Looking at the title of this poem, a reader may believe that this poem represents the definition of the title: a favorable opinion or suggestion. However, after reading the body of the poem, it is difficult to find a connection between the bulk and the title.

Through line-by-line analysis, the first few stanzas appear to imply that the author of his poem is willing to help whomever they are writing about by offering to take their hand: “Give me your hand.” Furthermore, the author requests that the subject accept the assistance provided; at the same time, the author will see what the subject is doing wrong and guide them to the right direction: “Make room for me / to lead and follow / you…”

However, in the latter half of the poem, it states that people should be able to maintain their personal feelings, even when they are left behind: “Let others have / the privacy of / touching words / and love of loss / of love.” Even when someone is abandoned, the poem is stating that they should move on without looking back.

Finally, the last line of the poem is “For me / Give me your hand.” The final line of the poem is now asking the person in need to accept the help they are offered for both their benefits. This is said in a way that both of them will receive a positive impact when the desire to help the needy is fulfilled.

As a whole, the poem could be Maya Angelou’s desire to write a poem that offers a clear, visual description of the life she lives in along with other people around her that help each other as they live. This poem would bring in the truths and facts of real life and her surroundings, and be an accurate representation of life.

On the quiet morning of Tuesday, October 29, 1929, a nationwide crisis was about to be born. The prototyped tapping of the telegraph machines and the customary hum and murmur of stock traders made the day seem nothing out of the ordinary. Then it struck like a thunderbolt out of the sky. The stock market crash that is infamous for signifying the birth of the Great Depression was underway. With prices plummeting down to what appeared to be no end, hordes of traders lined up to sell their trades as quick as possible. Putting in their best efforts, they attempted to minimize their losses in the stock market crash better known as Black Tuesday.

Any stock market crash has to have beginning rooted somewhere. The most logical explanation for all stock market crashes begins with money hoards. With the rich amassing money, the amount of cash going around the economy steadily (but definitely) decreases. If a bank had saved this these riches, others could receive this currency as borrowed funds and the economy would still be able to rotate this money around society. However, the problem arises when people keep their cash without the use of a local depository. If money hoards had an instant and immediate impact on the economy in a relative way, all the prices would drop proportionally to the money hoarded. However, things do not happen that way.

With less currency available to use, larger companies cannot afford the amount of raw materials they could formerly pay for. Consequently, production decreases and prices increase to substitute the losses made from lack of sales. Moreover, due to the reduction of production, fewer employees are required to work at this corporation, which introduces layoffs. As a result, the unemployment rate rises.

These newly unemployed people now have no source of income, which greatly reduces their motivation to spend money. With no profit, these former employees have no choice but to preserve their money and expect the worst for their future. These families do not waste their money on anything except their bare necessities: food and water. This causes a cycling effect on the companies; other businesses cannot sell their products, which leads to laying-off more workers. At a magnified aspect, workers continue to lose their jobs; businesses continue to lower their prices to attempt more sales; and eventually, the economy crashes.

Why specifically did the economy crash drastically on October 29, 1929? The previously mentioned reasoning, although a cause of Black Tuesday, takes a lot longer than one afternoon to take effect. The stock market experts of the late 20s analyzed the statistics of this stock market crash, and could not find an immediately visible cause. The best breakdown of why the crash happened was because of the natural way things go. Specialists believed that liquidation must take place before new growth can occur. This was the theory mostly believed in the age.

The president of the United States, Herbert Hoover, had developed similar ideas of natural flow while he was the United States Secretary of Commerce in the early 1920s. He applied these ideas when he became president later in the 1920s, and did not take action while his country was falling apart economically. His hypothesis was that raising wages would give enough spending power to the citizens of the United States to overcome the depression. He campaigned for high wages, and his efforts ended there.

Further expanding from these spending and selling views of the crash, there are other aspects of the crash less well known during the 1920s. They became better known after further research and analysis on the stock market crash. In the year 1936, John Maynard Keynes went against the general believed reason for the crash established during the aftermath of Black Tuesday. He worked against the concept that if consumption rates fell, interest rates will fall as well, which would eventually lead to increased investment. Although this was theoretically accurate, in realistic views, the expectations of businesses in future profits are what truly determine how the economy rises and falls.

