... is that the opinion of the majority must be the best one, and as a result, there is a tendency to abandon freedom of thought in democratic societies. To Tocquecille, two other side effects of equality are individualism and materialism. Tocqueville points out that individualism threatens to grow out as conditions get more equal. Individualism can also contribute to the growth of despotism because ... if citizens become too individualistic, they won't bother to exercise their freedom. Materialism also results from a passion for equality because people think that they ought to be able to h...

• Word Count: 520
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

(Topic) The view taken by Lewis Lapham of "the American faith in money" meticulously identifies the covetous sentiment shared by our people. (Tell #1) Since the formation of this nation, Americans have been materialistic. (Show #1) Henry Adams observed how "deflected by the pursuit of money" the Americans were. (Mean #1) We have slowly altered our course in life to focus on achieving great riches, although these will only remain a dream for most. (Tell #2) The American people attempt to use their wealth to prove their "worth" to others and themselves. (Show #2) The philosophy, "the visible sig...

• Word Count: 357
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... historical time period and its social values in society in which Holden lives is analyzed. Therefore the historical context of "the catcher in the rye" has a significant relevance in understanding the novel. America in the 1950's was a country of great military power, a society of high conservatism driven by consumerism. America represented materialism and its people believed that America was the greatest country in the world. Holden despises the arrogant and ... superior mentality adopted by people he interacts with and as a result of this continual inner rebellion Holden is greatly os...

• Word Count: 1661
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... heightened sense of individual liberty after World War I as the "New Era " . When World War I ended in 1918 several young Americans who had fought in the war returned to America with a heightened disillusion of reality, as the horrors of the war made everyday life and social morality of the ... early 1900's seem trivial. Following the recession of 1921-1922, the nations economy grew spectacularly, which led a new age of consumerism and materialism ... as one newspaper announced, "The first responsibility of an American to his country is no longer that of a citizen, but of a consumer. "...

• Word Count: 1603
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... up to find all gods dead, all wars fought, all faith in man shaken", what's more, he depicted the postwar unprecedented boom of material revelry and at the same time presented the disappointment of the postwar generation for America, the concern for the loss of conventional values and ideals, and ... From the understanding and annotation of the whole age, he saw the fall of American values: American Dream. 1. The symbolic meanings of objects in this fiction are overt.Fitzgerald put richer special connotations to objects on the base of their natural symbolic meanings. As we know, books ar...

• Word Count: 1437
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... survival while being homeless, for Eighner, the process of diving has more of a symbolic significance. What Eighner reveals in his article, however, is not only a reflection of his own personal struggles with materialism; rather it is a larger commentary about how life in America has become driven by consumerism. Critically assessing what Eighner writes about dumpster diving, it is quite evident that the author ... their future. While each of these conclusions clearly reflects the materialism of the society in which we live, they seem to have greater implications for the author. Althoug...

• Word Count: 462
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and they were greatly expressed by the media. Advertisements were everywhere and they mostly targeted the influential youth of America because of their numbers. Children in America were exposed to mass hours of advertisements slowly turning them into materialistic consumers. Parents helped the growth of materialism by signing up for credit cards. The use of credit was advertised; when money was not available you ... consume along with the youth helping with persuasion, as the youth gets older the cycle continues. This cycle still exists in the United States today, many other countries wi...

• Word Count: 1336
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He experimented with certain drugs in attempt to open his mind and let things flow freely. This is successfully achieved in Sunflower Sutra. Ginsberg and his close knit circle of friends commonly referred to as the beat poets felt that the postwar prosperity of America was laced with hypocrisy, conformity and materialism. Materialism is the general evil that ... haunts Ginsberg and he preaches against it in Sunflower Sutra. "How many flies buzzed around you innocent of your grime, while you cursed the heavens of your railroad and ... your flower ...

