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The results of selfishness
Selfishness in humans
How to analyze selfishness
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Both “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson and “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver portray that a person with selfishness is only hurting themselves. In “Button, Button”, Norma and Arthur, an average couple living in New York, recieve a button on their doorstep. They are eventually told that if they press the button, they will receive $50,000 with only one catch, someone they did not know would die. Arthur completely disregarded this and would not even consider pressing the button, while Norma kept considering it because she wanted the money. Norma’s selfishness stems from the unhappiness she has with her current living situation, and makes her become impulsive, lose her morals, and ruin the relationship she had with Arthur. “Popular Mechanics” …show more content…
As one is unhappy and uncomfortable with their current situation, they become driven to better their circumstances, which ultimately results in selfish behavior. That is why when in “Button, Button”, Norma would overlook the death of a person for the $50,000. Although she was not poor, she was not happy with her current situation and when trying to explain her reasoning to her husband she mentioned about how she would “ like for [them] to go to Europe… to have a cottage on the island… to have a nicer apartment, nicer furniture, nicer clothes, [and] a car” (Matheson 7). With her selfish need for material possessions, she was able to press the button that could kill anyone. In “Popular Mechanics”, a similar situation arises. As the man is packing up to leave and the woman is crying while saying that “[she’s] so glad [he’s] leaving” (Carver 1).The couple's unhappiness with their relationship lead them to try to make their own situations better and their partners situation worse. In their attempt to do so, they end up violently fighting over the baby and killing it. With this unhappiness, the unfulfilled characters resorted to selfishness which came with consequences and even more …show more content…
In “Button, Button”, Norma and Arthur seemed to have a healthy relationship, but when the button came into the picture, Norma’s selfishness put a rift in their relationship. With her acceptance of the button, Arthur got scared, he could not bear the thought of pressing the button and when Norma would actually consider pressing it “his face was white”, and reacted by saying, “‘Norma, no’” and (Matheson 6). He showed signs of how much he was scared and horrified of how much Norma was for the idea. It seemed as if he could not trust her as much anymore and shortly after these conversations, he would leave, creating a rift in their relationship. In “Popular Mechanics”, the relationship between the two main characters was already unhealthy, but their selfishness created an even bigger disagreement and also ruined any future relationship they could have with their baby. Both the parents are very attached to the baby so when the man said that ““[he] want[ed] the baby”, the woman responded with, “Get out of here’(Carver 1). They already do not have the best relationship and with their selfishness for the baby, it created an even larger rift in their relationship. They got into a huge fight and killed the baby in the process, ruining both their chances of having a good relationship with their child. Humans are very social animals, and if a relationship
“What?” Sun-Jo was appalled at the fact that Peak had decided not to conquer the summit of Mount Everest. How could he give up such a glorifying moment? Peak would have been the youngest boy to ever reach the summit, however, he realized he didn’t want the fame. Sun-Jo was only a few days older than him, and if Sun-Jo reached the summit and Peak did not, he would be the youngest person to summit Everest. Also, Sun-Jo’s family was living on the other side of the mountain and he needed to get to the other side so that he could reconnect with his family. Since Peak avoided his mother’s advice to think of himself and only himself, he did not make it to the top. Many other characters, unlike Peak, were selfish and although it helped some, others were less fortunate.
We all have expectations, something that we expect as a result of something we did, but what about the unexpected something that we did but never fathomed the consequences? We often times call the unexpected a “curve ball” and that’s exactly what happened to the couples in the short essays “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway and “Good People” by David Foster Wallace, they were thrown a curve ball. The couples in the short stories have extremely hard decisions to make. The woman have the most important decision to make and the men have to decide to support the women in the lives or make a decision to move on. Sheri will most likely have her baby because she cancelled the abortion and she has bonded with her baby in her womb, and Lane Dean Jr. will marry her because he realizes he loves her. On the other hand Jig will most likely have the abortion because she fears the American will leave her if she doesn’t, and the American will stay with her because now they can travel without a baby spoiling his plans.
“A Good Man is Hard to Find,” written by Flannery O'Connor tells a story of a dysfunctional family on a roadtrip to Florida to illustrate the theme of self-awareness. The main protagonist in this story is the self-centered Grandmother whose lack of self-awareness is the reason why her family, including herself, are murdered by The Misfit (the Floridian convict). Throughout the story, the Grandmother considers herself as a good woman; however, it is through dialogue that reveals her true self. In reality, she is selfish, manipulative, inconsiderate, and dishonest. No matter how much she attempts to manipulate others into thinking she is full of integrity and a good example to follow, her actions contradict everything she wants people to believe.