In the views of monetarists, the reason of the crash was that Americans were losing recognition for the value of current currency. During the depression, reemphasis was put on the importance of money, and the Federal Reserve’s poor quality policies were stressed. Had the Federal Reserve improved their guidelines, the monetarists highlight the possibility of potential prevention of the Great Depression and Black Tuesday. In essence, the doctrines believe the lack of money supply caused the Great Depression. This closely correlates to the 1920s explanation.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 did not only affect the United States. Due to the gold standard, Black Tuesday affected the entire world. This international crisis brings the desire to other countries to alleviate their economic policies. However, this would endanger a country’s ability to keep up with gold exchange contracts. For the countries that withdraw from the gold standard contract, the good component is quicker recovery times from these disasters.

Other countries took effect in various different ways. In specific, Australia could not trade with the United States due to the massive decline of imports and exports taking origin in America. Canadian production declined to 58% within three years of Black Tuesday. Although the country of France was a self-thriving country, they also felt the wrath of hardships and unemployment. Similarly, Germany experienced unemployment and riots along with the initiation of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party. Elsewhere around the world, citizens experienced adversities.

When Franklin Roosevelt became president during the time of the Great Depression, he was determined to make a change to the country that elected him as leader. He knew they relied on him to make a difference. Roosevelt was very unsatisfied at the president that acted prior to him, Herbert Hoover. Hoover did not take noticeable actions to recover the nation from the crash; instead, he did the exact opposite, ignoring what the people had requested. To show dissatisfaction, the poor and homeless named their homes Hoover Shackles and claimed that hard times are still “Hoovering” over them. Due to the lack of action from Hoover, the country became a literal disaster.

When Roosevelt’s presidency started, he introduced the New Deal program in 1933. It took in effect until 1938, and proposed and promised ways to relieve and restore the American ways. With this new series of renovations, America would be reformed and have the capability to continue with their Progressive ways from before the Great Depression.

The Great Depression shortly followed the Roaring Twenties, when the economy soared high to success and people were making fortunes within days instead of years. The Twenties were a time of renovation and an era of invention. Machines were first introduced into the world as substitutes for humans. A mechanism could do the same amount of work a human being could do within a fraction of the time. Humans got tired after a set amount of work, but engines did not even hesitate; they were unstoppable. With all the transformation, the twenties was a decade of Progressivism. New discoveries were being made every day, and the nation was being developed continuously.

Through this great expansion of the country, people started to forget about the American Dream. Although its definition of freedom and justice was maintained, the citizens’ defined meaning was being lost behind in the quest to make things better. The hard work and dedication in living life was lost when people could make fortunes just by trading stocks on the market. Although Progressivism innovated America, it also left behind the moral values of life.

During Roosevelt’s New Deal, the Progressivism lost in the Great Depression was revived; at the same time, the quest to achieve the American Dream was revived as well. The first large change Roosevelt launched was the Emergency Banking Act. This brought a complete renovation of the nation’s bank systems after a short bank holiday of non-operation. The entire nation’s bank system took a new approach to their businesses in saving and lending money out to the public.

The Glass-Steagall Act helped businesses owners by separating business and personal investments. If one were to go wrong, the other asset would still be available to support them. This assisted in defense if the Great Depression were to repeat in the future. Similarly, the Home Owners Loan Corporation was established to refinance mortgages for businesses and personal use.

In addition to corporations and organizations that helped the public with a service, there were many acts and associations that gave goods and tangible products to the poor and suffering. For example, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, run by the government, gave over $500 million to the poor to help them resume their lives. The National Industrial Recovery Act managed to get $3.3 billion for public works to aid them in reconstructing the country and building new objects across the nation.

In correlation with the Industrial Recovery Act, there was the Civil Works Administration that used the provided money to reconstruct the land. With the assistance of the Civilian Conservation Corps, together they employed over two million men. This provided jobs for a large percentage of the unemployed citizens of America. This was an efficient way to reconstruct the United States; at the same time, it helped to reemploy the millions that lost their jobs during the depression. There were others, like the Tennessee Valley Authority, who also organized construction programs in their area.

