ipl-logo

The Death Of Horatio Alger Analysis

896 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on social class in the united states

The article “The Death of Horatio Alger” By Paul Krugman Dives into the cruel story of america not being the land of opportunity we once knew and loved. The article goes straight into it by starting with our nation's history of inequality going all the way back to the 1940s. Krugman then goes from there going into times when economic mobility was easiest to when it was hardest to now. To sum up what he says is the now our class mobility is at a all time low and if that was not bad enough apparently our politicians are “doing everything they can to fortify class inequality, while denouncing anyone who complains”(Krugman) the article covers what a politician with this goal would do as in what policy they would work to implement and more. The …show more content…

He goes on to compare the class difference from 1920s-1940 to now. This comparison allows him to use a time period we all either know or can easily look up known as the great depression in order to paint a bleak image in our minds of now. This is not the only time he uses comparison with something most associate with negative thoughts in order to paint the picture in our minds this time however he compares our society with a caste system the idea that your birth will detrimen your place in our society for ever which goes against the american idea of freedom and equality. These comparison get the job done at getting people to feel like we are that …show more content…

However when it comes to how great the gap is I have heard different things depending on who I talk to. I think it is not as bad as Krugman makes it out to be but it’s not exactly at a point I want it either. As a fast food minimum wage employee I can see how it seems next to impossible to make it up in the world to be honest if it wasn’t for my parents financial support I wouldn’t have made it this far. But not all have that they can’t afford to work and go to college to improve their pay grade even if they are twice as smart or talented than me just because their parents can’t support them like mine do me and that's

Show More
Related
290 Words | 2 Pages

Paul Krugman author of the article “Confronting Inequality” stresses the inequality of our social classes in the United States, he uses statistics to demonstrate the staggering consequences of this inequality within our social classes. Krugman emphasizes the fact that a majority of our wealth is owned by about one percent of the population, which is leaving the middle and lower class at an extreme disadvantage. One example Krugman uses is education; children that have wealthy families, have a higher percentage of finishing college than those of lower income families, proving the statement that Krugman was accentuating, “Class-inherited class- usually trumps talent.” The parents within this middle to lower class have been exceed their financial

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

As McAdam and Kloos write, “the country is now more starkly divided in political terms than at any time since the end of Reconstruction and more unequal in material terms than roughly a century ago and greater, even, than on the eve of the Great Depression” (McAdam and Kloos 4). An increase in inequality has only given rise to protest groups such as Occupy Wall St that protested the rising inequality between the 1%

Read More
807 Words | 4 Pages

These were some of the “challenges” the men and women lauded in this period of contemporary generation. But even the individuals living through the Great Depression had to fight their own war at home with their daily struggles that ruined their liberties. Brokaw even thought of the World War II’s men and women as ordinary yet extraordinary by having unique sacrifices to this generation of Americans. But even those who lived through the Depression were just as normal as the people Brokaw referred to during World War II and the people living through the Great Depression had unique sacrifices of their own, such as children giving up their education by going to work in factories but there overcoming and handling of such big nation wide issues make them just as great, in fact it made them greater because none of the people Brokaw mentioned had the same determination to survive in such poor economic statuses. By overcoming their daily problems in poverty the families living during the Great Depression stretched every dollar they had as well as having self-indulgence and self-gratification by immediate acquisition of

Read More
686 Words | 3 Pages

Have you ever wanted to chase the American dream? It might be more impossible than people realize. Gregory Mantsios writes “Class in America-2012” about the growing and obvious class divide in America, yet no one wants to talk about the situation and the effects on the people. I will be analyzing the text and explaining the effects it has on the reader. Throughout the article Mantsios stays consistent with his opinion by providing multiple charts and graphs to back his point.