In T. Coraghessan Boyle's "The Love of My Life", passage above, we begin to see that there is no regret for the choices made by the characters. Jeremy whose voice we hear in the passage can't even refer to his child as something human. Jeremy views his and china's creation as an IT and he can't seem to grasp the concept that he has done something immoral and wrong. Mistakes are made by many couples and they most likely will choose to deal with them without any outside help some problems need other. Problems begin when the people in the relationship forget to realize when to draw the line and focus on what is truly important, which unfortunately to them might not always be the other person relationship or the relationship itself. When a problem aris...
In Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” and Wallace’s “Good People,” both of the young females, Jig and Sheri, experience an unplanned pregnancy and must decide whether an abortion is the right choice. While the former story employs dialogue to depict the relationship of an adventurous, carefree couple in the 1920s, the latter uses third person limited point of view to show a faithful young couple whose religion is their source of morality. Thus, Wallace digs much deeper since both religion and love are a factor in Sheri’s ultimate decision. The enigmatic endings of both stories leave us questioning Jig and Sheri’s choice and its impact on the future of their relationship with their respective partners. The text suggests that Jig will not comply with the American’s wish of aborting the baby because of her vision and the indicative dialogue between her and the American, and Sheri will conform to her religious beliefs and carry the child. Whereas Jig will leave the American due to his lack of obligation, Lane Dean Jr. will marry Sheri in his effort to be a good person.
One of the themes that was most prevalent in this short story was selfishness and
Is human nature inherently selfless or selfish? Although a seemingly simple concept, the aforementioned question has long been a profoundly controversial topic. While many claim that humans are intrinsically compassionate and inclined to help those in need, others argue that people instinctively prioritize their own individual security over other people’s welfares. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary works, “Young Goodman Brown” and The Scarlett Letter, as well as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s renowned novel, The Great Gatsby, all reference the idea that people impulsively pursue perfection, as determined by their community’s values. While different communities establish different standards for perfection, society as whole romanticizes the idea of perfection and subsequently people strive to create the illusion of a perfect life. How an individual represents the values idealized by a given community determines his/her reputation in that community. Although people may appear to wholesomely follow the values idolized by their community, in reality, human nature is inherently flawed, making it impossible for people to achieve perfection.
For example, Annette makes the comment that Benjamin was in the right to smack Henry because he was defending himself from Henry’s assault of insults to which Alan agrees with immediately. Veronica and Michaels sense of righteousness involves other people, Veronica especially believing everyone needs to uphold a standard morality. For example, the idea of bringing Benjamin over. Veronica and Michael want to make sure Benjamin understands his implications so this situation won’t happen again. Veronica worries about their children having morals while Alan and Annette don’t care much for that. When arguing about whether or not Benjamin disfigured Henry, Alan shrugs off the fact that his son just smacked another kid in the face. He instead diminishes Benjamin’s injury saying how it’ll go away and he’ll chip in on the costs of the dentist. He’s not interested in the same sense of morality that Veronica is. These contrasting views come from how Alan and Annette are able to get away with more that Veronica and Michael. For the Novaks there are consequences to their actions, while in Alan’s case with the pharmaceutical companies he gets rewarded for defending
This is because what may be gratifying or acceptable by one person is not necessarily acceptable by another, but most importantly, one tends to develop a code that meets their personal agenda. The Misfit was unable to come to terms with things he cannot see, and so he remains consistent and true to himself by holding his moral crown. His actions and beliefs are congruent unlike the grandmother who wavered in her beliefs when pushed. The thought that we control the direction of our actions is false. If this were true, why this family did not escape this horrifying death? What seemed clear is that we are shaped by influences that are beyond our control and no matter how one may fight to escape against that order; one is drawn or tied to forces that are not clearly understood. Clearly the Misfit and the grandmother paths crossing were necessary in order for them to come to a clearer understanding of self. Despite the fact, that their moral compass may differ and were unlikely to cross paths path, their state of cloudiness require a meeting to obtain clarity. The grandmother was able to see beyond her artificial life and own her truth. As a result she was able to connect with someone who is flawed. Her epiphany brought clarity and allowed her to think about someone other than herself. This was seen by the Misfit when he said, "She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life" (O'Connor,
Psychological egoism, a descriptive claim about human nature, states that humans by nature are motivated only by self-interest. To act in one's self-interest is to act mainly for one's own good and loving what is one's own (i.e. ego, body, family, house, belongings in general). It means to give one's own interests higher priority then others'. "It (psychological egoism) claims that we cannot do other than act from self-interest motivation, so that altruism-the theory that we can and should sometimes act in favor of others' interests-is simply invalid because it's impossible" (Pojman 85). According to psychological egoists, any act no matter how altruistic it might seem, is actually motivated by some selfish desire of the agent (i.e., desire for reward, avoidance of guilt, personal happiness).
