Analysis Of 'The Semplica Girl Diaries'

The American dream is an example of a national spirit that represents different ideologies. The set of ideas may be of democracy, equality matters, liberty, rights, and opportunities. The American dream believes in freedom for prosperity and success for its citizens. The idea suggests that upward social mobility for individuals can be achieved only through hard work. In a story done by George Saunders, the American dream is exemplified in several instances. The author, George, tells the story of contemporary America through a diary. The main character in the story is a father to three daughters. The family’s struggles are examples of how individuals will go extra miles just to provide for their families and also

Florence Mayers wrote a sestina in 1940 named All-American Sestina. He challenged American pride and honor at a very crucial time in American history, and accused Americans of placing more value on material goods then freedoms and values (Mayers, ). At that time the American landscape and culture was molding into one that put more importance on material goods, and that idea started to resemble the American Dream. These days Americans judge their success on what kind of house they live in how many cars they own rather then how hard they work at their jobs and how they live their lives. This idea is represented through all of the material goods in the collage.

The short story “Life in the age of the mimis” written by Domingo Martinez is about two poor Latina girls dressing in the best clothes with top brand, acting like rich valley girls when in reality they don’t have much money. Throughout the story Martinez shows how the delusion of fame and fortune was an escape of their life, ultimately sending the message that a delusion may help one escape harsh reality, however delusions can weaken one's connections to their culture.

As a child, Jeannette’s sense of wonder and curiosity in the world undermine the need for money. During her young adult years, a new wave of insecurity associated with her poor past infects her. Finally, as an experienced and aged woman, Jeannette finds joy and nostalgia in cherishing her poverty- stricken past. It must be noted that no story goes without a couple twists and turns, especiallydefinitely not Jeannette Walls’. The fact of the matter is that growing up in poverty effectively craftsed, and transformsed her into the person she becomeshas become. While statistics and research show that living in poverty can be detrimental to a child’s self-esteem, Jeannette Walls encourages children living in poverty to have ownership over their temporary situation, and never to feel inferior because of past or present socio-economic

He will avoid buying clothes for himself so his children are able to have new clothes, and thus are not to seem impoverished and have his family face societal criticism. (20) The text clearly displays the father as a man who puts the needs of his family above all, however, in this he makes missteps and causes a disastrous financial pitfall. His spending is close to erratic, but shows love as his reasoning for this. When the father wins the ten-thousand dollars off the scratch-off, he discusses with his wife what to with it, and in this he turns down a possibility to pay off debts and allow a more secure financial position to give Lilly a splendid birthday. (15) All in all, this irrational fiscal behavior is the unfortunate side-effect of his drive to achieve a life of comfort and luxury for his family, and this is most clearly displayed in the Semplica Girls. The father purchases the Semplica Girls not out of interest for himself, but to help his daughter Lilly’s social perception, as they want her to “enter high school as confident young woman, feeling her family as good/affluent as any other family”. (24) He glances over the morality and the frivolous nature of the purchase to aid his daughter’s self-development.

Immigrants come from different parts of the world in many shades of white, brown, and black. In extreme cases, some immigrants are stereotyped as rapists, thieves, drug dealers, etc. or at the very least seen as second-class citizens. Depending if they support the issue or not, even the red or blue side of the political party, people tend to blind themselves from the reality of why they actually migrate. Natives tend to deny seeing the humanity in immigrants’ individual stories and lives. They not only migrate to different countries for better opportunities, but to find jobs to support their families and give their children a better education than they would have had in their country. George Saunders’ short story, The Semplica-Girl Diaries, relates to immigration because the SG’s reflect the treatment of immigrant workers in our society. The SG’s display women who have lived in extreme poverty and don’t have a better choice but to sell themselves to the rich as lawn

Aspiring to be free, to be successful, to be a picture perfect family, and to be happy; these are the traits of the American dream. Although, in one 's mind a specific picture forms when reading about the American dream this does not mean everyone is seeing the same landscape. A prevalent theme in The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and Flight by Sherman Alexie is the potency and prevalence of diversity on the American dream. In each of these compelling works, connoisseurs get a taste of life from different demographics’ viewpoints and a measure of what it means to be yearning for the diverse definition of American ideals.

