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Welcome to My e-Portfolio
Emily Layton
Dr. C. Frank
Clayton State University
20 April 2018
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Table of Contents
Reflecting English 1101 and 1102………………………………………………………………...3
Guide to My e-Portfolio…………………………………………………………………………...5
Rhetorical Reading Response……………………………………………………………………..6
Writing and Revision Artifact…………………………………………………………………….8
Peer Review……………………………………………………………………………………...16
Movie Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………..23
Concept Paper from English 1101……………………………………………………………….26
Argument Paper from English 1102…………………………………………………………......32
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Reflecting on English 1101 and 1102
When I was younger everyone one in my class had to write a story for our class book. My
story was about a haunted house in a neighborhood that no one ever wanted to go to. People
always ran past the house or avoided it altogether. After some semi-brave kids stumbled into the
house they realized it was not so bad after all. When I wrote this story I was not focused on my
grammar or delving too deep in the plot; it was just for fun. After taking English 1101 and
English 1102 I realized that even if I was just writing for fun, I had to make some changes to
make my writing the best. By writing personal essays, rhetorical reading responses, annotated
bibliographies, doing peer review, and more, English 1101 and English 1102 taught me exactly
how to improve my writing.
My first assignment in English 1101 was to write a personal essay on why I chose my
career. Similar to my class story, I only focused on making sure my paper flowed well, and that
it made sense. When I got my corrections back I realized I did not pay attention to several other
aspects of my essay. I failed to keep the same tense throughout my essay, misplaced commas,
colons and semi-colons and I used the wrong format. This essay made me realize that I had to
view writing as a process and focus on all parts of my writing rather than just a few. To
strengthen my writing, I had to carefully look over everything several times to make sure every
aspect was correct. I also had to stop using words like, “stuff” and “things” and contractions
because my professor did not like it and would take off points. Doing this helped me improve
my writing as I moved forward in the course.
In English 1101, I learned how to analyze a piece of writing through rhetorical reading
responses. This, in turn, made my writing stronger. In order to write a rhetorical reading
response I needed to understand what I was reading, who it was directed too and what it really
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meant, then write my thoughts in an organized manner. For example in my first rhetorical
reading response on Dorothy Allison’s “Context”, I had to read the story several times just too
completely grasp the underlying meaning. When I understood what Allison was talking about, I
was able to write about my analysis and provide evidence. Following the guidelines of a
rhetorical reading response also helped me recognize the proper flow of writing. In English 1102,
I evaluated argumentative pieces about injustices and then wrote rhetorical reading responses.
When I evaluated the argumentative pieces, I realized that they are made up of personal
anecdotes, examples, and statistics. I used these aspects to write my rhetorical reading responses.
When I posed a question regarding the author’s piece, I applied argumentative writing techniques
such as personal anecdotes and citations. These techniques helped me build a good argument and
get my point across effectively. I was able to use these techniques later when I wrote my
argument paper and in class discussions about current injustices. While working on my rhetorical
reading responses, I had to participate in peer review and visited the writer’s studio. When I
exchanged writing with my peers it helped me recognize mistakes, and see the way they
analyzed the writing. This helped me better investigate the meaning of other rhetorical responses
I wrote. When I worked with the tutors in the writer’s studio I received another view on certain
aspects of my work and this helped me correct mistakes that my peers and I might have missed.
Because I did different types of rhetorical reading responses and had my peers and a tutor review
my work, the quality of my other assignments improved.
In addition to these two assignments, I had to write an annotated bibliography for my
English 1101 concept paper and my English 1102 argument paper. For these assignments my
class and I went to the library and learned how to use its resources for research. I was taught how
to use resources like GALILEO; which helped me find credible sources that provided
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information on my topic. I also learned about websites that could teach me how to cite my
sources properly. This session at the library made me feel a lot better about writing my first
annotated bibliography in English 1101. After I searched GALILEO and the internet for a while,
I found a few resources for my concept paper and I wrote my annotated bibliography without a
problem. I cited my sources properly because I used resources such as: Citation Machine and the
Perdue Writing Lab. I continued to use these lessons in English 1102 and at another library
session I learned how to differentiate the sources I found. I was able to take that lesson and refine
my second annotated bibliography. Using these resources have helped me find the best sources
for my essays and taught me how to cite them in MLA format within my writing and on my
works cited page.
In the end, English 1101 and English 1102 have helped me improve my writing. After I
completed several essays, rhetorical reading responses, and annotated bibliographies, I was able
to write properly on a colligate level. Participating in peer review prompted new ideas and
brought grammatical errors to my attention that became easy to spot in my own work. This
further helped me when I wrote my other assignments such as: my concept and argument papers.
