Introduction
Sander, the author, is giving his opinion on men. How he believes men have it harder than women do. He explains his view on how men he used to be surrounded by in his childhood were different and how the men now that he’s surrounded by are so different. He says in the essay,” The first men, besides my father, I remembered seeing were black convicts and white guards in the cottonfield across the road from our farm on the outskirts of Memphis.” He says, “And for the first time, I met a woman who told me that men were guilty of having kept all the joys and privileges of the earth for themselves.
Perceptions of Men Through Time
Sanders writes that he went to college because he had a scholarship. He also talks about a woman from his college who had a different opinion than Sanders. He tells the readers how the woman caused him grief. He tells us that many women in his college had the same opinion about men, and they said that men were having all the fun in the world. Sanders explains how he could not understand their thoughts and why they have this opinion. He writes about how he could not see any pleasures that the men he knew of were hiding from women. He tells us how he, in fact, thinks it’s the opposite and that women have all the pleasure in the world, not men. Sanders even admits that he was jealous of girls in his childhood and their possessions. The purpose of his essay was to identify that men have it harder than women. Men go through a lot of hard situations even though women do as well, but somehow, he was trying to make a point that men have it so much harder than women.
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“Men wore out sooner,” said Sanders. This basically means that men don’t live long enough to stress about life and other hard situations which women have to live through when they get old. In my opinion, men have it easier because they generally don’t have to question if their gender is holding them back. They obviously have a higher pay scale. They have a higher chance of getting hired, and as well as they are seen as a strong candidate, while women are seen as weak and not able to lift things and do things that men can in a workplace. Which I respectfully disagree with. If women can give birth and carry a baby for two hundred and eighty days, then they also can do many things that men can do. Women also have to be a caregiver for children even when they are working full time. While men, on the other side, have it much easier. Sanders even admits that “As a boy, I also knew another sort of man who did not sweat and break down like mules.
Conclusion
There are times when I wish I was a man, not a woman, just because they have it so much easier; they don’t get judged as much as women do. Men also remain attractive later in life, while women get old and wrinkly when they start aging. Men are also less likely to suffer from anxiety orders. Men are better able to defend themselves against physical assault, while women can. For all these reasons, I believe that men have it easier than women do.
References
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“The Myth of Male Power” by Warren Farrell
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“Men Explain Things to Me” by Rebecca Solnit
Greediness In Leadership: A Analysis Of Thorin Oakenshield’s Downfall
Introduction
Great leaders personify several different values that help define their leadership, while failed leaders share many common negative characteristics. Thorin Oakenshield plays a major role in The Hobbit. He fails as a leader, as his values show the exact opposite of those that would make a leader good. His haughtiness results in selfishness and greediness, and with such, there is no wonder that he fails miserably in his leadership role.
Body
The Haughty Leader: A Barrier to Unity
First, Thorin, haughty, sees himself as above the others. His unwillingness to join in prevents him from participating in joining any group efforts and possibly enjoying himself. Many times, such as when all the dwarves, including Gandalf, meet in Bilbo’s home. Here he thinks too much of himself, insulting those around him. “Thorin indeed was very haughty and said nothing about service” (11). When Bilbo welcomes Thorin, he dismisses the fact that Bilbo graciously allows him to be there, nearly expecting that others should wait on him. He does not show appreciation or even say, “Thanks Bilbo”; rather, he ignores Bilbo altogether, going on with his personal business and seriousness.
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Greediness and the Abandonment of Responsibility
Furthermore, Thorin takes no part in doing any type of work. “‘Now to clear up!’ said Thorin… Thereupon the twelve dwarves- not Thorin, as he is too important and remains to talk to Gandalf- jump to their feet… [Later], they return and find Thorin with his feet up on the fender, smoking!” (12- 13). Time and time again, Thorin shows that he thinks rather highly of himself and thus refuses to clean up. Doing such would be too low for someone of his stature, so he engages in conversation with Gandalf instead. Additionally, the fact that he puts his feet up shows the symbolism of vacation, relaxing instead of doing work. This flippant action shows a reflection of his mind and thoughts that while others must take care of him, he is forever on vacation.
Thorin’s greediness and selfishness show when he regularly brags about his family’s many riches. “They grew immensely rich and famous… I believe they found a good deal of gold and a great many jewels too. Anyways, they grew immensely rich and famous” (22). Thorin goes on and on non-stop about how many jewels he and his family had before the dragon stole them “My grandfather’s halls became full of armor and jewels and carvings and cups” (23). He tells the dwarves and Bilbo how his grandfather has had the most magnificent gadgets. He also speaks about how the mission they have all set out upon becomes the mission for him and him alone. Furthermore, Thorin “refuses to allow anyone else to claim even a small portion of his future pile of gold, silver, and gems” (Shmoop). “But, we have never forgotten our stolen treasures… we still mean to get it back” (24). He states that when they recover that which once were his riches, all the bounty will come back to him and him alone since he appears as the main receiver of the riches. He repeats what his family has had in the past before the dragons have come.
Conclusion
He explains how in the past, everyone has had money and has spent it however they want. No one has been poor, and they have used their money as they pleased. “Those were the good days for us, and the poorest of us had money to spend and to lend, and leisure to make beautiful things just for the fun of it…the most marvelous and magical toys” (22-23). These quality traits all prevent Thorin from achieving the role of a great leader.
References
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“Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t” by Simon Sinek
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“Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t” by Jeffrey Pfeffer
