay he speaks of a man who makes fifty thousand dollars a year and has told him with great frankness that it is impossible to keep up with the rich and that it is better to accept the fact of being poor. He speaks of how the man can only...
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...Follow Jesus Wholeheartedly Luke 18: 18-27 August 10, 2014 Have you ever started well and gave up half way? Began something, put your best foot forward, but, didn’t complete it? I was a runner in high school. I ran various events, however, my primary race was the 800-meter. There were two of us in my high school who were pretty good at this particular race. During my senior year I was coming back from an injury and was very excited to begin the season after training throughout the fall and winter. I remember very vividly my first race of the year. My teammate and I were both scheduled to run the 800. Prior to the race, I went over to my teammate and said, “here we go! Lets get first and second!” For some reason in my mind, I was thinking that he would be first and I would be second. We started the race and I immediately got right behind him. I trailed him the entire way. From the beginning of the race to the end of the race, I followed him. We ended up being #1 and #2 that day and I was #2. I think back to that race today, all of the training, all of the effort and in the midst of that race, I didn’t give it my all. The gun fired and I was in the midst of the race, I didn’t have victory on my mind, I was willing to take 2nd. I was willing to run the perfect race until I got close to the finish line. Have you ever started well and come up short? Stepped out in pursuit of God’s best, but didn’t complete it. Have you ever settled for...
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...“Neither a rich man or a poor man gets to enjoy his money. One is too busy trying to hold on to it, and the other is too busy trying to get it.” During the Gilded Age, the American economy kept boosting up, but that did not assure the lower class improvements in their living conditions. At this time, life was tough, but for the upper class, luxuries came easily. The public was either economically sturdy or they were trying to at least get a meal per day. During the Gilded Age the lavish lives between the prosperous and the less fortunate were distinguished vastly through their living conditions, however, they both shared the same dissatisfaction within their lives. Above all, the lives of the wealthy included fortunes expanding...
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...accumulating wealth, power, and status as the American dream. In Faulkner's and Fitzgerald's stories this is not the case. Their stories state that the dream is not about accumulating wealth, power, and status as this does not make a person happy, but that creating close relationships and spending time with loved ones creates true happiness and that is what the American Dream truly is. Faulkner's story "A Rose for Emily" centers around the character of Emily Grierson. Emily Grierson was the only relative left of an aristocratic old southern family. These families had wealth, power and status. They were the families that controlled most of life in the old south. Despite the old south falling, Emily still had her wealth and status. She was well known around her town and everyone respected her. The town tried to support her the best they could after her father had died and even remitted her taxes as a sign of respect. Yet Emily was not happy. After her father's death she was seldom seen outside and hardly anyone spoke to her. She began to be seen a little more when Homer and she began to be interested in each other. Yet soon both Homer and Emily disappeared from public sight. The reason the Emily was so unhappy despite being considered one of the elites of society was that she was lonely.. In this aspect Emily's dream was not to obtain wealth or social status but...
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...The Story of an Ungrateful Heart In a land known as Tierra Grata, there lived an entrepreneur known as Noel. Noel is a very rich man who rarely stays at his home because he travels to different parts of the world and meet different kinds of person because of his business. Although he is always away, he always remembers his town. One day, he decided to visit the other people in his town. At the beginning of his tour to the town, he noticed a man looking very sad. He looked at him and saw nothing wrong about him except that he looked very sad. Unable to help himself, he approached the man and asked, “Why are you looking so down? Do you have a problem?” The man replied, “Why are you asking me? You cannot make me happy.” Noel then said, “I may be able to make you happy. Just tell me what’s wrong.” The man once again said, “You cannot make me happy.” Noel said, “I am a very rich man. Tell me what you want and I will give it to you.” The man replied, “If you really want to make me happy, fill this jar with anything until it is filled to its brim.” He pulled out a small jar and handed it to Noel. Noel, seeing that the jar is not so big, started dropping coins to the jar but it was never filled to the top. He asked the man, “I’ve already dropped all my coins yet it is not yet filled. What else can I put inside this jar?” The man answered, “You can put anything inside it even things that look as though it will not fit inside, because no matter what you put it’s not going to be...
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...Paragraph 1: (100 words) change grammar later One of the best written works by Oscar Wilde, an Irish playwright, poet and author of many short stories as well as novels, is The Happy Prince published in 1988 as a series of children story. Although aimed for kids, the story addressed issue concerned in adult society which deems it to be worthy for discussion. This essay shall provide the background summary of the story, literary analysis regarding the symbol of statue of the happy prince, and thematic analysis relating to the contribution the price offered his people and a reflection of lesson learnt from the story. Paragraph 2: Summary (100 words) change grammar later In the story, when the happy prince was alive, he lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. However, when he died, he saw all the misery of the city on a tall column as a statue. A swallow who came from afar stays with the statue of the happy prince and helped the poor with the ruby, the sapphires and the gold covering of the happy prince upon the happy prince’s request. At the end, the swallow died frost. The heart that was made of leaden of the happy prince also broke. Paragraph 3: 150 words. Change grammar later The statue of the Happy Prince in the story symbolized that outward beauty was nothing; it was just a show. The real beauty was the love and sacrifice. The Happy Prince had a lead heart, but this heart was full of sympathies for the poor and the needy. He sacrificed his eyes and...