Being able to take these new writing techniques and apply them to assignments in and out of
English class was a huge positive outcome from these courses. Writing had become easier than
before because I took English 1101, and English 1102, and I am sure it will become easier as I
take more English courses in future.
A Guide to My E-Portfolio
My first year writing portfolio includes a rhetorical reading response, a revision artifact, a
peer review, a movie analysis, a concept paper, and a revised paper from 1102. The rhetorical
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reading response is on Dorothy Allison’s narrative, “Context”. I chose this piece because it was
the first piece of writing that opened my eyes to the depth of literature. This piece forced me to
look beneath the surface to find the true story. Writing this reading response set the course of my
writing for the rest of the year. Following the rhetorical reading response are revision artifacts
that display my brainstorming process, topic selection, organization and corrections for my
English 1101 concept paper. These artifacts show the processes I take to write my concept paper
from my brainstorming to review and everything in between. After the revision artifact, there is a
peer review of a classmate’s concept paper from English 1101. This peer review demonstrates
my ability to identify errors within writing and prompt new ideas to help my peer better their
paper. Next, there is a movie analysis on “Erin Brockovich”. I choose to include this analysis
because it shows that I am capable of watching and analyzing a film and its message. Following
the movie analysis, there is a revised concept paper from English 1101 about the change in
happiness in America over the last two centuries. Finally, there is a revised argument paper from
English 1102 about the American democracy and whether or not it is a true democracy.
Rhetorical Reading Response
In Dorothy Allison’s allegory, “Context” (1994) she suggests that her lover will start to
see her in a different light now that she has been exposed to the context of Dorothy’s
troublesome past. In this narrative Allison explains why she believes her lover’s perception of
her will change through a recount of a trip she and her family took where her father acted out in a
store and it made the clerk look at them with disdain. Allison narrates her past in order to explain
why she is so insecure of her past and the judgment she receives from it. Allison, speaking to
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people in a similar situation, hopes to connect with other people and help them better understand
how their past affects their lovers’ perception of them.
As I read Allison’s story I felt really empathetic towards her situation. The way she
talked about her experiences and described her feelings made me think about life in her shoes.
Under the surface it seemed like Allison experienced metal or physical abuse from her step-
father. For instance, when he made a rude remark in the store, she stated, “…and I wanted to
apologize-to tell him we were not like our stepfather-but I could do nothing I couldn’t speak a
word to him in front of my stepfather…” (Allison 116). To me, her fear of her step-father’s
reaction indicated abuse and probably was the reason why Allison was so ashamed of her past;
she was always judged or put down for something that was not her fault. As I read the story, I
felt like Allison really wished she was not affected by her past, because she wanted to live life to
the fullest, but she always allowed it to hold her back. I have definitely allowed my past to keep
me from living my life, but I learned to let it go and move on. For some reason Allison could not
move on. That was why I thought she saw herself differently and believed her lover would as
well.
The story flowed very nicely in and out of Allison’s memories helping us understand why
her lover could possibly see her in a different light after learning more about her childhood.
However, after reading Allison’s story again I wondered what more, other than low income,
affected her childhood and people’s perception of her so fiercely. Perhaps it was the small
suggestions of abuse from her step-father or the fact that he seemed to be more of a dictator than
a father figure. For example, Allison stated, “We were overcome with the sheer freedom of being
on a real vacation in a semi-public place all the time where my stepfather had to watch his
temper, and of running everywhere in bathing suits and flip-flops” (Allison 116). When I read
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this the first time it just seemed like they were happy to finally have a vacation, which for them
did not happen often, but when I read it a second time I noticed the subtle input about her step-
father’s actions. She hinted at the fact that his actions were so bad that he had to control them
under the eye of the public probably because they would be frowned upon. This sneaky jab at her
stepfather showed readers why we would never know enough about Allison to get the full
picture. As Allison’s lover stated, “I thought I understood what you meant…but I just didn’t
have a context” (Allison 115). The truth about Allison would always be hidden between good
memories, or other problems, and her full life story might never surface.
Works Cited
Dorothy, Allison. “Context.” Connections Guide to First Year Writing at Clayton State
University. Ed. Mary R. Lamb. 7th ed. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead Press, 2017. 115-
117. Print
Writing and Revision Artifact
The following questions are what I used to help me find a topic for my English 1101
concept paper. These questions also show evidence of my brainstorming process. After
answering the questions I was able to analyze a few topics and group them to form a topic. After
choosing my topic, I was able to put together my next artifact which is an outline. The last
artifact is of the first two paragraphs of my paper and their revisions.
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Brainstorming
-What do I like about this paper?
I like that this paper will bring awareness to different topics and provide people with a
deeper understanding of a topic.
-What do I dislike about this paper?
I dislike that this paper could cause conflict due to contrasting opinions.
