Revised response essay "Gretchen the squid"

Is there any person on earth who does not have dreams and goals? Or is there anybody who would not try everything to make his dreams come true? Personally, I would answer of course everybody would try but not all of them will succeed and each one of them for different reasons. Some people may no succeed because someone else is better than them in the subject they want to follow or do. Other people may not succeed because they did not try enough. Others now, may not succeed or achieve their goals because they are different and this is what Dave Eggers is talking about in his short-short story named “Gretchen the squid”. Dave Eggers introduces us to an enormous squid which wanted above all to become an accountant and be accepted to the University of Illinois (one of the best in accounting).

The writer with this story , aims with an interesting way to make us realize that in fact what he does is writing a letter of appeal to show us the unfair situation which is happening around us. He uses a joke and a humoristic way by mentioning a squid but in reality he does not describe the squid but every person which is ambitious and has its goals high. Every person who is very good at something but cannot achieve his goals because he is different. In the whole story Dave Eggers is making use of the 3rd person. Despite the fact that the story of the story is ridicules and funny he uses a serious tone rather than sympathetic and he is trying to pass the message of the story through feelings. While we read the story we put ourselves in Gretchen’s position and we can understand how it is to feel different. Although, many of us we face and see this in our everyday life.

Furthermore, Dave Eggers is raising the issue of discrimination. He is making a point about people not paying attention to important things (how good is Gretchen with numbers) and how they care about unimportant things (that Gretchen is different) and only these matters for them. As Oscar Wilde mentioned in one of his books “The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing”. If a person is very fat for example or has a health problem, most of us would not see this person in a good way and they would not be interested to learn things for that person.This also happens with people having different nationalities. If someone is from China and goes to another country the people there will see and treat him very differently even though they may not know him. Another example is with black doctors in America which because they were black they have been dealing with discrimination for several years.

Gretchen’s character in the story, shows us that she is ambitious, not only wants to go to University but in one of the best Universities. Her parents were always supporting her but they did not agree with her decision because even if she could be accepted in the University for sure she would face discrimination. Gretchen is also afraid of letting herself down and embarrassed because she is different. Many people think the same way as her, especially most of us we are afraid of disappointing ourselves either at college, work even in our social life. So here, we come back to the point that the writer by using a squid is actually talking about people.

Gretchen as it is mentioned in the story lives in the Caspian sea and a dream to leave and go in America. The reason which Dave Eggers uses America is not accidental. America which is a superpower, attracts many people and lots of them have as a dream to go there. America offers you many opportunities for employment and that is one of the reasons which many people wants to go in America. Gretchen wanted to wear suit, glasses, have an office and generally to be a typical worker, usual just like everyone else. She did not want to differ. In the story Dave Eggers also refers to the restaurant T.G.I Fridays which is one of the most famous restaurants in America and the people who go there are mostly young businessman (what Gretchen wanted to be).

In conclusion Dave Egger’s short story passes several messages to its readers Talking about discrimination which is a contemporary phenomenon and a phenomenon which is not only in our country but everywhere in the world. The whole point is how each one of us we will face it. However a person which is different can very easily be much more clever from someone else, so these people must not feel embarrassed. Even more, each person which wants something very much must try hard to make it and believe in himself no matter what other people are saying because only him knows what he can do and how much he can do.

References

1. Wilde, Oscar. Plays, prose writings and poems: The soul of man under socialism. London: David Campbell Publishers Ltd, 1991.p.409

2. www.naturalnews.com/023606_the_AMA_medicine_cancer.html