Anna Quindlen's purpose in writing "Stuff is not Salvation", is about why we buy products that we don't really need. A worker at a Wal-mart located in Valley, N.Y was trampled to death by a mob of selfish bargain hunters. This shows that americans will do anything to get a cheap price for electronics, aplliances, and other miscellaneous junk. This same junk that we buy are items that we don't even need in order to survive. In my opinion, I think it is better to have less because if we have less, then each item we do have will have more meaning. Even if you don't have money, people always find a way to buy useless junk one way or another. For example, people use credit cards to buy the junk, which then is added to the huge debt the U.S already has. It is better to have less because each item will have more meaning, and we wouldn't have to demand more.
I remember when the Xbox360 first came out, I wanted it so bad, I begged my mom to but one for me. My mom said no and told me I had to raise the money on my own. So I did everything I could to raise the money to but it. When I finally had the money to but it I went to Gamestop and bought it. I was so excited to buy it that I totally forgot that I needed to buy a game for it, luckily I also had enough money to but one. After about a month I realized that I didn't need the Xbox360 to be happy because this item will always need more games so that I can play it. One game costs me almost sixty dollars which means I need more money to please my useless item which only brings me joy for an hour before I get bored.
That's a way that most people think when they don't get what they want "even if you don't have money, people always find a way to buy useless junk one way or another way." Your example is similar to my nieces and nephews, they buy expensive shoes and as they grew up, they don't wear it as much anymore.
ReplyDeleteI find your view very interesting. Sometimes we want something so bad, yet when we get it we realize we can live without it. In your essay you used but where buy should be. For example (I begged my mom to BUT one for me.So I did everything I could to raise the money to BUT it.When I finally had the money to BUT it I went to Gamestop and bought it. luckily I also had enough money to BUT one). Also remember to stick with essay structure. Present your thesis and support your thesis with supporting paragraphs. Then your conclusion at the end of your essay restating your thesis.
ReplyDeleteYea i know how you felt, because when i was little i used to always play with barbies, so i always begge my mom to buy me barbies, But then after a while i started growing up and playing with things closer to my age. When i look back on it, i realize that at that moment i couldnt live without but now i look at it like its nothing just old memories.
ReplyDeleteHAHA, thank you for telling me I did not even realize that i spelled BUT instead of BUY.
ReplyDeleteThe expectation that an expensive toy in our age would recreate our childhood happiness is something I think we all have. We dish out massive amounts of money to buy ourselves the excitement a five year old can achieve with 5 dollar plastic toy. It seems ridiculous, but it's all part of a human drive to feel a past unconscious happiness, even if only for a temporary moment.
ReplyDeleteI thought your essay was well executed, quite similar to what I had written in response to Anna's essay.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that most of the time we purchase things and continue to build upon and improve them. This way, we don't grow tired of what we have.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what your mom was doing when she had you earn the money to buy your x-box. I being older went through the same thing. Growing up, my mom bought what was needed not what we wanted. If I wanted a toy or something I had to earn the money by washing my neighbor’s cars, or mowing their lawns, etc. My sons are now about your age and I have also made them earn the things they want. One day I hope you do the same as your mom did for you because it is a good lesson.
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