The Rich Brother By Tobias Wolff Summary

Chris McCandless was born into an “upper-middle-class” life courtesy of the hard work of his father. Although he often rebuked wealth, he was given opportunities only possible through his family’s small wealth such as his education and his knack for business. However, it was this exposure to money that allowed McCandless to form his own opinions and the unnecessary value placed on social status leading to his life in the wild. He left the confines of his structured life to live out in nature as an escape from the world he was born into. No matter his opinion on the wealth his family earned, ultimately McCandless’s life could not help but be shaped by it.

All in all, Hansberry teaches the reader about the negative power of being wealth centered by the actions of the minor characters throughout the

Not only did politics play a crucial role in the citizenship of women, but it also played a major role in the eventual emancipation of African-American slaves. In the article “A Man but Not a Brother: Abraham Lincoln and Racial Equality”, author George Fredrickson examined the various statements and influences of United States President Abraham Lincoln, to understand his political beliefs on the issues of race and slavery. When viewed all together, these elements suggest that Lincoln was not a typical Negrophobe or a firm fighter for racial equality. To put him in either category would misrepresent his views on race. One of Lincoln’s biggest influences in regards to race and slavery was Henry Clay.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby takes place in the 1920’s, an era of emerging new wealth and a desire to exploit the new wealth through exuberant displays. The main indicator of individual success became the classification of individuals into social strata. Individuals born in an elite stratum do not need to exploit their wealth. Gatsby’s newfound wealth in turn forces him to exploit his wealth. In the midst of his lavish displays, he becomes more aware of the difference between newfound and preexisting wealth.

Representation of Money in The Great Gatsby In The Great Gatsby, wealth was a huge contributing factor in the plot of the story. This story represents three classes of money; “old money”, “new money” and “no money” (Kestler, Justin). Jay Gatsby would be a part of the “new money” class because he made his fortune on his own by illegally selling alcohol. Tom and Daisy would be a part of the “old money” class due to the fact that their wealth was inherited through former family members. Though money has the ability to create a comfortable life, the love of it is evil and can cause many bad things to occur.

The Theme of Limiting Expectations The quote, “Expectation is the root of all heartache” written by Shakespeare epitomize the stories of “Brother Dear” and “Boys and Girls”. The expectations set by others transform the characters views on their daily lives and future choices; however, they develop through their given limitations by maturing, and making realizations on their own. Yet, the new found freedom of choice creates conflict within families and society.

In Tobias Wolff’s story, “The Rich Brother,” the author depicts the relationship of two opposite brothers. While one brother, Pete, is seemingly content with his financial prosperity and wealthy lifestyle, the other, Donald, finds no comfort in such things. As Pete struggles to tolerate Donald’s outlook on life, Donald struggles to find his place in the world spiritually while avoiding concerning himself with the financial aspect of it. For some this spiritual sense of completion Donald seeks is more valuable to them than any financial one, while others, like Pete, find comfort in the life they live through material wealth. Although Pete’s lifestyle lacks a spiritual aspect, he is the “richer” brother since he has obtained the way of life he desired to have the most, not due to the fact that this desired lifestyle stems from much physical wealth.

In the story, the narrator describes the rich as “different from you and me. [The rich] possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand” (Fitzgerald, “The Rich Boy” 3). The narrator 's description is very accurate, which is shown especially in the main character, Anson, who was born into a wealthy family and exhibits many of these characteristics. Tate, a critical writer explains that “‘The Rich Boy’ is not so much about wealth itself as about the effect of wealth on character, and the primary effect on Anson is an over power sense of superiority” (1). This superiority that Anson feels directly correlates with his upbringing because he has more money than most people.

Throughout ‘The Great Gatsby’ Fitzgerald presents the idea that the wealthy people are spilt into two distinct groups. The first group are the characters born into wealth, for example; Tom and Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. These are the characters that come from generations of wealth and have the ‘easy life’. They do not work, nor have to worry about anything other than themselves. They have security and ‘peers’ whom share the same taste as them.

The son undergoes moral development during this moment, and Wolff demonstrates this by using foils, symbolism, and by changing the connotation of the word snow. It is due to these literary devices that Wolff demonstrates the son’s moral development during a memorable moment. Throughout the novel it is apparent that the father and mother of the son are complete opposites.

Not only does the amount of wealth affect social class, but the type of wealth also affects it. It even affects where people live and who people marry as seen with Gatsby and Daisy. The characters social standing affect who they interact and how they are perceived by others. Fitzgerald highlights the different class structures like “New rich” and “Old rich” and the impact of wealth on the people’s lives in those classes. He also shows the superficial nature of the characters and highlights the value placed on wealth.

The short story, “The Rich Brother” accounts the journey of two brothers with great different personalities. After Donald, the younger naive religious brother, is kicked out of a communal farm, Pete, the older wealthier brother, goes to pick him up. Pete feels that Donald is too carefree, and that he always has to help him out of his mistakes. The tensions between these siblings are evident--they both feel that they need to prove themselves to each other; they need to provide evidence of their “prosperity” (Wolff 324). Pete more than Donald tends to always try to impress others, such as buying expressive items.

Like George, most people in society spend their whole lives chasing material wealth, and never slow down to appreciate the priceless spiritual wealth they have built up through friends and family. George is taught by society that success is measured by material wealth. He watches others from the town leave and become rich, while he is stuck in

Even when his neighbour Charley offers him a job with a salary, Willy declines because he is too proud to work for Charley. He rather blames his failure on the superficiality of the business world and fixates himself on the idea that personality, not hard work, is the key to accomplishment. Perhaps, this is because Willy is living in a world where the pursuit of the American Dream is a predominant part of people’s lives, and the materialistic pressures of the superficial were beginning to permeate its actual values. Under this particular pressure, Willy has been fighting his entire life to achieve "the dream," but unfortunately, no one ever explains to him what its true values are or how to really make it. Therefore, Willy manages his life based on his overwhelming sense of pride and ambition, and in this way, Miller seems to criticize the idea of compromising happiness for success-- even though Willy truly believes that happiness is achieved through success.

Jacinta Claire Fernandez AGF130008 Dr. Nicholas O. Pagan ACGB 6311 American Literature Paper #2 30th December 2014 Uncovering the Mask: A Jungian Analysis of Anson Hunter from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Rich Boy”. F. Scott Fitzgerald remains to this day, one of the greatest contributors to the vast realm of American Literature. “The Rich Boy”, published in 1926, bares similarities to The Great Gatsby.