Post by kristincritchfield on Jul 25, 2011 14:04:57 GMT -5
“THREE CHEERS FOR POTTER!! CHEERS CHEERS CHEERS!” That’s the closest thing to a social movement our generation has ever had. Most of us are Potter Heads. Our generation is lucky because even though Harry Potter was and still is a pretty exceptional part of our lives, the HP fan club isn’t exactly revolutionary. Because we haven’t lived through any big political or social movements, we are different from most generations before us. In his essay, David Brooks said, “The most sophisticated people in preceding generations were formed by their struggle to break free from something. The most sophisticated people in this one aren’t.”
What forms every generation, I think, is the need for accomplishment. Past generations were formed based on wanting liberation from the opposition. Being liberated was an accomplishment to look forward to. Nowadays, we want to be accomplished. Instead of fighting for our rights, we fight in a different way: with our brain power! Yeah!
We don’t exactly battle it out in the hallways with flying fists, but we are all fighting to be at the top of the class (because being outside of the top ten percent just isn’t cutting it). The smartest kids, naturally, are going to be the most successful. They’ll be running the country, maybe the world. So who’s the smartest of them all? Who will get into the best college? Who will have the highest paying, most influential job? Obviously, those thoughts are floating around in our heads. Being educated is extremely important to us.
In a way, we are chasing the American Dream. We study hard in hopes to succeed. We want jobs that pay well because no one wants to work three jobs, living pay check to paycheck until the day they die. Ultimately, we all have a choice in the matter. People who do end up working paycheck to paycheck could have just as easily went to college instead of turning in their application to Walmart right after high school. If we go to college and work hard, we believe we’ll get a good job and turn out okay. Honestly, we believe what Mr. Brooks said in his essay, that “there is a fundamental order to the universe, and it works. If you play by its rules and defer to its requirements, you will lead a pretty fantastic life.” Hey, maybe our generation is so smart and awesome that this is true, and if it isn’t, then maybe those who are more fortunate than others can help those who aren’t very lucky.
As I was reading Mr. Brooks’ essay, I thought that our generation really didn’t have anything true to fight for. I mean, thanks to the good ole United States of America, we don’t really have to fight for anything. Our generation is responsible. We are generous. We are bright. We are good-natured. Most of all, we are lucky. We are very lucky. We may not be literally fighting for a cause, but we are fighting to be the best and the brightest of them all. Though, in the future we may be literally fighting for a job in the job market, we’re just lucky because that’s all we have to be fighting for. Plus, we have Harry Potter.
What forms every generation, I think, is the need for accomplishment. Past generations were formed based on wanting liberation from the opposition. Being liberated was an accomplishment to look forward to. Nowadays, we want to be accomplished. Instead of fighting for our rights, we fight in a different way: with our brain power! Yeah!
We don’t exactly battle it out in the hallways with flying fists, but we are all fighting to be at the top of the class (because being outside of the top ten percent just isn’t cutting it). The smartest kids, naturally, are going to be the most successful. They’ll be running the country, maybe the world. So who’s the smartest of them all? Who will get into the best college? Who will have the highest paying, most influential job? Obviously, those thoughts are floating around in our heads. Being educated is extremely important to us.
In a way, we are chasing the American Dream. We study hard in hopes to succeed. We want jobs that pay well because no one wants to work three jobs, living pay check to paycheck until the day they die. Ultimately, we all have a choice in the matter. People who do end up working paycheck to paycheck could have just as easily went to college instead of turning in their application to Walmart right after high school. If we go to college and work hard, we believe we’ll get a good job and turn out okay. Honestly, we believe what Mr. Brooks said in his essay, that “there is a fundamental order to the universe, and it works. If you play by its rules and defer to its requirements, you will lead a pretty fantastic life.” Hey, maybe our generation is so smart and awesome that this is true, and if it isn’t, then maybe those who are more fortunate than others can help those who aren’t very lucky.
As I was reading Mr. Brooks’ essay, I thought that our generation really didn’t have anything true to fight for. I mean, thanks to the good ole United States of America, we don’t really have to fight for anything. Our generation is responsible. We are generous. We are bright. We are good-natured. Most of all, we are lucky. We are very lucky. We may not be literally fighting for a cause, but we are fighting to be the best and the brightest of them all. Though, in the future we may be literally fighting for a job in the job market, we’re just lucky because that’s all we have to be fighting for. Plus, we have Harry Potter.