The Gilded Cage: Privilege In Society

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Privilege is a special right or advantage granted to a particular person or group of people. Privilege is not earned, but rather given or inherited towards a specific social group. Also, privilege is what an individual is born into or tools an individual is given at birth. Society grants privilege to people because he or she meets certain aspects of identity to be given for it. These aspects include race/ethnicity, gender, income, education, religion and sexual orientation. In addition, if an individual can meet these certain aspects, then he or she is either given privilege or denied. Typically, the ones that are given privilege and power are rich white people. The top one percent of America holds an average of forty percent of the nation’s …show more content…

The title of the chapter, The Gilded Cage, is a reference of living in a luxury place, but living in constrainment. This is a fitting metaphor for those Americans that are extremely privileged because they want more than what they have. They feel unsatisfied for not holding every possession they want and need to fulfill satisfaction for obtaining privilege and power. If an individual have privilege, they have many possessions in their will for what money can do. Those who are privilege have a mentality that what they have is not enough for them. In addition, the Gilded Cage can also be seen as having a lot, but not being able to accept the idea of not having it. Due to how money and wealth portrays itselves, it is obvious that wealthy privilege Americans wants to excel the glorious life. For an example, George Amory makes $ 575,447.81in today's money and said that “.. it’s nothing, and I’m nobody.” The more money an individual has, the more they are content for having wealth and privilege. Even …show more content…

Furthermore, children that comes from wealthy families are put in one of the safest and private schools there is and then goes on to attend an Ivy League college. Usually, when an individual graduates from an Ivy League school, the diploma is seen valuable because it allows them to be guaranteed a job through connections. Typically, a white male child will be able to take over in running the business of his father or grandfather. From there on, he will be more wealthier for the success of the business. Also, it does not matter what the career a child chooses to be, but rather the importance is being able to pay off luxuries and the appearance is highly appearing to

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