-This is what bothers me…
Judgement. Judging people before you understand them and their experiences really
bothers me. I understand that some people do not like others based on first impressions,
but we still need to give people a chance to show their true colors.
-What needs to be fixed?
Society needs to be fixed. People feel like they have to conform to the mold society has
placed on them. This is what causes unhappiness and negative energy in the world.
Maybe if we could all choose how people perceive us rather than be perceived based on
society’s standards, then the world would be a better, more accepting place.
-I want to know more about…
People. Why do we do the things that we do? What pushes some people to hurt others? I
would like to know what caused people to be the way they are today. Is it because of
personal experiences or is it based on events in history.
Top Five Topics:
1. Happiness
2. Self-Perception
3. Effects of Society
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4. Reoccurring Mistakes
5. Drastic Mental Health Problems
Analyzing the Final Choices:
After choosing five topics I could see that I was interested in what aspects affect people.
The effects of society could affect peoples’ happiness in life or their perception of
themselves. If people are making the same mistakes over and over again then it could
possibly lead to a drastic mental health problem. I decided that I would talk more about
how happiness is affected by society and self-perception, but I should probably specify
the topic a bit more.
Final Choice:
How Has Americans’ Measurement of Happiness Changed and Why?
Thesis Statement:
In today’s society people are forced to recognize money as the only source of happiness.
This was not always the way happiness was measured, but several world and national
events changed the scale of measurement.
Conclusion:
After creating my thesis I decided to talk about the actual definition of happiness and my
definition of happiness at the beginning. I also decided to talk about the difference between my
perception of happiness as a child and adults’ perception. I wrote this in the first paragraph then I
wrote the definition of happiness and my definition in the next paragraph followed by my thesis.
Outline
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I. Introduction
A. What happiness means to certain people
1. Adults
2. Children
B. Definition of Happiness
1. My definition
2. Actual definition
II. Happiness in the early 1900s
A. What did life look like in the early 1900s?
1. How did people live?
a) Upper class
b) Middle class
c) Lower class
2. What jobs did people have?
a) What jobs were popular within each social class?
b) How much money did people make?
B. What made them happy?
1. What specific aspects made people happy?
a) Money
b) Family
c) Possessions
d) Health
III. Happiness in the mid-to late-1900s
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A. What did life look like in the mid-to late 1900s?
1. What changed how people lived?
a) World War I
b) The Great Depression
2. What made life easier?
a) Thriving economy?
b) New Technology?
B. What made them happy?
1. What specific aspects made people happy?
a) Money
b) Family
c) Possessions
d) Health
2. Did new technology affect happiness?
a) Cars
b) Television
c) Phones
IV. Happiness in the 2000s
A. What does life look like in the 2000s?
1. What was the same and different?
a) Economy
b) Technology
c) Family life
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2. What jobs did people have?
a) What jobs are popular?
b) How did these jobs affect people?
B. What made people happy?
1. What specifically made people happy?
a) Money
b) Family
c) Possessions
d) Health
2. Did new technology affect happiness?
a) Smart phones
b) Tablets
c) Smart cars
3. Were people unhappy because of what they had?
V. Conclusion of the measurement of Happiness in 1900s-2000s
A. Summary
1. What happened in the 1900s?
a) War
b) Economic decline and boom
c) New Technology
2. What happened in the 2000s?
a) Boom in technology
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b) Decrease in family and social life
Revision
Before
When I was a child I wanted to be an adult. The idea of independence was exciting to me.
Adulthood meant I could make my own money, have my own job and purchase my dream house.
As I become an adult, I want to be a child again. Life was full of responsibilities that I never had
before and did not want. This had seemed to be a recurring cycle among people for a while: but
why? As children we were unhappy because we felt like we did not have freedom and could not
be happy without it. Adults constantly told us to have fun because life would get harder as we
got older. Because they experienced all the hardships of adulthood, adults want to relive their
childhood to experience that happiness again. These envious thoughts have crossed my mind
before, because I measured happiness differently as a child than I do now. This change in my
view of happiness has occurred in the United States of America for several years now, but why?
Happiness, to me, is when people are living a healthy life; with loving, supportive family
and friends, they can buy life’s basic necessities and are still able to help others. However, the
true definition of happiness is the state of being happy. This definition leads people to interpret it
happiness differently; this is why when people define happiness their answers vary. We all
measure happiness on different scales such as: wealth, health, possession or religion, but today’s
society forces us to see wealth as the only scale of happiness. The rich need to get richer, the
middle class need to become rich and the poor need money in general. Everything we do is to
prepare us to make money so we can live happy lives. However, this was never the only
standard.
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After
As a child I always wanted to be an adult. As I became an adult, I wanted to be a child
again. This had seemed to be a recurring cycle among people for a while: but why? As children
we were unhappy because we felt like we did not have a significant amount of freedom and
could not be happy without it. Adults constantly told us to enjoy our adolescent lives because it
would get harder as we grew. Because they experienced all the hardships of adulthood, adults
wanted to relive their childhoods to experience that carefree happiness again. These envious
thoughts have crossed my mind in the past, because I measured happiness differently as a child
than I do now.
Happiness, to me, is when people are living a healthy life; with loving, supportive family
and friends, they can buy life’s basic necessities and are still able to help others. However, the
true definition of happiness is the state of being happy. This vague definition leads people to
interpret happiness differently; this is why when people define happiness their answers vary. We
all measure happiness on different scales such as: wealth, health, possession or religion, but
today’s society forces us to see wealth as the only scale of happiness. The rich need to get richer,
the middle class need to become rich and the poor need money in general. Everything we do all
of our lives is to prepare us to make money so we can live happy lives. This has never been the
only standard for happiness so why has the situation changed?
Revision Explanation
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I decided not to shorten my introduction so it was straight to the point. I talked briefly
about my childhood experience with happiness compared to adults’ experiences and why they
were different. This helped me open my paper and then lead into my next paragraph where I
would talk about the definitions of happiness. I decided to extend my introduction and put my
thesis in the second paragraph. I ended the second paragraph with a question to help me
transition to the rest of the paper where the answer would be explained. I then fixed the tense of a
few words and changed some of the boring words and phrases to make the paper better.
Peer Review
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Peer Review Sheet
1. Before reading, does your peer have a complete rough draft? If so, proceed with
their paper. If not, you will need to switch with someone else.
My peer did have a complete rough draft.
2. Read the essay first in its entirety.
3. Does this person meet the page requirement for the essay? If not, state the page
requirement for them.
Yes, my peer did meet the page requirement for this paper.
4. Is the proper MLA used? ( 12 pt. Font, Times New Roman, Heading, Header,
spacing, paragraph (sentence requirement)
Yes, the proper MLA format is used.
5. Thesis statement? Is there one? Is it placed in its correct place within the paper?
The thesis statement is there and it is placed in the correct place.
6. Thesis statement? Is it clear and concise? Does it make sense to you? Does this
person have their major points within this thesis statement that you can identify
with?
The thesis statement was a little unclear at first. I was able to tell what the paper
would include, but how they were all tied together was unclear. If the thesis statement
is revised it will give readers more clarity.
7. For each paragraph, is there a transitional sentence that starts each paragraph?
It is clear? If not, what do you suggest?
There are transitional sentences for every paragraph. Some of the sentences are clear
while some are not and they all start in similar ways. I suggested using sentences that
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gave a small introduction to paragraph without being too direct. I also suggested not
to use the thesis statement as a transition sentence. Instead I suggested being a bit
more creative so their paper was not repetitive. I also suggested to make sure the
sentence flowed well between the paragraphs by linking their main ideas.
8. Does the paper flow from point to point? Is it all over the place and needs
organization? If so, what do you suggest?
The paper flowed in some parts, but not in others. I suggested reading the paper out
loud to someone else so that my peer could better hear how it sounded and catch their
mistakes. Also I suggest writing out the order of the paper so my peer keep their
paper organized while they were writing.
9. Grammar: Are there run-one sentences? Sentence fragments, comma splices,
etc.?
There were no run-on sentences, sentence fragments or comma splices.
10. Misspelling of words? If so, what are they?
There were no misspelled words.
11. Spacing between paragraphs?
The spacing between paragraphs was done properly.
12. Conclusion: Is the thesis statement restated? Does it do ANY of following?
Include a brief summary of the paper's main points, use a quotation, evoke a
vivid image, call for some sort of action, end with a warning, universalize
(compare to other situations), or suggest results or consequences.
The thesis statement was restated and a brief summary of the paper’s main points was
included.
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13. Works Cited page: Is it properly formatted? Are you sources formatted
correctly?
The works cited page and the sources are properly formatted.
14. Are there in-text citations used? If so, are they used correctly based on print,
web, more than 4 authors, etc.?
There are in-text citations used and they are used correctly.
15. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
I think my peer’s ideas were present, they just got lost within some of the sentences. If
they take the time to organize their ideas and create meaningful sentences, then they will
have an excellent paper. They can also better their paper by adding a bit of creativity to
help the paper flow nicely.
Movie Analysis
Erin Brockovich and Injustices
Somewhere around the world, there is a very powerful person attempting to buy a small
populated village in order to destroy it and build their own resort. The people living in this
village cannot afford to dispute with the powerful buyer so they eventually give up their homes.
