I'm A Fool
W.C. Field's once said, " A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money." Indeed, a rich man with money is oftentimes only a poor man who has made his fortune while long ago having forgotten why he strove to obtain his riches. Throughout many modern societies today it is a well-known fact that material wealth is incredibly important, for those people who possess money also possess power and respect. However, quite often, common people are driven to spend their entire lives attempting to amass material wealth in order to gain power and respect. Unfortunately, deceit often becomes the only way in which desperate people can achieve a wealthy status, for their own incredible hungry for material wealth continuously drives them forward. In the end, these people may possibly never obtain their goals but nonetheless, they will fight until the bitter end. Within the short story "I'm a fool," Sherwood Anderson's character analyzed deceit and impersonation to give the illusion of monetary wealth. Anderson presents the concept that wealth can only be achieved through some form of deception. Through detailed description and vivid characterization, Sherwood Anderson creates an image of a society marked by wealth, in which the only way some
commoners, like Andy, can reach is by deceit. All in all, Sherwood Anderson's "I'm A Fool," illustrates deceit as the only way for a common man to reach the top of the social ladder. However, once someone achieves their desired status through impersonation and fabrication, they will always be living a lie. Perhaps, in writing this story, Sherwood Anderson attempted to convey the concept that monetary wealth is not all that there is to life. Therefore, Anderson's story depicts a false life of lies in which the main character is, in the end, devastated by his own naive search for acceptance. Furthermore, throughout "I'm a Fool" Anderson shows that " it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. (Mahatma Gandhi)." Thus, although money rules society it should not be what dictates the lives and happiness of people within society. Throughout the entire story, Andy constantly searches for acceptance, specifically within the world of the affluent. He longs for acceptance, and secretly dreams of becoming part of the upper class. In the midst of a crossroads from childhood into adulthood, Andy finds himself turning to a life filled with deceit in order to impress a girl. To win her attention, he formulates an elaborate plan to work his way into the favor of the upper class, through "good clothes" and "twenty five cent cigars" (132) In his naivete, Andy believes that a few expensive cigars and a
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Approximate Word count = 958
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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