• Word Count: 1238
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . Within the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Jay Gatsby to illustrate the corruption and eventual downward spiral of the American Dream to the vulgar pursuit of wealth and materialism in the 1920s. The transformation from James Gatz, the ambitious janitor from North Dakota, to Jay Gatsby, the epitome of the self made man, exemplifies Gatsby's lifelong pursuit of his aristocratic ... eventual downfall and that her fervor for only the finest aspects have life, have corrupted his destiny of reclaiming his aristocratic roots. Gatsby's life is much like the American Dream, i...

• Word Count: 1786
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... side effects, such as a lack of ties to the community. He believe this concept could only be fixed by cooperation with neighbors for shared goals. The impact of civil society in America was also a fairly new concept. It was the willingness of Americans to join together without state involvement and the tendency of americans to associate with like minded individuals which was ... Tocqueville. Even though Tocqueville noted the weakness of the American state, he stated that the strength of the american civil society compensated for it. Tocqueville also found the impact of materialism on th...

• Word Count: 625
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... that generally is good and bring them down alongside the fall of that society. The web of materialism and power can entrap the innocent ones falling on the corrupt people. In the classic novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals a tone of contempt toward materialism, while emphasizing the importance of strong character. Fitzgerald's tone of contempt surrounds Daisy Buchanan targeting ... aspects of her personality require her to have material things before anything else, showing society's influence on how she lives her life based on the capitalist economy that controls America...

• Word Count: 1232
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... they viewed as the relation to their time, therefore, were trying to be non-conformists of their time. Transcendentalism is, in a way, a philosophy of its own. The "father" of the Transcendentalists, Ralph W. Emerson is one of America's foremost philosophers. One of his best works, "Self-Reliance" exemplifies his main ideologies. He promotes individuality and independence through most ... you shall have the suffrage of the world." Emerson was not alone in his fundamental beliefs and philosophies. Henry David Thoreau also attempted to offer a spiritual and cultural alternative to the mat...

• Word Count: 371
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... that we can ensure that our future as a multiethnic society makes it possible for all groups to be acknowledged and to contribute to the whole of who America. I recall a part in the Lone Star movie in which the owner of the restaurant refuse to recognized her past (she came to United Stated, by crossing the river like many Mexican, and also she tries ... never has existed. I pointed out that there are several important subdivisions that are located under the political economy umbrella. One of the most popular of those finds a lot of inspiration in the so-called "historical materialism- ...

• Word Count: 2799
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... all his friends are created characters that are accepted by masses of people belonging to different cultural identities. That is why; Disneyland's are opened in various parts of the world. There is one in Japan, one in France and two in America. These Disneyland's are visited by millions of people everyday and these people belong to many different cultural groups and identities. During their visits ... reason why Disneyland functions as an example of the culture industry is that it offers a model of "the large world house" in which there is no sign of "the giant triplets of racism, mate...

• Word Count: 1391
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... questioned not only his liberal bias views on Jacksonians and democrats but also his theory of class conflict being the cornerstone of American politics. Bray Hammond with Banks and Politics in America from the Revolution to the Civil War, views the Jacksonians as capitalists, people who concern themselves with the accumulation of goods devoted to the production of other goods. ... point, that the Jacksonians liberals were disguising themselves as compassionate, caring people only to advance their own selfish desires. Edward Pessen, a historian in the 1970's agreed with Hammond's views ...

• Word Count: 1042
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and relevant to the current state of American society. I want to study the link (if there is any link at all) between consumerism and quality of life in America. As the richest nation in the world, the United States still has high numbers of people who are depressed, isolated, and lonely. My contention is that as rates of consumerism rise, the ... life. Since World War II, there has been a growing consumer culture, which as many people point out, has caused a decrease in the quality of life in the United States. How has the consumer culture impacted social life in America? For example, ...

• Word Count: 608
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... (pg. 484) "We have seen above that the first step in the revolution by the working class is to raise the proletariat to the position of ruling class to win the battle of democracy." (pg. 490) The main objective of communists and the proletariat is the elimination of private property. Such materialism keeps them enslaved. (pg. 484) Bourgeoisie or capitalistic economics requires ... owners of the means of production to give workers enough to ensure their survival. (pg. 485) The existence of bourgeois property relies on its unequal distribution. The only way the proletariat can free itself ...

