StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Belief is the basis of any thought, and so in this case Materialism indeed is the antonym of congregation; it draws diversity apart and helps people cluster in more ethnic, and or self like groupings. It therefore draws people apart…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.4% of users find it useful
Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller"

Download file to see previous pages

People choose what to believe, what to where, where to work, and even the kind of children they would like to have, if they had the authority! This materialism is rated as bad by some academic critiques who believe that the ideal world should be a world where people have few choices, and therefore ‘happy’ lives! But would the economy allow for that? And would the acquisition nature of man and the absolute power of bills set people upon the same path of diversity as we understand? The very fact that nature places want upon a person, reflects the materialistic nature that is man.

Without needs, there is no innovation, no commerce, basically no need to live. It is consumers who drive a market that is controlled by products prepared in the industry. And as such, economy slowly turns on its hinges. Humans are capable of creating their own societies and placing their wants and needs around that society, we can see, in David Brooks assertion, that the society, is getting more and more focused on the individual needs and wants, so much so that the collective thought of diversity in America, is but a dream.

Indeed, in own words, "…human beings are capable of drawing amazingly subtle social distinctions and then shaping their lives around them". It is indeed possible, that individualism is the reason industry thrives, but at what cost? In this essay, we shall see the effects of materialism on the diversity of America. The question is; does this materialistic nature bring people together, or drives them further apart? Quoting Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929), James Twitchell in “Two Cheers for Materialism, attempts to solidify the fact that people in the society are growing further apart as a result of these needs; He asserts says, “If we had fewer choices, we would be happier, there would be less waste and we would accept each other as equals" Though needs provide security in attainment, they are not a source of permanent happiness, and such they incur the creation of classes and clusters, and the need to be at comfort.

Reality is materialism brings with it 'me' that person who so desires to satisfy his own and protect his turf. That person who believes that there is no one better than 'ME!' the individual, created to find solace in no one but himself. In this very belief, it is imputable that the requirement that some society would feel 'Me' better, has effectively led to segregation of the races, professions, and ultimately classes. The crux of the staple is that the desire by people to be around places they fit in has created that vacuum of consideration for other people who hold different professions, skin color, and even opinions.

As such the estates, the cities and the communities in ‘human nature’ have ended up forming, or rather conforming to the desire of ages; to be like someone your own. The hierarchy of needs propelled by Abraham Maslow, puts self-actualization as the highest in satisfaction of man’s desires and needs, and states that if indeed in a lifetime these needs are met, then there is the tendency of creating new needs, to satisfy the arousal of new desires. Man being so consumed by desire has become so\elf centered and choosy with friends and acquaintances, the lack of which render a man useless.

In this sense and with the help of the Bell curve, it is concluded that we, live in absurdly unlikely groupings because we have organized our lives that way. So even though we feel that it is wrong for our children to go to Harvard and yet other children though bright can’t go to college, it is also very important to us to note the presence of such opportunities and bask in their glory, if we can afford it. It follows that the

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/english/1435838-write
(Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words - 1)
https://studentshare.org/english/1435838-write.
“Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words - 1”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/english/1435838-write.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller

Daisy Miller (Henry James) and The Other Two (Edith Wharton)

Daisy miller" (Henry James) and "The Other Two" (Edith Wharton)   The society during the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century was undergoing some modifications despite the domination of the old patriarchal values and class distinction.... The paper undertakes an analysis of two works – the novella Daily miller by Henry James and the play, ‘The Other Two' by Edith Wharton in this light especially comparing the interaction of human nature with social traditions....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Scientific and Political Issues of Anders Breiviks Mental Illness

hellip; Later on, he admitted to having carried out this heinous act and agreed that he had killed all the 77 young political analysts.... In order to assess whether he is mentally ill, it is important to delve deep into the political as well as scientific issues related to this massacre carried out by Anders Behring Breivik....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Racial and Cultural Stereotypes

Through the character Daisy, who is the cultural stereotype in the novel by james, the novelist presents his concepts of the modern American females, whereas Forster emphasises recognition of the good elements of every culture.... The racial and cultural stereotypes evident in Henry James's "Daisy miller" (1878) and EM Forster's Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905) suggest the social commitments of their authors.... hellip; The novella "Daisy miller" tells the story of the courtship of the beautiful American girl named Daisy miller by her sophisticated compatriot Winterbourne....
9 Pages (2250 words) Book Report/Review

Daisy Miller by Henry James

The viewpoint character, Winterbourne, alternates his supposed confidence over his desired Daisy miller between the conviction piled upon her by the community of expatriate Americans in Europe, of which Mrs.... But Miss miller, may she lack the intention to do so, had managed to create scandal having unacceptable behavior and acting inappropriately considering the old setting she was into.... It's apparent that Daisy miller had enjoyed her life allowing no restrictions to come her way....
3 Pages (750 words) Book Report/Review

Henry James novella Daisy Miller

The paper presents Henry James' novella “Daisy miller” in which the author shows a caste system in Hinduism whereby the lower castes are treated with contempt and scorn, the scourge of the class distinction.... hellip; The author describes Daisy miller, a young beautiful American woman who has no inhibition or qualm about her behavior and actions despite what society may feel about it comes within the limelight of opulent circles of Europe in Switzerland where she is on a visiting trip....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Henry James Story Daisy Miller: the Individual and Old Society

The paper presents Henry James' Daisy miller, a short novel, that was written in 1879 and is the story of the young American woman from New York and her rich family, sans the father, traveling around in Europe, a world still steeped in the old tradition, hypocrisy and artifice.... The story is focused on the character of Daisy miller, a young American girl whose ways are typically that of a young American – free, modern, flirtatious and mindless of conventions....
10 Pages (2500 words) Case Study

Modernism and Henry James Daisy Miller

This paper discusses modernism period and the search of self in Henry James' "Daisy miller".... hellip; The paper analyzes Henry James' "Daisy miller" in the context of modernism.... The paper "Modernism and Henry James' Daisy miller" discovers the search of self in Henry James' "Daisy miller" and the modernism.... In his novella, Daisy miller, James portrayed both the American and European cultures as well as challenged social expectations and gender conventions....
5 Pages (1250 words) Dissertation

The Causes of Crime

According to Darrow, the author of Crime: Its Causes and Treatment, “Strictly speaking, a crime is an act forbidden by the law of the land, and one which is considered sufficiently serious to warrant providing penalties for its commission” (Darrow, 2007:6).... hellip; From this paper, it is clear that a person committing a crime is considered to be the one who infringes the regular norms and practices of life and defies the expected ways of living in the society where he resides (Darrow, 2007:8)....
14 Pages (3500 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us