Many of famous figures in our society’s past have spoken their minds about the American Dream, for each and every one of those minds, are a different response. J. G. Ballard once spoke of his American Dream, “The American Dream had run out of gas. The car has stopped. It no longer supplies the world with its images, its dreams, its fantasies. No more. It’s over. It supplies the world with its nightmares now: the Kennedy assassination, Watergate, Vietnam.” The outlook on this dream has changed over the years it has existed, most societies nowadays look onto this as a “curse” or something worse. This dream now is speculated as hurting our home, America. As Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men, the grave story of the American Dream was revealed by main characters, George, Lennie, and Candy. These main characters give us an inside look into what they think the American Dream is.

If there was a favorable circumstance under which one could endeavour all their hopes and visions, wouldn’t one pursue it? The American Dream was introduced as an interpretation to cause the people of America in the early twentieth century to work tougher. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life one has always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. In the novel, “Of Mice & Men”, John Steinbeck uses symbols and motifs such as the vicious slaughtering of virtuous animals, Crooks’ rubbish bunkhouse and Lennie and George’s deception of an ideal farm to exhibit the perception that materialistic success results in happiness is a major flaw in our thinking about the American dream, and it is this thinking which makes the dream unattainable for many.

In Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, the author portrays herself as a minimum-wage worker in part of America’s “working poor”. Before writing this book, Ehrenreich was ensconced as part of the middle-upper class. As a journalist, Ehrenreich worked multiple minimum-wage jobs at The Maids, Woodcrest Residential Facility, Walmart, Hearthside and Jerry’s. All of which she had no prior experience performing except for waitressing. By working these minimum-wage jobs, Ehrenreich lives the life of the lower class and interviews others on how they undertake their daily lives. The American Dream is defined as “the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative”. Her experiences at the bottom 10% of the working class shows various examples of why the American Dream can no longer be attained today.

What insights into the American Dream are offered through the novella Of Mice and Men and the film American Beauty? In your essay you must consider the influences of context and the importance of techniques in shaping meaning.

The American dream of success can be both a sweet satisfaction and a dreadful nightmare. Richard Rodriguez and his siblings grow up and become successful just as their mother suspected. On christmas, Richard and his siblings spoil their mother just as she wanted. However not all is well as her children and her are not close as they were before. In the following passage by Richard Rodriguez, Rodriguez uses language and details about his siblings, parents, and himself to show the distance created by material success.

“The Semplica-Girl Diaries” is a short story in which George Saunders, the author, presents unique ideas of the way people live their life and what each person does to be able to live. The dad, Saunders’ main character, writes in a diary and explains to the readers what he experiences almost every day with his family. He wants to be there for his family and provide for them the best that he can, but it is difficult when he has young children who have desires as any children do. The dad mentions status throughout the short story, and the children are aware that they do not have money like some other people who are around them. Not everyone in the world has the best job and life, because it is not always up to people to make the choices that need to be made for their family.

“The Semplica-Girl Diaries” by George Saunders in a short story that follows the life of a middle-age father and his family of four as they struggle with monetary problems and their socio-economic status in their community. The story begins with the the father having just turned 40 years old decides to write a diary of his everyday life for future generations. Throughout the story we learn that he has a very complicated relationship with money, all of his credit cards are nearly maxed out, he is gravely in debt and living pay check to pay check just to pay his credit cards. Although he is in grave financial trouble, he attempts to keep a positive mindset and continuous to live life without a concrete plan on how to get out of debt.

As Austrian writer Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach wrote,“To be content with little is difficult; to be content with much, impossible.” History and literature have established that the ideal goal every American has wanted is for his thirst for material possessions to be reached, but even then, the individual isn’t truly happy. Money, and the things it can get you, have long been a part of American culture and the materialist culture of society have been examined in numerous ways from novels to the art of those like Andy Warhol. A life free from the economic woes that plague almost everyone seems like the quintessential existence, but material wealth is not a way to mend issues.