Selfishness is a term fairly notorious for its meaning. A lot of people accept that being selfish is wrong, but no one knows how this came about and why it matters. Who has the right to decide whether someone gets to be selfish or not? In his article “The unselfishness Trap”, Harry Browne says that the best way for people to be happy is when if everyone sacrifices but me. Thomas Nagel, on the other hand, argues in his article “The Objective Basis of Morality” that being concerned about others is more important. Being selfish, for many people, is evil. By definition, selfishness is to be more concerned about yourself than others, but that would essentially make every living human being a “selfish” being.
Social status, gender, and misguided intentions render Hedda Gabler and Emma Bovary alienated individuals. One question remains, who deserves the title tragic hero or villain? Hedda commits suicide to avoid being caged and blackmailed by Judge Brack, while Emma commits suicide to avoid the public shame that will inevitably come from soiling her husband’s name and acquiring unimaginable debt. Hedda refuses to commit adultery because she “has made her bed, and now she must lie in it” she knows that every action or fib has its consequences. Emma on the other hand commits adultery with two different men, trying to find her hopes and dreams. Both had a choice when choosing whom they wanted to marry. Hedda Gabler wins, because although she is rude, manipulative, and vindictive; she accepts the consequences of her actions unlike Emma.
For example, his mother. In the text, it says, “This time, struggling with the shaking of her voice, she said, ‘Darling, you do not know what it has been like, all these years.’ By which he understood, finally, that he was not important to her. Not that important” (66). Ian always assumed that his mother’s personality was nothing more, and when she announces that she will be leaving with another man, Ian feels betrayed by her. He does not accept her for putting her own happiness before family, an action he expects any good mother should. Ian also knows that his father wants Ian to stay with him in Struan, even if he says he wants Ian to do what he wants and does not want to tie him down. He thinks to himself, “He looked exhausted. Was he ever going to get over it? And if he didn’t, how could Ian leave him? The thought swamped him with guilt, and the guilt made him angry. You shouldn’t have to feel pop guilty about living your own life. You shouldn’t have to be responsible for your parents’ happiness. It wasn’t fair” (110). Although Ian knows his father is trying his best, he still feels burdened by the pressure his father needs to endure and blames his mother for leaving him. Ian tries his best to do his part and help out at the clinic, but he feels like his own happiness is obstructed by the need to help his
In his story “Popular Mechanics,” by using literary elements such as plot, setting, tone and symbols, Raymond Carver displays the abhorrence in a relationship leading to the devastation of the relation itself but most importantly the child. Carver’s style of writing the story, being limited omniscient, makes the story interesting to read by telling just enough to make a picture of what is happening and leaving space for the reader’s imagination, rather than telling a step by step story. The significance of title “Popular Mechanics” is that it is common for couples/parents to use their children as retribution elements.
Society has changed a lot in the last couple of decades, though, at the time set in the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the stereotype was very much alive. Even today echoes of this archaic family model still exist. Being normal, and adapting to society, can often lead a person to feel a sense of belonging in the short term. However, the penalty for conforming is that the individual can be lost. Giving up your personal goals, in the pursuit of those passed down from your family can lead to a lifetime of regrets. Basing decisions on societal norms can also have devastating consequences, leading the individual to become lost in a mundane life that is not of their choosing. Martha and George created a fictional son for their private needs to take away from the failure they felt as married individuals by not being able to conceive a child. Nick and Honey started their marriage to fill their roles as future parents in the expected family dynamic. Confronting each couple is a personal failure resulting in an unrealized future. Neither couple has a desire to admit their shortcomings for fear of judgment from the other couple. The play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? displays how the desire to be normal and successful, in the eyes of our peers, impacts our life