Every person in this world is born to do something with their lives, to have goals and dreams and try hard in order to be able to achieve them. Could you ever imagine how life would be without goals, if everybody lives their lives without a purpose? In the short-short story of Dave Eggers, “Gretchen the Squid”, dreams and goals are the main topic. Gretchen who is an enormous squid wants more than anything in the world to be an accountant. She lives in the Caspian Sea with her family. Even though her parents are being supportive so far for all of her dreams, she knows that they will never approve this one, her dream of being an accountant.
With this short-short story, Egger’s efforts for presenting a letter of appeal are obvious. He chooses to use an enormous squid in the place of a person; a squid with goals, dreams, and hopes. In real life this can easily be taken as a surreal joke, for the obvious reason of course that an enormous squid can never be taken as an accountant. He uses third person in the whole story and also the tone of voice is serious and sympathetic (deadpan humor). The writer uses a very smart way to capture the reader’s attention by using the serious tone of voice, and the not too serious context. There is a contrast between the tone of voice and the context because the tone as I said is serious but the context is ridiculous and funny.
The fact that in his short-short story, Egger describes an enormous squid, that also has a name, makes the story more personal. He concentrates on her one and only dream, to be an accountant and study at the best university for accountants, the University of Illinois. Gretchen is an ambitious, very confident squid, but most importantly she is a dreamer. She’s also afraid of letting herself down and she wants to change her image, to make it fit similar to that of a perfect accountant. What is more important to this short-story is the fact that the writer uses an enormous squid in the place of what could have been an overweight, ugly woman who is going after her dream and goals. In this way the writer shows the unfairness, the racism, and the stereotyping of people, that exists is in the world. The skin color, religion, language, sex, age, disabilities and race are some aspects that people use to discriminate other people. In our society people from other countries, especially those who have different skin color are treated very differently from others. For example, they may get less money for the job they do and their employers may treat them with no respect and of course they don’t take in mind their human rights. In some cases, maybe a person with different skin color is better from the other person with the same skin color, but the other person gets the job. This same situation also can happen with a woman who is fat and ugly, with a woman that is beautiful and thin. Also in the workplace sex and age discrimination, were the people with the same sex as the employer gets higher and the one with the younger age. Discrimination and racism are also common at schools. Children with some disabilities or different skin color are often not accepted by the “normal” children and so they end up without friends. So discrimination starts from the early age, when children first go to school. Children must have the right information from school and home about all the kinds of racism so they can avoid and in their adult life.
Furthermore, Gretchen wants to go to the United States and live the American dream. Many people from Eastern Europe and Asia go to the United States, full with ambitions, dreams and goals to achieve a better and a happier life. They seek for an opportunity to live the American dream which they consider it to be the ideal way of living. “There’s really no other way to understand their migration except as motivated by a belief that it could procure some gain, if not for themselves in providing a reassuring sense of purpose, then at least for the good of their children and community, who might wet be saved even if they themselves were not.” (Cullen, 159). It is worth mentioning that Gretchen, a squid of the salt water lives in the Caspian Sea, a sweet water lake. Similar to those people who are captured by their own system, cultures or religions.
In conclusion in this short-short story the issues of discrimination, racism and stereotyping are being raised. Gretchen the enormous squid who dreams of becoming an accountant and work in a big firm, and study in the University of Illinois, is being held back by her appearance, her location and her parents not approval. The unfair judgment that some people go through their lives, because of their names and ids, is a way of isolating people among us. Everybody should chase their dreams, goals and ambitions, and try their best to achieve them. All people no matter, color, race, religion, or political believes, should have equal opportunities, equal chances, to be who they want to be in their lives. They should not be limited nor by the Caspian Sea, nor by their size, nor by their environment; they should be accepted and valued for what they are.
Cullen, Jim."The American Dream".New York: Oxford University Press,2003.
Dave Eggers introduces a gigantic squid who wants more than anything to have a good education and to follow the American dream. At a first glance, the author is narrating a humorous fiction story. Taking it further and deeper away, what he really does -is using a fiction story as his weapon to speak out to the world. He becomes the voice among the voiceless people, who always point out the several problems and big dilemmas of society, but do not have the will to fix the broken parts. Through his leading fictional character, the author touches the heart of reality.
Gretchen, is the symbolic figure of a child who needs support by his parents, acceptance by his environment and wants to follow his dreams. Living at a time were American ideals consider being the ultimate and greatest achievement that man could have -she seeks her piece of the American pie. She wants to go to university, to be a great accountant, to join a large corporation, to wear the fancy and classy suit and to hung out in well-know bars and restaurants. Although, she is very good with numbers, confident and competent, she is facing disappointment and rejection from her surroundings.
It will always be the "Us versus them", the insignificant other. The idea of being superior than the “other” is not something that we find in front of us, the current moment. The “ Us versus them” has always existed. When we go back in time,despite how much people longed and long for equality and unity - the negative impacts of a modernized society, leave no signs of hope. However, is there another way to go with this?