For industry owners, the National Recovery Administration helped restrain industry competition. There were merges made of smaller companies into other smaller companies to make an overall larger company. With reduced competition, the industries could raise their prices to reverse the drops that were made during the depression to increase their sales. In the agricultural sense, the same was done as industry. The Agricultural Adjustment Administration boosted farm prices. For agriculture, farmers were encouraged to reduce the amount they produced so supply would gradually go down as demand stayed the same or increased. Prices would naturally rise, and that would reverse price drops made previously to increase sales. These plans were well organized as it uses the natural buying and selling processes to reverse a national disaster.

Finally, the most important portion of the First New Deal was the Securities and Exchange Act. This would be the most vital step in preventing another Great Depression in the future. The Securities and Exchange Act specifically prevented insider trading that was one of the hypothesized causes of the Crash of 1929. With inside information, traders have an unfair advantage against other traders. With these facts at hand, they can easily predict any changes or future alterations in the stock market pricing and act quickly before they ever happen. Making this unlawful would greatly reduce the chance of anything similar to this ever happening again in the future.

With all these Progressive programs in action, the nation quickly rose back up to moderate success. Roosevelt had accomplished the first step in allowing the country to thrive into the future. However, not everything went as well has he hoped. The First New Deal, with the National Recovery Administration targeted in specific, was ruled unconstitutional. Congress believed forcing (or aiding) industries to raise prices and succeed in business was not Progressivism. They believed it wasn’t even an entirely new and never-before tried strategy. Congress stated that this was an unjust way of supporting already big and thriving companies to do better and, in essence, dominate the entire line of industry by themselves. Roosevelt’s argument was that the problem with the Great Depression surfaced when under-consumption developed.

Being unable to out rule Congress, and still maintaining the Progressive thoughts in his head, Roosevelt launched the Second New Deal in 1935. Although somewhat similar to the First New Deal, Roosevelt made some crucial changes in planning that would even better support his country and lead them to triumph. Fundamentally, the Second New Deal defined the government’s role in the average American life.

After time went on after the Great Depression, some people recuperated more rapidly than others did. Parallel to the early 1920s, an unbalance of wealth started to emerge once again. Afraid of being ruled unconstitutional again, Roosevelt could not make any radical changes on this matter. However, he did develop the Wealth Tax Act, which taxed more heavily on the rich. Although this did not distribute any wealth among society, it gave more to the government to use to improve the country as a whole.

Similar to the First New Deal, there were organizations that gave work to the unemployed. To help people earn money and get a living, the Works Progress Administration gave public service jobs to the unemployed. While in effect, the Works Progress Administration employed over a third of the jobless in the country. This effort helped itself, with people working towards a common goal and objective.

Also comparable to the First New Deal, the second included more donations and funds provided to the public to help them recover. The Emergency Relief Appropriation gave over five billion dollars to the community for personal survival use. The appropriation tied in with the government, which received this money from extra taxes taken from the wealthy through the Wealth Tax Act.

In addition to just donated goods, the Second New Deal provided convenient services to many people across the country. For example, the Rural Electrification Act provided electricity to the rural areas that did not formerly have electricity. This provided leisure to people who did not live in or close to the city. Furthermore, the Public Utilities Holding Company Act greatly reduced the price of electricity. With electrical costs down, electricity became an available and affordable convenience. This helped in the Progressivism by allowing Americans to experience comfort and make them feel like they are at home when they are home.

However, two acts changed the lives of Americans forever. Firstly, the National Labor Regulations Act allowed workers to organize the National Labor Relations Board. This way, the citizens that are actually working would be able to have a large amount of control over what they do and how they do it. This also tells the government what role they play in the American life. It helps to restrict how much the government can do, but it also forces the government to do enough to help their citizens. Furthermore, the Social Security Act from the government guaranteed income after retirement. This provided a safe guarantee for the older fraction of the public.

The overall impact of the New Deal was that it built a powerful Democratic coalition. After Roosevelt, Democracy became the majority and the preferred party of government. This proved that America was Progressive and was able to improve their ways when they need to change. The country was powerful enough to overcome Communism in the United States during the Great Depression. Communism was wiped out entirely before 1935. The positive Progressivism was almost unstoppable.

However, when Roosevelt started to reduce relief programs in 1937, the stock market crashed again and jobless rates rose. The final addition Roosevelt made in 1938 was the Fair Labor Standards Act, which added a minimum wage. Through all this effort, Roosevelt’s presidency was a great success.