• Word Count: 1638
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of cultural forms originally nurtured by African-American, Caribbean American, and Latin American youths in and around New York in the 1970's. "Hip hop's value's are by and large fixed, it's a spirit of rebellion, identification with street culture, materialism and aggression" (Cited in 'Hip Hop America' Nelson George, 1998 ). Hip hop is a tale concerning the ghetto, full of drugs, guns and gangsta stories, ... it closely relates to Jameson's suggestions that, "American, postmodern culture is the internal and super-structural expression of a whole wave of American military and economic ...

• Word Count: 1886
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... be respected and used well. Moreover, there is a stable relationship between the change and progress, similarly to achievement, action and materialism. People have to change for progressing and they deserve to receive achievements after working hard as well as innovation in this article. One important idea from the article that I would like to discuss is Althen's statement about individualism. He writes," ... individualism would be taught for every generation. For example, taking care of children whether they have grown up or not in my country is still bringing the benefit, and it i...

• Word Count: 576
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . The radio stations suspended their shows and activities during World War One, as the radio industry was taken over by the government. Radio in the U.S. had become a government monopoly, reserved for the war effort. Amateur radio operators were particularly hit hard by the restrictions. The ... When the 1930s rolled around the radio was being controlled by two major radio networks, NBC and CBS. By this time, half of America had radios and most people accepted and applauded the idea of national broadcasting. Radio announcers were becoming personalities, adored by millions, and politicia...

• Word Count: 972
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... rights of women and the problem of slavery. The economic influences on American romanticism include the rise of materialism within the American context (which contributed to the growth of reform movements in the United States), the increase in disposable time and income (leading to a growth in appreciation of writing and reading with the growth of a leisure class), and the expansion of print ... an American. Leaves of Grass was inspired largely by Emerson's writings, and in particular his essay "The Poet." The poem is innovative both in terms of style and content, forever altering the c...

• Word Count: 917
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... mid-18th century and reached its height in the 19th century and was limited to Europe and America although different compatriots donated to its birth and popularity. Romanticism as a movement declined in the late 19th century and early 20th century with the growing dominance of Realism in the arts, and the rapid advancement of ... Heaving Coals by Moonlight (ca. 1835) is an illustrious example of most of his famous effects: moonlight, fires, and color in atmospheric effects. Romanticism in music ran parallel with the movement in literature and art. The Romantic composers were highly ind...

• Word Count: 453
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... diseases may by sure means be prevented or cured, not excepting even that of old age, and our lives lengthened at pleasure even beyond the antediluvian standard" (XIII). This progress in science, which Franklin spoke of, required people to discount past superstitions and accept reason as the way of the future. Individualism was also highly emphasized during the Enlightenment. Descartes" eternal ... that Christians needed to avoid positivism, which taught that scientific knowledge was the only "true" knowledge. Naturalism and materialism were two Enlightenment ideals that Hamann would not...

• Word Count: 1018
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... themes, techniques and general art, and also to challenge the consumer-orientated society that was fast becoming evident. Pop art was an art movement that emerged during the 1950's in England and America. It involved using the popular imagery of the time as subject a matter for art. The movement was contemptuous and mocked many aspects of the modern world, such as comic ... overly intellectual, subjective, and separate from reality. They hoped to close the gap between life and art and used the environment of everyday life. Images that reflected the vulgar materialism of modern mass cult...

• Word Count: 968
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... chief end of man" commented President Coolidge (a). The 1920's were a time of great political, economic and social change for the United States of America (USA). The decade saw a massive economic boom, widespread technological advance and increased personal freedom. As a result of the changes and developments that ... happiness with mere statistics, because to a large extent the 1920's were an era of "mindless materialism and consumption and the pursuit of private wealth over public purpose"(b). Whilst for many the twenties really were a "roaring" time, it was a decade ... but moral dec...

• Word Count: 2301
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate