"The Gift of the Magi" by O'Henry"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
For this post, I would like you to respond to the following quote based on the two stories that we have read. This is a group activity post to be done in class. Think carefully! Discuss! Dissect! Think, think, think!
"The human being who lives only for himself finally reaps nothing but unhappiness. Selfishness corrodes. Unselfishness ennobles, satisfies. Don't put off the joy derivable from doing helpful, kindly things for others."
B. C. Forbes
"The human being who lives only for himself finally reaps nothing but unhappiness. Selfishness corrodes. Unselfishness ennobles, satisfies. Don't put off the joy derivable from doing helpful, kindly things for others."
B. C. Forbes
Think about how Della, Jim and Madame Loisel may have been selfish for personal gain and/or willing to put their needs aside for others. Also feel free to pull from what you wrote about yourself in your Materialism Thought Piece.
Keep posting! Remember two required posts by the end of the week! Over break there may be more of a chance for some extra credit! Post, post, post!
Miss Holmes :)
4 comments:
i think that they all were selfish at a time because if Della was selfless she would have sold her hair before to try and help suppport the family. If Jack was selfless he woul dhave also sold the watch before. They both are selfless though because they care about eachother more than themseleves because they are both willing to give away their biggest pride in able to make happiness for the other one.
Madame Loisel is a very selfish person because whne she knows that her husband is saving up for a rifle she takes the money and goes and buys a dress to make herself look waelthy instead of just wearing the dress she already has, she then also is selfish because she goes and borrows a neckalce. She is then selfless when she decided to get the same neckalce and give it back, she alwso works alot to make sure she can pay back for the neckalce.
Madame Loisel is so selfish see wasts money on herself and doesn't get any one anything she also doesn't do anything for any one but takes everything.
I think that Della and Jack are both selfless because they both give up their posessions to make each other happy for the holidays. I think that Jack is a little bit selfish because if he wanted to get her something nice for the holidays, he would have sold his watch long before the week of the holidays.
Della and Jim were truely selfless in the story "The Gift of the Magi". They were willing to give something that was dear to themselves inorder to give something special to the other. Because of this they both ended up short of valuables and with a now useless present for the other, but it was the thought that counted. In this particular story they acted selflessly, however no one is able to be selfless all the time. A balance between to extremes is where most people can find a comfortable equilibrium in life.
I try my best to be a balanced person, to give to others before myself, and to always remember that truth lies somewhere in the middle. In my Holiday Thought Piece I worked to show that how when you are comfortable with yourself, you are happy with what you have instesd of focusing on what you want, you can accomplish anything.
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