Overall, the New Deal broadened American Democracy and benefited workers, consumers, and minorities. This helped prepared the United States for the upcoming World War II.

To become a Great American Novel, a book must represent the lifestyle of the United States in the best way possible. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I believe the American life is portrayed well enough to allow the book to be called a Great American Novel. The most apparent aspect of this novel that makes it American is the main characters’ quest to achieve the American Dream.

In the early plot development of the novel, the setting is displayed as a time where the ethics of the people were declining. People were becoming greedy and were losing their moral values. They did not follow the true American Dream that was to be followed by all Americans for a successful life. Instead of using their abilities to the fullest and working hard to support themselves and their families, they went to the weekly parties hosted by Jay Gatsby. They did not think much of the parties as having a degrading impact in their lives. Instead, they thought the parties were just something that was normal and something that everybody went to. Showing the thoughtless actions of Americans: “Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party and a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.”

This novel takes place in the time shortly after World War I. This was the time when stock market prices soared and anybody could make an easy fortune just by going to the stock market and trading stocks. This greatly reduced the Americans’ motivation to work for their money, as they could easily make millions by trading stocks. There were many people that had riches running in their family, and these wealth people had a higher and a better quality form of education: “’I am the son of some wealthy people …. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. It is a family tradition.’” People getting into high quality colleges with very little or no effort worked against the American Dream.

Working more against the American Dream, because of the Eighteenth Amendment, alcohol was banned from being sold. This resulted in many people illegally selling alcohol to others, which brought illegal bars. This lack of ethical behavior is displayed during some of Gatsby’s parties. There are people who appear to be random that come to Gatsby’s parties, and may be up to behavior that may not comply with the law. Even when asked who comes to the parties, there can only be a few people that are recalled by name, and the rest’s names, “if I ever knew it, I have forgotten. All these people came to Gatsby’s house in the summer.”

Within the story, there are many different characters that portray the different types of people that lived during America in the 1920s. For example, Nick and Gatsby both fought in World War I, and they have the cynical stereotype of people who have fought in wars in the past. Due to their experiences during the war, they have lost trust in other people and believe others are dishonest towards them. They believe other humans are not to be trusted, as Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby depict in their characteristic.

Further portraying the ways of American life, the main setting of the story is divided up into two different portions: East Egg and West Egg. The differences between the two eggs show the differences in the classes of America and how the country developed with its differences.

East Egg displays the established aristocracy. The people who live there are well developed and organized in their society and have ethical and orderly ways of living. This wealth has been passed down for generations, and ancestry brought along the riches and intelligence the people of East Egg have now. It displays the traditional portion of America, and the proper ways its older people have lived up by.

West Egg displays the people who made themselves rich. The people who traded stocks, for example, had an effortless way of making money. With a very low amount of experience, they were able to make small fortunes with almost no hard work. These people were the modern day people who had the lazy characteristic. They did not comply with the traditional rules of ethical behavior, and brought in their own ideas of what was right and what was wrong.

A symbol in the novel that displayed improvement in the way people followed the American Dream was Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. In the mind of Nick Carraway, Eckleburg was always watching for things that were right and things that were wrong. He was always looking over the people of America, and he was always watching if they were doing something wrong, and he was similar to the supervisor that prevented people from committing crimes or doing illegal activity.

In conclusion, I believe The Great Gatsby should be considered a Great American Novel due to its dedication to describe the ways of Americans in the 1920s. Although it portrays how Americans did not follow the American Dream more than it did, it gives a depiction of America in the time period that it was written in.

In a cottage in Dunfermline, Scotland on November 25, 1835

William Carnegie: Keep it strong, Margaret. Hang in there; we’re almost done. Don’t give up now.

Margaret Morrison: Groans and screams in pain.

William Carnegie: We’re done, Margaret! It’s a boy! What should we name him?

Margaret Morrison: We’ll name him… Andrew. Andrew Carnegie.

In the family room of the cottage in 1837

Margaret Morrison: William, are you sure that we can continue like this? We aren’t doing well financially, and I’m too tired with all the jobs I’m doing. I know that I’m trying my best at this, and I know that you’re trying your best too. I just can’t see a bright future for either of us.