"There is just one life for each of us: our own", (Euripedes). Gretchen is fully aware, that species of her kind can not have the same opportunities as humans- but yet, that does not stop her of dreaming the impossible. The writer, from the begging until the end of the letter argues the fictional reality of the world we live in. Turning back the clock, we come across to all the struggles of people who fought for their rights- their different skin color, race, gender and religion beliefs.
Utopia does not exist. The key for a better world is respect and accept "the other".If we were all the same and had same ideologies, cultural and religion beliefs- then life would have no greater meaning, since we would not have any sign of progress. "We are not abandoning our convictions , our philosophy or traditions, nor do we urge anyone to abandon theirs" (Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev).
The aim is not to engage ourselves in the ethnocentric approach of changing “the other”. Our goal, is to create a world that unites, not necessarily nations and locations, but ideas or sets of different ideas. What completes a puzzle, is the different pieces and parts that inevitably attach each other.
Gretchen is searching for her oasis- what do humans search for? We struggle and fight, some more and some less, to reach our goals and dreams. We all want a piece of that happiness, regardless of what that is, for each and everyone of us. Our biggest fear is failure. However, what we all really desire, is to belong in a world that accepts "us and the different other". We can not be the same; we must not wish to be the same.
“ The worst form of inequality, is to try to make unequal things equal”, as the Greek philosopher Aristotle said. Therefore, w
e must maintain our own identity and culture and accept the "interesting other", which nevertheless redefines our own unique identity.People say, that time heals the wounds of a broken heart-does it heal though, the wounds of a broken mind? "It’s hard but wise, to have the ability to manipulate and control life through formal legislation. However, we should all attempt to eliminate those barriers which hinder us from progressing and evolving as individuals. With our perspective true to our skills, talents and traits. Having always in mind that the best are yet to arrive, we are entering the final path and we are taking off, having as our luggage the wonderful gifts of knowledge and the will to carry out a precious mission, called Life".
References
PS: a reminder that the last paragraph, though in quotations, is also my own work.
As Reyner Banham refers in his essay “The Crisp at the Crossroads”, crisps are among the triumphs of progressive technology. George Crum in 1853 was working as a chef at a restaurant called Cary Moon in Saratoga, New York. George Crum was known that he was bad tempered and so people that dined at the restaurant used to test his temper. Some of them used to send their foods back saying that they weren’t good enough and challenged George Crum to make them even better. One day one of the customers kept sending his French fries back because he said that they were soft and not crunchy enough. The customer sent his French fries back to George Crum three times. And so George made some French fries that were so small and thin that couldn’t even be pierced with a fork. But he never imagined that those crisps would be loved by the customer and not only. People used to ask for them all of the time so George put the French fries on the restaurant’s menu and called them Saratoga crisps. To his surprise the crisps become an everyday habit of people around the world because not long later they were not only served in the restaurants but in supermarkets too.
Firstly crisps were stored in tins but they often were found damp after a while. Later on when airtight bags were invented, crisps started being mass produced by factories and were sent for consuming around the world. At the beginning they started off by Crum in 1853 being thin slices of potatoes that were fried and served with salt as their topping and then they were sold plain and the packet inside included another sachet which had salt in it for those who wanted to add salt as a topping. Moving on the next stage was that the factories produced them “Ready Salted” and now two centuries later are served with – only God knows how many flavors and toppings exist around the world.
Nowadays the crisp companies of each country produce their own special flavors that have to do with the countries region and popularity of a certain flavor or ingredient. For example in Cyprus and Greece oregano is a very popular ingredient that is being used a lot in different foods. So crisps were made in Cyprus and Greece with oregano flavor and are very popular and sell more than any other flavor as in Italy the pizza flavor sells more. Flavors keep on expanding dramatically and there doesn’t seem to be a stop in this whole process because it is profitable for the companies and we keep buying them because they are a cheap snack. It’s a two way situation because both of us; the factories and the people buying them find profit from this situation.
Through the last few years marketing manufacturing and advertising means helped a lot to their promoting and got crisps into our houses literary. The fact that they have an attractive packaging, there are so many flavors, come in “light” packages, and are probably the cheapest snack in the market that can be served for any occasion helped to their promotion. Television commercials also helped a lot to their promotion because they make us unconsciously think that we want to buy them and eat them because they are so good and no one can really deny that. But the important thing is that we are not doing any good to our health by eating them but we also can’t help it because we never get the chance to think about the all the dangers that may cause.
The sense that a small synthetic appetizer, side dish or snack can really be bad for our health never crosses our minds until we give it a good thinking. Even if it does cross our minds some crisps are also labeled as “lights”. Their packages promote the fact that they have less fat, energy, proteins and so on. But for a potato to become a crisp means that it goes through a non-natural process which is to be fried in cooking oil. Each packet of crisps contains at least one to one and a half table spoons cooking oil which is bad for our health if we consume it in large quantities every day and most of the times more than once per day.
