America has been attacked, and thousands of American citizens have been killed. As a consequence, the American ideals of freedom and capitalism are under attack as well. We cannot sit and do nothing. Instead, we must seek out those responsible and punish them with the full onslaught of all our might.
Consider the targets: the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The World Trade Center was not merely an office building; it was the preeminent symbol of American capitalism. It symbolized the stunning wealth accumulated in America over the last two centuries as a result of the Industrial Revolution. The Pentagon, likewise, is not just a military office building. Nor is it merely one of the largest manmade structures on the planet. It represents our country’s unmatched military power, and our strength and resolve in defending our interests both at home and abroad.
These attacks were no two-bit operation. Terrorism and intelligence experts have speculated about who might have the necessary resources, and the list is short. The name at the top, of course, is Osama bin Laden, whose group has been responsible for many of the attacks against America over the last decade. (Bin Laden claims that he is not responsible, but he supports the attacks.)
But terrorism is rarely just the work of private individuals. Terrorists often also have the backing of governments which provide them with the military resources they need, as well as the most essential ingredient of all, money. The greatest sponsor of terrorists was once the Soviet Union, but with its collapse, new regimes have stepped in. The countries who sponsor terrorism consist mostly of familiar names: Iran, Iraq, Syria…
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…r answer is “yes” — and I hope that we all would answer thusly — our reaction follows as a direct consequence. Whoever did this to America, and whoever is responsible for or complicit in the attacks, must be killed. Whatever government is behind the attacks, we must bomb into submission with the full might of our military, and replace with a government dedicated to freedom, democracy, and capitalism. Whatever governments have done this to us in the past — we must do the same.
The cost will be great. American lives will be lost. I fear that this war will escalate beyond our intentions. Indeed, war is never glorious. But, in the words of Julius Caesar, the die is cast. The lines are drawn. The war has begun. All that is left is for you to pick your side. You are either with America or against us. I urge you to side with America and support this war.
Pursuit of the American Dream in Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman
Comparing the Pursuit of the American Dream by Jay Gatsby and Willy Loman
(Essay outline also included in the word count.)
People from all around the world have dreamed of coming to America and building a successful life for themselves. The “American Dream” is the idea that, through hard work and perseverance, the sky is the limit in terms of financial success and a reliable future. While everyone has a different interpretation of the “American Dream,” some people use it as an excuse to justify their own greed and selfish desires. Two respected works of modern American literature, The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, give us insight into how the individual interpretation and pursuit of the “American Dream” can produce tragic results.
Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, built his “American Dream” upon the belief that wealth would win him acceptance. In pursuit of his dream, Gatsby spent his life trying to gain wealth and the refinement he assumes it entails. Jay Gatsby, lacking true refinement, reflects the adolescent image of the wealthy, and “[springs] from his Platonic conception of himself” (Fitzgerald 104). Gatsby is a watered down version of a member of the true social elite. Therefore, he uses the phrase “old sport” because he feels it exudes the proper upper crust upbringing he lacks (134). Furthermore, Gatsby makes the pursuit of wealth and refinement an obsession. As a child, Gatsby kept a list of “General Resolves” that outlined his plans to gain wealth and refinement (181). When exposed to the society during World War I, he becomes obsessed with members of the wealthy upper class, such as Daisy, whose voice is “full of money” (127). Finally, Gatsby feels that wealth is the only su…
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A. Gatsby believed wealth would win acceptance, Willy believed being well liked would get financial success
1. “no real right to touch her hand” lacked real resources, “he let her believe that he was a person from much the same strata as herself” (Fitzgerald 156)
2. Well “liked … you will never want” (Miller 33)
B. Gatsby set concrete long-term goals, Willy looked for the quick fix
1. Gatsby developed self-improvement activities “elocution [and] poise,” physical exercises, and the study of technology (Fitzgerald 181)
2. Willy proclaims “I’ll knock’ em dead next week [in Hartford] … I’m very well liked in Hartford” (Miller 36)
C. Willy lacks the ability to comprehend opulence ofGatsby
1. Nick awed by Gatsby’s mansion (Fitzgerald 96-97)
2. “First time in thirty-five years we were free and clear” (Miller 137)
Conclusion: