What makes sammy run the moral compass and my life

A detailed Summary of What makes sammy run the moral compass and my life

What Makes Sammy Run, The Moral Compass, and My Life

What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg is a brilliant book that shows the savagery, the insensitiveness, and cruelty caused by the drive for money, which characterized the general attitude of most people in America during the end of 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. Sammy Glick, the main character in the book, is a poor Jewish boy who grows into an adult and spends all his life trying to get to the top of the hierarchy by knocking other people down. It is money, prestige, and power, which are most important for him. His mind is constantly occupied with thoughts of how to manipulate people and benefit from their hard work.

To understand why Sammy is always hostile and always cynical towards people's good manners, one should probably look at Sammy's childhood. Brought up in poverty, running without shoes on the streets, working from early age to help his father to pay the rent, and beaten every time he goes to school, Sammy quickly understands that to escape this miserable living, he has to work hard. Soon he learns how to play tricks on people to make more money. "There is a guy on the opposi

The following chapters in the book relate greediness and selfishness. The Miser, The Dog in the Manger, The Mouse Tower, and The Man Who Loved Money More Than Life are all witty stories about people's affection with money. "Bury a stone in the hole and fancy it is the gold. It will serve you just as well, for when the gold was there you made use of it"(176). Most of them try to teach the same lesson that Budd Schulberg tries to convey in What Makes Sammy Run. The lost pleasure of life, the constant drive for money deprives humans of their feelings. He raised taxes on the people over and over again. He built a tall tower of stone on an island in the river Rhine and would let no boat pass by without stopping and paying a toll in silver or gold"(424). It is hard for ordinary people to get their hands out of the money, once they have it. Often those die in loneliness, with no friends, and nobody who cares about them. It is funny how most of the people say, "Having lots of money is a guarantee for better life". I don't believe in it, because many rich people have problems with their friends. The world is full of people with broken relationships and broken hearts. And this, in my opinion, is only because they chose money and popularity instead of what is dearest to them - love.

In the time and the hour of trouble,

Other stories teach readers of loyalty, confidence in one's own strength, and honesty. A Truth Speaker teaches people to defend their principles even with the cost of their lives. "He knew that by expressing his view honestly he would incur certain punishment"(324).

The honest farmer is another story that talks about a man's respect and sacrifice for his neighbors. "The first field of barley was better than this one'. 'That is true, sir', answered the honest old man, 'but it was not mine"(262). It is integrity that helps people survive through the hard times of life.

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Approximate Word count = 2088
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English