Even people who avoid living the modern way of life find their selves in consuming crisps more than the desirable amount that they would have liked to consume. All of us get carried away when it comes to crisps; we get carried away from our desire of a quick snack. Crisps can become a bad habit for one’s health and especially in the times that we live now. Many people spend most of their time sitting on a couch basically doing nothing special, just watching TV and eating junk food because they can’t be bothered to get up and make a decent meal to eat. Crisps have made things even worse for “couch potatoes” health. Crisps can be found in either small convenient packages or big family packs and are easy to carry around with you and that the reason why people eat them as a part of their daily fast food meals.
Crisps are “synthetic” potatoes, which can be a bad habit for one’s health if they are consumed on a daily basis. But on the other hand they are a convenient snack, side dish or appetizer that can be served for many occasions. Next time we are all faced with a packet of crisps in a supermarket we should think twice before buying them because at the end of the day we are not benefited by any way when eating crisps.
Response to "The Sterner Sex" by Rebecca West
Throughout history, women are struggling to earn equal rights with men. Societies themselves are build up in an unfair way towards women, something that makes the situation for them even difficult to change. The general mentality of men is that women should not have the same privileges as them, and even some women of older generations seem to have the same belief. This is probably due to the fact that from the moment these women were born, they were taught to be subordinate to men, so that notion seems to be correct for them and they consider it unacceptable to think otherwise. Nowadays, women in most societies are considered by law to be equal to men. But that’s not the case. Unequal treatment of women in
According to a survey, there are less women employed in either the public, semi-government, or private sectors than men. In addition to that, the same survey shows that women are underpaid in relation with their male coworkers. There is a gap of 3.8% in the salaries of the public sector, in the semi-government sector it’s 29.3%, and in the private sector it’s 30.6% (Papadopoulou, online) (My translation). This difference in the salaries can’t be attributed to anything else than the gender of the employees.
Regarding politics, there are less female than male politicians. When governments are formed after elections and each president is about to assign ministers to each ministry, there are more male than female politicians being assigned as ministers. Even in the parliament women are underrepresented. How are women expected to get the majority of votes in the parliament regarding the formation of a new drastic law that favours them, if they are outnumbered?
Women that decide to stay at home and raise their children should be supported much more financially by the governments. Raising children is a difficult and time consuming thing to do. Each of these women has the role of the mother twenty four hours a day, and things are more difficult for working single mothers. Governments should increase the financial support to these women in order to help them, but also as a way to praise them for their contribution to the society.
I believe that the
The image that society created for women is the one of a kind, delicate, weak person who needs to be protected. Society’s notion is that at first women are protected by their family, but after that they must get married so that they have a husband to look after them. In the past, when women were mistreated by their husbands or were unhappy, they didn’t ask for divorce because they were afraid of what other people would think, what would happen to the children, and of what would happen to them regarding financial issues. Nowadays, mistreated and unhappy wives tend to ask for divorce more easily than they did in the past, but still some of them choose to stay married. That change of tendency of women towards divorce happens because of some amendments in law. These amendments happened because of women’s attempts to earn them. They happened not a long time ago, and arrange various issues like the custody of the children, and the right of women to claim for property in divorce. The change of society’s and even the Church’s attitude towards divorce also functions positively to the decision of these women to ask for divorce.
Many people, and especially men, may have counter arguments for the issues that are raised in the previous paragraphs. Some of their arguments might be that women do not seek for a job because they prefer to stay at home; that there are not many women in the parliament because women are not very interested in politics; that working single mothers receive alimony from their ex-husbands or receive a satisfactory pension from the government in the case of widows with children; that women should not become priests because “Jesus trusted the spread of His word to the Apostles and later on to their also male successors which are the bishops, the priests and the deacons” (Thrasivoulou, online) (My translation); and that many women get married and after a certain period of time claim for a divorce, because they wish to claim for themselves part of the property that them and their husbands had together after they got married. These arguments, in most of the occasions that each one refers to are not valid or satisfactory enough to explain or justify why things are the way they are today.
Women should be treated more fairly, and additional measures should be taken in their advantage regarding all aspects of their lives. Women are strong because they earned most, if not all of their rights with struggles. Life was harsher for women in the past but they did not abash. They found the strength to oppose to the existing situations and they still do. So, who should be considered as the “Sterner sex”? Men that had all the privileges in their possession from the beginning, or women who fought to earn every single one of them?
Works cited:
Antoniadou, Maria. "Πρόταση για χειροτονία γυναικών (Proposition for ordainment of women)!" Το Βήμα Online (To Vima Online). 28 Jul. 2009. 6 Dec. 2009 <http://www.tovima.gr/default.asp?pid=2&artid=280498&ct=32&dt=28/7/2009>.
