The Parable Of The Rich Fool

"I am still a little afraid of missing something if I forget that, as my father snobbishly suggested, and I snobbishly repeat, a sense of the fundamental decencies is parceled out unequally at birth" (Fitzgerald 7), as stated by Nick, shows that, in The Great Gatsby, class determines the value of a person’s identity. Even between the rich, those with old money are more respected than those with new money, since there is a history of wealth associated to those with old money. Wealth holds great priority in society, since it provides more opportunities. However, while it provides more opportunities, the characters in The Great Gatsby shows the negative aspects of money. In the book The Great Gatsby, it is seen that rich people are powerful,

In the article, "Stupid Rich Bastards", the author, Laurel Johnson Black, gives an insight on her life and upbringing in a "poor" family, the effects it had on her, her life goals, and dreams. Black’s article was published in the book This Fine Place So Far from Home: Voices of Academics from the Working Class in 1995. Throughout the article, Black gives an explanation of the conditions in which she and her family lived in, which include her parents having to take on various jobs such as her father being a plumber, junk man, car salesman and her mother—a cook, school crossing-guard and a McDonald 's counter worker as well. With all these jobs, Black also mentioned that the income was still inadequate. Being that her family 's way of living was not the best, her parents decided that one of their children has to make it or go to college, and Black was the one who was going to be the one to do that. She did this with hopes that she would earn more money, be able to make a better life for her and her family, maneuver along with the "stupid rich bastards", talk like them, learn their ways but not be like them, and explain to her family about the lives of the same "stupid rich bastards", people who had or made more money and had better lives or felt better than others. Along with her telling her story, the main purpose of Black’s story is to bring to our attention that she is trying to “keep the language of the working class in academia” (Black 25).

2. What, according to Carnegie, is the responsibility of those who receive charity from the wealthy? How does Carnegie differentiate between almsgiving and philanthropy?

Industrialist Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland in November of 1835 to a family of handloom weavers, a group hit remarkably hard by the mechanization of the textile industry. Abandoning the minimal expectations and the now almost invaluable job of weaving in the Scottish industrial cities, Carnegie's family emigrated to the United States in 1848. After years of work and experience in the expansion of the steel industry, Carnegie obtained a general logic of arguments about labor to the broader realm of social relation, giving specific attention to the role of private upper-class wealth in a democratic society.

Andrew Carnegie believed that men, who were wealthy, were obligated to give back to the people for, the greater good. This belief was later better known as the “Gospel of Wealth”. Andrew Carnegie’s views on wealth and of social status are alike to John McDowell’s is that they both worked really hard to get to the spot they deserved, Carnegie immigrated at age thirteen from Scotland and worked his way up by developing the telegram system during the civil, there collecting his first million then dominated the steel industry; prospering his enterprise, which lead him to be the second richest man after Rockafeller.

I've never been very keen on reading writing from the 1800's, so when I found out that I had to write an essay on The Gospel of Wealth, to say the least I wasn't too thrilled. When I first started reading The Gospel of Wealth, I didn't understand half of the things Andrew said, however after around the 17th time, it clicked. Andrew had said there are three different options where money can go after a wealthy person dies. The first place Andrew said the money could go to is to the family of the deceased. I agree on the points of this article about why money shouldn’t be left to the family of the recently dead.

In a country that is historically held to be the wealthiest in the world, it is troubling to realize that the wealth is being taken by so few within the society. With the wealthiest 1 percent earning 23 percent of the annual wealth within the economy, it is no wonder that so many within the country are seeking change. While the current president Barrack Obama is leading the way in removing wealth from the billionaires, it seems as though his efforts may not come fast enough to save the American economy. Additionally, even with the current tax system billionaires avoid large tax bills through hidden accounts and investments that result in reduced tax amounts. On this point, I must rest my question as to whether the government is doing what is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that wealth is properly distributed.

Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835. His father, Will, was a weaver and a follower of Chartism, a popular movement of the British working class that called for the masses to vote and to run for Parliament in order to help improve conditions for workers. The exposure to such political beliefs and his family's poverty made a lasting impression on young Andrew and played a significannot

Dear editor, Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth can have some valid points about things. One quote Carnegie stated is “In bestowing charity, the main consideration should be to help those who will become themselves” (61-62). He is explaining how if people were to help themselves, then that’s the biggest charity there is because you won’t end up becoming or remaining poor. This in my opinion is true since you have to work hard in life to succeed and it doesn’t come easy. A second point Carnegie made was “we accept and welcome… as conditions to which we must accommodate ourselves” (5-6). He is saying how we as people accept conditions to which we have to work hard for and maintain it and work with other people with that same mindset. I agree because

In his article “Wealth”, Andrew Carnegie argues for the wealth to give back their wealth to the community by providing “public institutions of various kinds … [to] improve the general condition of the people” (Foner 30). Carnegie uses this article to promote his Gospel of Wealth idea and provide his interpretation of the changing America. Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth stated that “those who accumulated money had an obligation to use it to promote the advancement of society” (Foner 28). Carnegie’s articles focuses on the themes of Capitalism and Inequality, which continue to shape society.

Christian teaching on wealth and possessions varies slightly regarding the amount of money and possessions that should be given to the poor. Some Christians follow the teaching in (Mark

“The Gospel of Wealth” was written by Andrew Carnegie in 1889. Carnegie used the essay to “argue that individual capitalists were duty bound to play a broader cultural and social role and thus improve the world,” though there were those that disagreed with him, writing their own share of essays in response and creating a lively debate (History Matters 1). Carnegie, unlike his peers, believed that it was the responsibility of the newly formed upper class, consisting of those who had made their own fortunes, to engage in acts of philanthropy. He believed that the best way to deal with the wealth inequality that resulted from their creation of their own fortunes was to redistribute their wealth in a manner that was not only responsible, but beneficial to all.

The Gospels indicate the disciples asking Jesus why he spoke in parables; “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” Jesus replies, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them”. He continues, “This is why I speak to them in parables:

The popular American capitalist, Warren Buffett, has set the standard for many people by reaching the American Dream for most; from the moment young Warren Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, he had always targeted high and worked harder than anyone, to reach those infinite goals. Many people have different perspectives on what the “American Dream” really means. To some people, being rich, having fame, a happy family, or a healthy lifestyle is what people consider being the American Dream. However, someone like Warren Buffett appears to define the American Dream as having fun with making money rather then the rewarding results that comes from it. Warren Buffett

If y’all thought you saw the end of my various ramblings, you are sadly mistaken. Fair warning, though some of you may find this to be enlightening, and on occasion, rather enjoyable, there will be others who will find it all rather preachy at times. Just so you know, I applaud the skepticism, it means you are likely thinking, which is the behavior I am trying to provoke through this series of essays. I myself have a skeptic’s heart, I feel that skepticism is the way to find the truth. Always question everything.