William Carnegie: Margaret, you can’t give up now. You’re already doing an excellent job taking care of the family. Imagine what will happen if you just give up on life now. Little Andrew is only two years old right now. Don’t you want him to see a comfortable future? Don’t you want the best for our son?

Margaret Morrison: Yes, of course I do. I want Andrew to be the most successful man in the world. But this just isn’t going to work. There are people that were meant to be successful, and there are some that weren’t. We just ended up being the unlucky ones. I run too many jobs for my own good, and this new grocery shop I set up in our cottage isn’t bringing in the money I expected. I think we’re losing more money than we’re getting.

William Carnegie: Just hang in there. You already know that I educated myself . I already survived through all of my hardships. There was a way, and I found it. Do you realize how hard teaching yourself is? When you try to learn something that you don’t have a clue about, it’s one of the most difficult things to do. If I can live through this, you can too.

Margaret Morrison: William, teaching yourself and working is different. What I’m doing is just plain labor. You’re a smart man. Teaching yourself is easy for you. I’m getting relatively old already, and this is not bringing anything positive to my body. We need to think things through before we do them now.

William Carnegie: I agree. I haven’t been feeling well lately, and things aren’t coming to me as easily as they have before. The longer I live, the more my body will break down. Unfortunately, I do not see a long future for myself.

Cottage, when William Carnegie dies at age 51

Margaret Morrison: Your father has died, children. He was an honorable man with an honorable past and an honorable future. We will remember him for years and decades to come. As a respected, intelligent chartist , the results of his work will live on forever. He helped the ones in need using his clever mind, as only a Good Samaritan would do.

Thomas Carnegie: Does that mean that he’s gone forever?

Margaret Morrison: Yes, it does. Unfortunately, you will never be seeing your father again.

In the cottage bedroom, 1848

Andrew Carnegie: Mom, I’ve been having nightmares about the textile factory again.

Margaret Morrison: Andrew, are you sure that you want to work at the textile factory? Most thirteen-year-old boys don’t have jobs in textile factories stoking boilers. Even above that, most thirteen-year-old boys don’t work twelve hours a day . Boys like you are supposed to be going to school, studying hard, and playing with your friends.

Andrew Carnegie: Mom, I can’t quit my job. You’re working as much as you can, almost all day! You’re a tanner and shoemaker , and you still set up your own business, a grocery store in our cottage! I wouldn’t feel like a proper son if I didn’t help you work. I can’t see my mom suffer like this and not help her bring in money for the family.

Margaret Morrison: Andrew, I’m not saying that what you’re doing is wrong. I’m just saying that it shouldn’t be what boys your age should be doing at this time. Even then, you know that I greatly appreciate what you’re doing for the family. Your work is helping me support myself, your two siblings, and of course, you. Even if you only earn two dollars a week , rest assured, it makes a big difference in our lives. I’m not sure what I would do without you. Hug Andrew Carnegie.

As Andrew returns to the cottage in 1851

Andrew Carnegie: Run into cottage in excitement. Mom! I have incredible news!

Margaret Morrison: What’s going on now?

Andrew Carnegie: I got a new job! I was hired by the Ohio Telegraph Company in the Pittsburgh Office! That’s right, I’m a telegraph messenger boy now! This is the best thing that has ever happened my life so far. I’m only sixteen years old, and I have a job good enough to help my mom support the family. The best part is, I get more money than before. I used to get about two dollars a week, but now I get fifty cents more!

Margaret Morrison: That’s wonderful news, Andrew! Now you won’t get any nightmares about the textile factory that you used to work at! Being a telegraph messenger is a lot less damaging to your body, and I’m sure that your health will improve rapidly.

Andrew Carnegie: That’s right, and there’s more. You probably know how much I like Shakespeare. His works are the most beautiful out of all in existence in history. I get to see the theater up close and personal, and I get to talk to the actors performing on stage. In addition, I can see some of the Shakespeare plays on the theater for free . This is the best job I’ve had, and I get to support the family while doing something that I enjoy.

Margaret Morrison: Well I’m glad that you can do something that you like. It was very kind of the telegraph company’s owner to hire you for the job.

One year later, 1852

Andrew Carnegie: Boss, I’m here to proudly announce that I have finally mastered the skill of telegraphing. I can distinguish and decipher all of the incoming signals by ear without writing them down . All the incoming signals sound like English to me now.