Read More
429 Words | 2 Pages

In both the pieces “Women on the Breadlines” and “Americans in the Great Depression” it has a similar belief of how people should act. They both know that pride and ego makes people starve just as much as starvation and sickness. In “Americans in the Great Depression” it says,” It becomes necessary for these people, who have never before been in want, to ask for assistance.” People who were rich with money in the bank, and a big house, and lots of food, and a good job suddenly find themselves homeless, starving, broke, and unemployed. The proud feeling those people had from their old life is now gone.

Read More
798 Words | 4 Pages

The society's standards of living life with old money and fighting alone was settled for Americans pulling them down no matter how hard they fought to gain that dream they visioned they couldn’t have passed it. Both authors show the reputation Americans wanted during 1920 through early 1930 which was brought on by following the society’s standards leading to the downfall of society

Read More
748 Words | 3 Pages

Reading through RIP, the Middle Class: 1946-2013, it became fairly obvious that the author, Edward McClelland, was presenting a thesis idea that consisted of promoting the middle class through examples of its prime time when middle class thrived. McClelland made the point clearly as he repeatedly provided examples ranging from the glory days of the assembly line industry that had provided high paying jobs for many people, to presidents who attempted to keep business within the United States to promote home grown jobs. He was especially focused on the point that the middle class was shrinking due to a large discrepancy between the wealthy and the rest of society as capitalism achieves its goal of padding the wealthiest and keeping the middle

Read More
1109 Words | 5 Pages

William Domhoff’s investigation into America’s ruling class is an eye-opening and poignant reading experience, even for individuals enlightened on the intricacies of the US social class system. His book, Who Rules America, explains the fundamental failures in America’s governing bodies to provide adequate resources for class mobility and shared power amongst classes. He identifies history, corporate and social hierarchies, money-driven politics, a two-party system, and a policy-making process orchestrated by American elites as several causes leading to an ultimate effect of class-domination theory pervading American society. In articulating his thesis and supporting assertions, Domhoff appeals rhetorically toward an audience with prior knowledge

Read More
461 Words | 2 Pages

After talking about the Bardolinos family let now talk about the other others families mention in this text the Tamalson’s, the Rivera’s and the Kwan’s. With the tamalsons families we understand how families instability financially affect the choice of their neighborhood not only that but has an urge impact on the children as well. The places where they live are not safe children because they are expose to drug. The school academic performance is not good as well.

Read More
400 Words | 2 Pages

In John Steinbeck’s rather infamous novel, there was a heavy handed message that classism creates problems and a false consciousness caused by the American Dream, that one can eventually achieve success with sheer determination and hard work, does more harm than good. This is due to the fact that it leads to competition between citizens in the same class (mostly proletariat) who all want to climb to the top of the metaphorical food chain. Some attempt to achieve their goal through shady means, like commodification- or some may try to go at it alone, believing in the ideology of rugged individualism, thinking that they can reach their goal without any help. This impacts society by enforcing the idea that we’ll stay in the class system that we were born into unless we’re willing to sacrifice our morals and the things we care about.

Read More
1707 Words | 7 Pages

The

Read More
906 Words | 4 Pages

This novel talks about the life in America during those times back in 1937 how many people struggled to live. Many people during those days lost their jobs. There was no welfare state or unemployment benefit. Disabled or old people had to depend on their families or charity and keep working for as long as they could. Everyone was so competitive in order to get a job.

Read More
856 Words | 4 Pages

America prides itself on being one of the most effective democratically governed counties. The idea of the American dream is that all people have equivalent political freedoms and a responsive government. However the effectiveness of social equality is being threatened by increasing inequality in the United States. Economic inequality in the US has expanded drastically. The wealth gap has had drastic changes over the past 35 years.

Read More
1075 Words | 5 Pages

The

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

Social inequality is overlooked by many. It affects so many of us, though we have yet to realize how extreme it is. Lee argues in this novel how much stress social inequalities put on the black and white races throughout the 1930s. Although, social inequalities did not just affect different races, it also affected poor people and family backgrounds. These are proven in the novel multiple times through Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the Cunninghams when the book is looked at more in

Read More

More about The Death Of Horatio Alger Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document