The Gilded Cage: Privilege In Society

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

wealth. The higher upper class fulfills the standard of living an excellent living compared to the working class and lower class.

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

when George had to cut back a little bit on children’s expectations , he said that “these were necessary to allow his children to compete with their peer, to give them a sense of their proper place in the world.” This idea of having children living an expensive life of privilege, they be seen as being superior in society, where other children are seen less upon and they are look up towards. The expectation of living a lifestyle that shows privilege and power is abusing the value of having it. The value of having privilege and power is to make a difference in communities in such for, in my opinion, not to impress others for being more accepted and better in society.
In transitions, the author of The Gilded Cage stated, “Together with my classmates and peers, I was given to understand that it was sufficient accomplishment merely to have been born.” The belief of this statement is beneficial to the rich because those that are born in a wealthy family are born rich (children of the insanely wealthy).

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

society.
Usually, a white child’s life is set out by the parents for success and wealth. One way is by inheriting his or her family's wealth. By being born in a wealthy family, he or she has the advantage of succeeding in life not only with money but with privilege too. The statement is less beneficial for the poor because if you are born in a poor family, the chance of escaping from a lower class is very little. In addition, a poor child/individual have less opportunities and less resources to achieve in life. Being born in a lower class, you are being told that you have to work in life to get where you want yourself to be seen at. You are not granted privilege nor wealth. You have to earned it from society and prove you can be an elite member of the upper class.
Overall, having privilege and power is easier to live life. If anything goes wrong, white supremacy and money can resolve it. In addition, wealthy individuals wants more than what they have. For what reasoning? To prove he or she is more wealthier than another rich person. Sooner or later, and individual is going to realize that wealth does not carry happiness. Also, there are individuals from either the lower or working class that are trying to make a living even if they do not have privilege. It proves that the extremely privileged people are careless and abusive by trying to represent themselves as a superior member of society.
Having privilege and power that characterize that you are way better than another individual that does not obtain it. In my opinion, I feel that privilege should not be granted for what identity comes from. It should be earned for what can you do. There are some devoted and humane people out in this world that deserve it, but instead they are shut out from society because of their social class.