Another year later, early 1853

Thomas Scott: Andrew Carnegie, I would like to proudly invite you to work as the telegraph operator in the Pennsylvania Railroad . I see you as a young man with lots of potential, and I believe you can do well as a telegraph operator. You have had experience being a telegraph messenger, so I believe you will be well-fit for this job.

Andrew Carnegie: I accept your offer! I would be more than honored to work for your company as the telegraph operator. Although my goals for my life are above being a telegraph operator , I will start at this rank and improve in ranking. I will make you proud, Mr. Scott, and I will work to the best of my ability. I will try my best to move up in the company and have many more responsibilities than I do right now.

Thomas Scott: I like your attitude. I’m sure you would be a good addition to the Pennsylvania Railroad, and if you do, in fact, move up in the company, I will help you along the way.

In the cottage, later in 1853 when Carnegie is 18 years old

Andrew Carnegie: Mother, I have more good news.

Margaret Morrison: This is wonderful, Andrew. In the past few years, you’ve been coming home almost every day with good news. What happened this time, Andrew?

Andrew Carnegie: You already know that Mr. Thomas Scott has been helping me make my initial investments . He is a great man that does great things for me, and I believe that he should receive a lot of credit for what good has come to me. He has used his wealth to help me make my own. Your work has been relieved by a lot, and my income has been enough to keep the family going. I have already made a small fortune from his investment tips. From how my status is going in the company, it won’t be long until I am the superintendent of the Pittsburgh Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad .

Margaret Morrison: This is wonderful, Andrew! Years before, we had trouble even getting enough money to buy food to eat. Now, you’re bringing in huge paychecks and earnings from investing your money! This is a dream come true! Before your father passed away, he told me never to give up. He asked me what would happen in the future if I gave up. I kept that in mind, and I didn’t give up. I continued all of my jobs, keeping all three of my children in my heart. I am truly grateful that I keep my soul strong and worked for a good future.

Andrew Carnegie: I’m just proud that I could be this successful in life to be able to make you and my employer proud.

In the year 1955 during a conference

Andrew Carnegie: Through my successes in the past few years and with the assistance with Thomas Scott, I was able to make lots of money. Mr. Scott was one of the most successful men that I know, and he used his own wealth to help me build my own. I believe that this is how all wealthy men should live their lives. I recently invested $600 successfully in a firm called Adams Express . I was very successful with this investment, which was one of the sources of one of my small fortunes.

Andrew Carnegie: Furthermore, I am here today at this conference to make a very important announcement. I have invested money in the sleeping cars for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company , and I will be purchasing a portion of the company to make as my own. I believe that this is going to be a very profitable investment for me. My future plans include investing in similar things to what I am investing in right now, such as iron, bridges, and rails.

A few weeks later, in another conference

Andrew Carnegie: In our last conference, I announced that I would purchase a portion of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. That deal has been completed, and I now own the portion of the company that constructs and produces the wagons . This has been a very profitable investment for me, and I am very glad I made this decision. I promise to you all that I will return everything you have done for me.

Before the Civil War

Theodore Woodruff : Hello, Mr. Carnegie. I am contacting you today to see if we can work something out with being partners in our work. Ever since you became the superintendent and invested money in sleeping cars, I had a desire to work with you in your sales. I knew that this would provide to me a good improvement in sales and profit.

Andrew Carnegie: I would be honored to work with the inventor of the sleeping car. The concept of sleeping cars being used for travel over five hundred miles itself was an excellent idea . I also believe that our partnership will be a positive addition to both of our business lives.

In a discussion conference room

Adam Smith: I have had many past experiences with wealth-related issues, and I believe that I would be able to help you, Mr. Andrew Carnegie, in improving your successes. Through the many years I have been alive, I have made different philosophies, documentaries, and novels regarding the wealth of nations .

John Winthrop: As a former governor, I also believe I have some useful advice that I can offer to you, Mr. Carnegie. I have written documentaries regarding the society and how people live. I have analyzed the way money is spread out within the communities across the world, and what the best way to maintain your own money is. I am offering to give you this advice.

Andrew Carnegie: I believe I can put this information into good use. Seeing from how the government has been treating the citizens, there is probably going to be some bad events in the future. The struggles between human equality and justice have risen in the past few years. The north is slowly separating with the south, and a civil war appears to be in the near future .