Not many people know about the purchase that is occurring and those who do know about it are
doing nothing to help. Injustice like this occurs all the time, but people often look over it or do
not know about it so powerful people get away with their crimes. The only way to help the
injured party is by standing up and fighting for them. This is what legal clerk Erin Brockovich
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does in the docudrama Erin Brockovich. She decides to help a small town gain justice against a
big corporation who is knowingly harming the town’s inhabitants.
In the movie we meet the single, unemployed mother named Erin Brockovich and her
children Katie, Matthew and Elizabeth living in a small, unreliable home. After getting in a car
accident Erin finds herself going to a law firm to help her receive money for her injuries. After
failing to help her, Erin forces the owner of the firm, Ed Masry, to employ her. While on the job
Erin realizes that the people in Hinkley, the town the firm represents, are all getting sick or dying
from sicknesses. She decides to further investigate the situation only to find out that the town’s
water is being contaminated by a big corporation called Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Erin
convinces Ed to help her fight for the people of the town and get them money for the
repercussions of PG&E’s lie. This leads to a case that lasts about a year, but in the end helps
Erin’s clients receive justice through the three hundred thirty-three million dollars that PG&E
had to pay.
The biggest injustice in the movie is the negative effects of the hierarchical system in
society. Because PG&E are such a big company, they believe that they can trick the inhabitants
of Hinkley and use them to get ahead. This goes to show that the people who lack power or
influence are always going to be dominated by those who do. Larger corporations have no
problem stepping on those below them in order to rise to the top and this is unfortunately normal
in society. People constantly over look this problem or, like in the Hinkley residents’ case, do not
have the means to help themselves and others. This, in turn, helps to keep the lower class poor
and the upper class rich. If we do not step up and stop big companies from manipulating the little
people, then we will further widen the divide between the two classes and allow companies to
continue their destructive plans.
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The first step to stopping this injustice is recognizing that it is a problem. Erin
Brockovich recognizes that PG&E is taking advantage of the residents of Hinkley and knows
that it is wrong. If American citizens recognized the wrongdoing among large corporations and
advertise it then there would be more people who are aware of the problem. The next step would
be to actually attempt to fix the problem. If people fight for those who cannot like Erin does then
maybe they can end the injustices big businesses exercise daily. People also need to fight
together. If they all support each other like the Hinkley residents, Ed, Erin and the law firm did,
they can achieve so much more.
Injustices are always going to be present in society. The only way to deal with them is to
fix them ourselves. Erin Brockovich recognizes this and persistently fights against the big
company trying to undermine the Hinkley population. Through the help of her boss and the
residents of Hinkley, Erin is able to gain justice against the company. This victory can occur all
the time if people fight for the destruction of the hierarchical system in society putting an end to
the dog eat dog mentality we have today.
Work Cited
Grant, Susannah, et al. Erin Brockovich. Performance by Albert Finney, and Julia Roberts,
Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures, 2000.
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Revised Concept Paper from English 1101
How Has Americans’ Measurement of Happiness Changed and Why?
As a child I always wanted to be an adult. As I became an adult, I wanted to be a child
again. This had seemed to be a recurring cycle among people for a while: but why? As children
we were unhappy because we felt like we did not have a significant amount of freedom and
could not be happy without it. Adults constantly told us to enjoy our adolescent lives because it
would get harder as we grew. Because they experienced all the hardships of adulthood, adults
wanted to relive their childhoods to experience that carefree happiness again. These envious
thoughts have crossed my mind in the past, because I measured happiness differently as a child
than I do now.
Happiness, to me, is when people are living a healthy life; with loving, supportive family
and friends, they can buy life’s basic necessities and are still able to help others. However, the
true definition of happiness is the state of being happy. This vague definition leads people to
interpret happiness differently; this is why when people define happiness their answers vary. We
all measure happiness on different scales such as: wealth, health, possession or religion, but
today’s society forces us to see wealth as the only scale of happiness. The rich need to get richer,
the middle class need to become rich and the poor need money in general. Everything we do all
of our lives is to prepare us to make money so we can live happy lives. This has never been the
only standard for happiness so why has the situation changed?
In the early 1900s, people were mainly focused on what the future of the new century
held. After reflection, people realized that America as a whole prospered. There were several
new inventions such as: lightbulbs and cars, people had jobs and business was booming. The
upper class, of course, controlled most of the businesses and lived in luxury. They owned the
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best houses, made the most money and received the best education (Roark 550-551). However,
some of these elites gave their wealth away to help others.
John D. Rockefeller, the creator of the Standard Oil Company, was a very wealthy man,
due to his monopoly on the oil industry, and a committed Baptist. When he retired he focused on
fulfilling his religious duties. Rockefeller, “helped pay for the creation of the University of
Chicago (1892), to which he gave more than $80 million before his death. He also helped found
the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (later named Rockefeller University) in New York
and the Rockefeller Foundation. In total he gave away more than $530 million to various causes”
(Biography Editors 11). Not only did he spend all of this money on a good cause, he taught his
son to do the same. Even after he died his family still performed good deeds. These acts have
shown that Rockefeller’s happiness did not come from his wealth but from the generous
donations he and his family made, based on their religion, throughout his life.