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...opportunities. It is a land of hope, because the early settlers were the Europeans who left their countries in search of democracy, freedom and equality. In the 20th century, America was looked upon by the world as the superpower and dream continent where people’s visions came true. America became the melting pot of world and all the cultures of the world met here. There was a thirst for fame, power and money. This opened a door of commercialisation of the society. Many people became greedy and inhuman in their pursuit of fame and money. A famous essayist, Bacon is of the view, “Certainly fame is like a river that beareth up things light and swoln, and drowns things weighty and solid.” (Of Praise 133) Instead of a healthy competition and right path towards success, many were blinded by the materialistic aspect of life. American society also saw mushrooming of commercilisation and competition among the section of people, who were ready to sacrifice anything and everything for power and fame. This destroyed their family life and career. One of the most dominant beliefs of American society goes by the name of “the great American dream”. This concept is based on the doctrine of self-help, which assumes that a person having self-confidence and self-initiation can rise from a lower to a higher position. This doctrine is mostly highlighted by referring to famous personalities like Benjamin Franklin and John Garfield, who became role models for the posterity. Though many benefited by aiming high...
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...for tensions and contradictions within literary works. This is appropriate because Marxism was originally formulated to analyze just such tensions and contradictions within society. Marxist literary critics also see literature as intimately linked to social power, and thus their analysis of literature is linked to larger social questions. Since Marxism is a belief system which can be used to analyze society at the grandest or most detailed level, Marxist literary criticism is ultimately part of a much larger effort to uncover the inner workings of society 1. Title of the Book – The Great Gatsby: Gatsby became rich because, most probably Cody – the owner of the yatch, left him money but at the same time he is was committed to earning money at an early stage in his life. And the adjective Great added to the word noun, accounts for Fitzgerald reason why a man could be called a great that is he struggled hard to achieve the love of his life by trying to raise his stature. The word “Great” is added to emphasize the fact that he rose from rags to riches, and this fact should be respected and valued. Nick: “I suppose he'd had the name ready for a long time, even then. His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people--his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all. The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God--a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that--and he...
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...but I dont agree with that. The money is said to be the root of evil because man have a wrong usage on it. Actually, money is just a medium of exchange. Money does not have brain to think how to hurt people. It is the thought of human that used money as a tool for evil purpose. Many of them did wrong looking for a quick buck or two and end up doing some action that hurt another people. But they blame all the fault on money in fact is their brain that cause the evil. Money is not the root of all evil. In fact, the love of money is the root of all evil. When a person love money so much, he will jealous on other with more money and he tends to get more money than him in every possible way even by committed crime. A man greedy is also another negative sign of loving money. They never satisfy the amount of money they have, they want more and more. They steal, rob and cheat to get quick money to fulfill their greedy. In addition, the wrong definition towards money is also causing the evil. Many people think that money is everything, no money mean no life. But when we look backward, the ancient people still can survive without money. Money is just a tool that used to exchange goods. People nowadays become slaves to the money. They willing to do anything include immoral action in order to get money. Money is not a dictator. It is just a kind of metal or paper only. Money actually can help man to do good purpose. For example, money helps poor people to have a better life...
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...As “white boy” is getting himself back together, he tells the kidnapper that stayed that “this is the most fun he had in harlem.” (Hughes, pg. 218) The kidnapper states back “if I had your money, I’d be always having a good time.” (Hughes, pg. 219) As both of the characters are talking, “white boy” tells one of his kidnappers how the town they live in, Harlem, actually is. The rich man says “everything else has been fake, a show. You know, something that you pay for. But this was real.” (Hughes, pg. 218) When “white boy” said that it showed that he could never be entertained. As “white boy is walking out of the area, the kidnapper stopped him and tells him he is crazy that he he doesn’t like being wealthy. The rich man tells the kidnapper that he wouldn’t be happy being wealthy. He says this because he believes that money does not bring...
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...Preface I am not happy with America. I am not happy with the way we are taking care of ourselves. I am not happy with those who are governing us. I am not happy with the way things are decided. I am not happy with how long it takes for things to be decided. I am not happy about how diversely misrepresented we have become. I am not happy about all the opinions us 300 million American’s have. I am not happy with the result of where we are today, but I won’t defend the claim that I could have done any better. I have been fueled to write on this topic because I believe that our choices and attitudes after the turn of the century led to complications we face today. Things I enjoyed most about this paper was through all the readings. I learned...
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...once upon a time, there was an old and poor farmer. he lived with his two sons. one day, there was a knock on the door, his youngest son, bill, went to open the door. it was a man. he was wearing an old and dirty suit. he said to bill, 'little boy, i am very hungry, would you please please give me some food?' bill thought for a moment, then said,' alright, come in'. they walked into the kitchen. bill took a loaf of bread, and handed it to the man. the man was very happy, he ate the whole loaf in a minute. he thanked bill, and told him about his story. the man was once a rich business man, but his boss fired him because he was late for work one day. he lost his job. the man said that bill was a very good boy, and one day, he would return his favour. many years have past, bill has already grown into a teenager. one day, there was a knock on the door. bill went to open the door. it was a man. he was wearing a shiny suit. he looked very smart. he said to bill,' do you remember me?i am the man whom you gave a loaf of bread to many years ago. i have come to return my favour.' bill remembered him. the man handed him a breifcase. there was a lot of money in it. bill was very surprised. he didn't think that he could receive this much money in return just because of a load of bread! so then, bill became very rich. this story tells us that we should help others no matter who they...
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