Adam Smith: With the experiences that I have had in the past, there are a few large conclusions that I have come up with. Wealth comes from little things, and it builds up more and more. By doing repetitive work with a lot of people, things can be completed very quickly and efficiently. In addition, if you have each person doing only one piece of the job, the repetition will make the work more quick and efficient. By analyzing the time spend on making one pin, they could make a total of 48,000 pins per day .

John Winthrop: I agree with Mr. Smith. God has made different types of people to do different types of things. Some people are better with doing one type of thing, and some people are better with doing a different type of thing. Some people would be good at one part of the assembly line, when different people are good with a different part. This is the most efficient way to make money.

John Winthrop: I also have some good advice on how to maintain your money when you get it. Although you should share your wealth with others, it is important to preserve your wealth. Firstly, when you are lending your wealth to others, you must be sure that they will pay you back. If they say they will pay you back but never do, you must find out what is going on. Finally, if they are not able to pay you back, you should not continue to ask them to repay you .

During Andrew Carnegie’s final speech in 1901

Andrew Carnegie: Through the years, I have had many differing experiences. When I was a small child, I had many hard times. Our family was short of money, and we had to work constantly. Our income wasn’t enough to support our family. However, we tried our best and lived through our hardships. How that I became one of the wealthiest men in the world, I have seen that wealth is not distributed equally. Money became power, and the poor people had no say on what the government did. These people cause the poorer people to become more greedy and make them want more money. My best motto is to give back to the society that you gained your money to. If you become rich like this, you must return the money to improve the entire society and community as a whole. With those words, my advice to you, the community, is over .

Andrew Carnegie: The reason I am sharing this information with you is because I am currently planning retirement. I am 66 years old right now , and I have had my famous times. I have become the legend of steel. I am a beneficiary of over three thousand libraries, and I have had my good times. I am passing this opportunity to all of you, my society, to take the chances that you are given and use them. Build your life to become better. We must all remember that all Americans are kings .

Classic novels are more than just average books found on library shelves. To become a classic, a novel must hold value within its literature. The Sea Wolf landed itself on the American reading list because it complied with what a worthy book has to become well-known. I believe that because The Sea Wolf got on the American reading list, it should not be removed to make space for other books. The quality of a book does not descend as time moves on; modern books may become classics, but an older book should never be stripped the title of being a valued book.

The Sea Wolf in particular makes many external connections with peripheral topics. By reading just this one novel, one will get a broad perspective of many other themes associated with the concepts conversed in the book. For example, the main character, Humphrey Van Weyden, is a literary critic. From this point of view, one will learn about literature in the early 1900s when this book was published. In addition, another main character that comes in shortly after the beginning of the book named Wolf Larsen is a powerful, fierce, unsympathetic person who owns a seal hunting boat. This gives insight to how people made a living during the times of this novel.

Further developed, the protagonist Humphrey Van Weyden’s adventures interlace with Wolf Larsen’s, showing the results of two very different people crossing paths in their journey of life. Humphrey Van Weyden complies with Wolf Larsen’s orders out of fear; this is shown immediately when Hump is assumed as a worker in a part of Wolf Larsen’s crew. When Wolf Larsen gives an order to Humphrey Van Weyden, he obeys from fear: “And thus it was that I passed into a state of involuntary servitude to Wolf Larsen. He was stronger than I, that was all. But it was very unreal at the time. It is no less unreal now that I look back upon it. It will always be to me a monstrous, inconceivable thing, a horrible nightmare.” Humphrey Van Weyden’s words make it seem like he had no choice but to abide by Wolf Larsen’s words. Thus, it gives insight to the social connections between a literary critic and a seal hunter.

In the philosophical aspect, Humphrey Van Weyden believes that life should be looked at as a sacred object that should be looked at with great importance. When he boards the Ghost, he realizes that these men have no thoughts for the great value of life. When a human’s life is thought of as a miniscule entity, Humphrey Van Weyden begins a debate with Wolf Larsen regarding philosophical matters. Wolf Larsen refuses to change his ways aboard his ship; he refuses to change the way he treats his crew members. Wolf Larsen, being a materialist, slowly makes himself sick by repetitively arguing with crew members.