Similarly, the people within the middle class never favored wealth as their source of
happiness. Most people in the middle class worked as farmers. Their days were filled with
immense amounts of work in the fields, with the animals or inside the house. Farms were mainly
family owned (Unknown 28), so everyone helped out and ran the farm to produce valuable
products. Farm life kept the family fed and prosperous, even if they did not manage to sell
everything. Though the farmers did not have a ton of money they had enough to keep their
business running and family happy. The other part of the middle class consisted of skilled
workers in urban areas. These workers either owned or had leading roles in businesses. This part
of the middle class also gained a large amount of free time. People went to see movies, played
sports, went shopping and took vacations. Because the middle class got to spend time with their
family, had prosperous business and time off, they were relatively happy with their lives.
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Unfortunately, not everyone was successful in the cities (Roark 507). Some people had low
paying jobs, were close to starvation and lived in highly unsanitary tenements. Not being able to
earn enough to receive basic necessities were the reasons why the lower class lacked happiness.
However, after the events of World War I, the measurement of happiness shifted.
When war in Europe broke out, America only traded resources with its allies, the Allied
Powers, in the war. After America finally joined the war, every American business became
dedicated to helping the war effort. Many business owners realized that this, combined with
wartime agencies improved their profits and America’s economy (Roark 590). However, this did
not last long as the stock market crashed and caused the Great Depression (Roark 625). This
great depression ruined the economy, left many people poor and made the need for money
greater than it had ever been before in this century.
By the time the great depression ended and World War II started, America was back on
its feet. After Americans experienced life with diminished funds, they began to look to money
for happiness (Hussing 14). Many people enjoyed the fact that they were now able to purchase
new technology and watch television shows or listen to music on the radio. Inventions that made
life easier such as the washing machine or microwave ovens, were also products that many
people would spend their money on during this time. Family also played a part in the
measurement of happiness during this time. Soldiers came back home, created families and,
“moved to the suburbs because they could afford to, and the family became a “haven in a
heartless world,” as well as “an alternative world of satisfaction and intimacy” for adults and
children that had experienced the ravages of wartime” (Hussing 13). Family became something
people cherished, so they constantly spent time with each other and remained very close. People
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lived the ideal happy American life with stable marriages, children, great jobs and steady
incomes.
In the early 2000s people continued to flourish and spend all their money on innovated
material objects. Innovations like the computer and the telephone changed and went from big,
clunky devices to small and portable. This gave people more of a reason to have bought the new,
convenient products for themselves and their households. The number of telephone units not
present in houses in 2000, decreased by 2.8% compared to 1990 (U.S. Census Bureau: Census of
Housing 1). These innovations were new and in high demand so they sold quickly. Despite the
high prices people still managed to buy these products due to increased employment. According
to Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau (2000), the employment rate between 1990 and
2000 in the United States increased by about 26 million people (2). This indicated that more
people had jobs which meant more money to spend on material objects that made them and their
families happy. Despite all of this, these same aspects were what eventually made people
unhappy later on in their lives.
The image of the standard American family began to blur as families in the 2000s
changed. Families became made up of one person and became, “more ethnically, racially,
religiously and stylistically diverse than half a generation ago — than even half a year ago”
(Angier 9). There was also an increase in the amount of time spent at work, for both parents, so
people did not have as much time for anything else. There was less time for family and friends
and relationships slowly drifted. These weakened relationships usually, “increased loneliness,
increased perception of others as untrustworthy and unfair” (Babington 4). Money seemed like
the only solution to make up for this unhappiness, but only continued to make people unhappy.
Americans spent so much money in an attempt to make themselves happy, but “Despite all of the
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effort and money they are pumping into the endeavor, Americans consistently rank as some of
the least happy people in the developed world”(Whippman 5). Money no longer became a viable
source of happiness for Americans as it once was before.
Overall, happiness has been measured in many different ways over the past two centuries.
In the early 1900s happiness was based on personal values like family or religion. Most people
were happy with their economic status except for the lower class. This changed when all of
America experienced an economic depression. After the economy recovered from depletion, and
money became widely available, people indulged in material objects. Family and family time
also became important during this time. As Americans moved into the 2000s they brought their
family values and materialistic needs. Because of the new technological innovations and
increased employment rates, many people splurged on new products. However, as the times
changed money was not able to make people happy. Even though they were making money, long
work hours made people lonely due to the lack of social interactions. To make themselves
happier people tried spending more money and in turn only made themselves unhappy.
Happiness in America has been affected by several factors. The best measurement of happiness
seemed to be a combination of family, money, and personal values. With these three aspects
Americans would most likely be the happiest. If we just focused on one of these factors then we
would forget about the essence of our happiness and therefore would not truly be happy.
Works Cited
Angier, Natalie. “The Changing American Family.” The New York Times, The New York
Times, 25 Nov. 2013, mobile.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/health/families.html?
pagewanted=all&. Accessed 29 Aug. 2017.
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Biography.com editors. “John D. Rockefeller.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 12
Sept. 2016, www.biography.com/people/john-d-rockefeller-20710159. Accessed 25 Oct.
2017.
Babington, Deepa. “Americans less happy today than 30 years ago: study.” Reuters, Thomson
Reuters, 15 June 2007, www.reuters.com/article/us-happiness-usa/americans-less-happy
today-than-30-years-ago-study-idUSL1550309820070615. Accessed 25 Aug. 2107.
Geneaology.com. “1900: A Year in the Life of America.” Genealogy.com, Publisher Unknown,
Publication date unknown. www.genealogy.com/articles/research/76_life1900.html.
Accessed 25 Oct. 2017.
Hussing, Tricia. “The Evolution of American Family Structure.” Concordia University, St. Paul
Online, 23 June 2015, online.csp.edu/blog/family-science/the-evolution-of-american
family-structure. Accessed 25 Oct. 2017.
Roark, James L., et al. The American promise: a history of the United States. Sixth ed., vol. 2,
Bedford/St. Martins, 2017.
United States, Congress, U.S. Department of Commerce. “Census of Housing.” Census of
Housing, United States Census Bureau, 31 Oct. 2011.
www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/phone.html.
United States, Congress, U.S. Department of Commerce, et al. “Employment Status: 2000.”
Employment Status: 2000, United States Census Bureau, 1 Aug. 2003.
www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-18.pdf.
Unknown Author. “Rural Life.” Dictionary of American History, Encyclopedia.com,
www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/us-history/rural-life. Accessed
25 Oct. 2017.
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Whippman, Ruth. “Americans are spending a fortune on finding happiness-and becoming less
happy in the process.” Quartz, Quartz, 7 Oct. 2016, qz.com/803055/america-the-anxious
americans-are-spending-a-fortune-on-finding-happiness-and-becoming-less-happy-in
the-process/. Accessed 29 Aug. 2017.
Revised Argument Paper from English 1102
America’s Democracy: Is it really a Democracy?
For many years, the United States of America has been coined the “Land of the Free” or
the “Land of Opportunity” due to its democratic system. People have viewed America as a
country where anything was possible because its people were free and controlled the
government. This was why many immigrants traveled to America to better their lives. However,
when they arrived on this “Great land,” they soon learned the disappointing truth of the
American democracy.
Democracy is defined as rule by the people. This simple definition is often adapted to suit
the user, but to be considered an actual democracy, there are a few principles to follow. The first
principle is that the people create the law (Morris 24). This principle is considered the most
important rule of democracy because without the people’s vote, a nation cannot be called a
democracy. The second principle is that everyone in a democratic nation has to have equal
opportunity. A nation could not deny opportunities to any group of people because “…we mean
by ‘democracy’ true equality between all adult members of society, excluding neither woman,
nor minorities, nor the poor…” (Nardo 10). The third principle of democracy is personal
freedom. In a democracy everyone has the freedom to do what they want to do. This includes
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freedoms like the freedom of speech, religion and press. These three rules are the basis of a
democratic nation and are what Americans want. “Consensus certainly seems to exist among the
American people on the desirability of operating ‘a democratic system’ and on such abstract
principles as the idea that ‘all men are created equal’” (Grigg 279). On the surface, the United
States of America seems to follow these basic principles and citizens’ wants, but under the
surface, it is seen that the American democracy is not truly a democracy.
In 1787, the U.S. Constitution was ratified and its first principle was to have control by
the people (Bardes 45). The creators of the constitution created a democracy when they allowed
the people to control the nation. However, this was contradicted with their next principle. The
creators wanted to let the people choose officials that would decide for them. This was how the
American government actually worked. American citizens were given the chance to directly vote
for their congressmen and electors, but not for their president or laws. This façade placed on the
power of the people has fooled many for years. Citizens believed they had control when in
reality they only had control through the first round of elections. Once the congressmen and
electors are chosen, the people could only hope that their wants and needs were heard.
The biggest example of this false sense of power is the Electoral College. “Some people
who vote for the president and vice president think that they are voting directly for a candidate.
In actuality, they are voting for electors who will cast their ballots in the Electoral College"
(Bardes 253). With this system, the candidate with the most electoral votes wins even if they did
not receive the majority of the popular vote. This system defies the first rule of democracy
therefore making the United States less of a democratic nation.
The second principle of democracy was not in effect when the constitution was written
and remained that way for decades. In The Declaration of Independence it was stated that “all
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Men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights that among these
are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...” (Bardes A-1). At the time, “Men” only meant
white men, not black men or women. This was what the U.S. constitution was built on. How
could the nation ever be considered a democracy where people were equal if it did not recognize
the equalities of half of its population? As Thurgood Marshall said, “They consented to a
document that which laid a foundation for the tragic events which were to follow” (Mintz 1). In
the years during and after the creation of the constitution, slavery was still an active system.
Even after slavery was abolished, black people were still treated as unequals. Women and other
racial groups also faced some of the same prejudices. Through several marches and protests
minorities were finally able to gain equality. However, they still do not experience the so called
“equality” that they gained.
The third principle of democracy requires a nation to allow its people to be free. In
America, the first amendment of The Bill of Rights gives us these freedoms. Americans are
allowed to speak freely, practice their religion freely, assemble freely and report news freely.
These freedoms make the United States seem like a democracy, but they are violated all the time.
Sometimes, when people gather to peacefully protest they face arrest or attacks by the police.
This has happened many times in American history, but more recently at the Dakota Access
Pipeline protest. Peaceful protesters in Dakota are met with gas and handcuffs because the police
believe they are rioting (Levin 10-19). Violations of freedom are becoming more common
because the United States does not want people to “interpret freedom of assembly to mean
freedom to create riots by provocation” (Lewis 478). However, a democratic nation cannot
simply restrict all of their citizens’ freedoms because of their fear of failure without reviewing
each case.
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Democracy is a very complex system that requires a nation to meet a lot of criteria. To be
a democracy, a nation must allow its people to rule, every person has to be equal and every
person has to have the freedom to do what they want. The United States of America, though
thought of as a democracy, does not meet all of these criteria. American citizens do not have a
direct vote for their president or laws. Instead they vote for an elector who votes for them.
Citizens are not all treated equal and have not been for a very long time. America treats
minorities such as African Americans, Hispanics and women like inferior beings for the majority
of American history. Similarly, citizens do not receive their freedom all of the time. Due to its
fear of being overthrown, the U.S. government constantly denounces Americans' first
amendment rights without any doubts. The American democracy simply “…becomes
concealment and falsity – it conceals oligocracy under its pretensions of naming a people the
demos, it succumbs to the magic of the sovereign decision, which is nothing but the continuity of
taxation as plunder, it self-cancels the concept of the people under the weight of mobocratic
elements and it erases liberty under a generalized anxiety condition, a phobocratic continuum”
(Aradau 3-4). The American government system is a false interpretation of a democracy. If
Americans do not recognize this lie soon, they will continue to be tricked into believing that they
are the directors of power in this nation, when in reality they are in the audience watching the
government control the show.
Works Cited
Aradau, Claudia, et al. “On Pseudonymous Politics: Regarding Implicit and Explicit
Misconceptions of Democracy' by Peter Sloterdijk.” "'On Pseudonymous Politics:
Regarding Implicit and Explicit Misconceptions of Democracy' by Peter Sloterdijk.", vol.
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25, 1 July 2017. Galileo,
ezproxy.clayton.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true
db=a9h&AN=126050896&site=eds-live&scope=site. Accessed 23 Jan. 2108.
Bardes, Barbara A., et al. American government and politics today: Clayton State University.
19th ed., Cengage Learning, 2018. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.
Grigg, Charles M., and James W. Prothro. “Fundamental Principles of Democracy: Bases of
Agreement and Disagreement.” The Journal of Politics, vol. 22, no. 2, May 1960, pp.
276–294. Galileo, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2127359. Accessed 28 Mar. 2018.
Levin, Sam. “Dakota Access Pipeline Activists Say Police Have Used 'Excessive' Force.” The
Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Jan. 2017, www.theguardian.com/us-
news/2017/jan/18/dakota-access-pipeline-protesters-police-used-excessive-force.
Accessed 29 Mar. 2018.
Lewis, John D. “The Elements of Democracy.” The American Political Science Review, vol. 34,
no. 3, June 1940, pp. 467–480. Galileo, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1949351. Accessed
28 Mar. 2018
Mintz, Steven. “Historical Context: The Constitution and Slavery.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute
of American History, www.gilderlehrman.org/content/historical-context-constitution-
and-slavery. Accessed 27 Mar. 2018.
Morris, Daniel A. Virtue and Irony in American Democracy: Revisiting Dewey and Niebuhr.
Lexington Books, 2015. Galileo,
ezproxy.clayton.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1059949&site=eds-
live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_Cover. 28 Mar. 2018.
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Nardo, Don. Democracy. Lucent Books, 1994.