On the other hand, Humphrey Van Weyden learns from Wolf Larsen’s bullying. As Wolf Larsen incapacitates himself, Humphrey Van Weyden develops courage from Wolf Larsen’s terror. Almost immediately after boarding the seal hunting ship, Hump experiences Wolf Larsen’s behavior towards his crew members: “… stirring of Wolf Larsen’s tremendous strength. It was utterly unexpected, and it was over and done with between the ticks of two seconds. He had sprung fully six feet across the deck and driven his fist into the other’s stomach. At the same moment, as though I had been struck myself, I felt a sickening shock in the pit of my stomach.” During the process of seeing others get hurt, Hump becomes more courageous himself.

Moments later, with courage developed in Humphrey Van Weyden’s mind, he attempted to save himself from the Ghost. “I had seen the frightful treatment of the cabin-boy, and knew that I should be very probably receive the same, if not worse. As I say, I debated with myself, and then I did what I considered the bravest act of my life. I ran to the side, waving my arms and shouting: ‘Lady Mine ahoy! Take me ashore! A thousand dollars if you take me ashore!’” This is only the start of his valorous actions, a result of his philosophical views clashing with a different person’s varied perspectives.

Another significant topic discussed within the novel that would save the novel from removal from the American reading list is Social Darwinism. This philosophical aspect is Wolf Larsen’s justification for being dominant and condescending towards others. Although Darwin himself did not approve of his own Social Darwinism, Wolf Larsen supports it by using it as his sole justification for capitalism and racism. On the other hand, Humphrey Van Weyden debates that Darwin is not, in fact, a valid justification for Wolf Larsen’s actions: “’You have read Darwin,’ I said. ‘But you read him misunderstandingly when you conclude that the struggle for existence sanctions your wanton destruction of life.’”

In addition, the point of view of the novel is a well-displayed and well-progressing aspect. The novel is a first-person narration by Humphrey Van Weyden. The book starts out as him being displayed as an overly-educated individual that seems like he knows too much for his own good. However, as the plot progresses, the viewpoint and intelligence of Humphrey Van Weyden changes into one that is experienced of many things and capable of doing more than he did previously. The plotline displays the maturation of thirty-five-year-old Humphrey Van Weyden, through his experiences on the seal hunting boat, Ghost.

In summary, I believe that The Sea Wolf should remain one of the classics on the American reading list. Through its integration of an extensive range of topics, it brings together a masterpiece of literature. Along with its advanced literary perspective to the connections with famous philosophers, to the entertaining plot line and the historical insights of the early 1900s, this novel is one like no other.

The novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has stirred many endless arguments throughout the entire country, continent, and planet, due to its racist views against African-Americans. This book was criticized up to the point where district administrators were on the verge of removing it from their schools. When the opportunity comes to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, I would object removing this novel from our curriculum. Although I agree that the book contains harsh aspects of racism, I believe it is a classic novel that should not be removed from our modern learning environment.

When reviewing expert analyses of this book, one will come across a broad range of opinions regarding the different topics covered in this book. Some believe that Huckleberry Finn is like one of many books in the bookstore today. Although there is an attempt to remove racism from modern-day works of art, Fredrick Woodard and Donnarae MacCann say “even the most sophisticated reading today does not remove the shackles of the white supremacy presumption” (141). Although Woodard and MacCann wish to prosecute the novel, evidence for keeping the novel can be found even in their analysis. In essence, these two experts are saying that Huckleberry Finn itself should not be removed for the sole purpose of racism. Some of our modern-day books contain racism, so why should a priceless classic be removed from our high school education? These racist views give us an insight to the treatment of African-Americans in the time setting of the novel. I agree that the vision of the past was not done in the most subtle way; on the other hand, the sight was communicated in a way that sends the message clearly to the reader.

David L. Smith’s expert analysis says that Mark Twain constantly targets and brings down the African-American race and “systematically dramatizes their inadequacy” (105). After reading Huckleberry Finn, anybody would be able to see this in the novel. African-Americans are always referred to as unimportant and insignificant in their lifestyle. However, what does this have to do with removing the novel from education? Just because Huckleberry Finn is taken off the shelves does not mean African-Americans, or any minority race, will receive justice with everybody else. By repeatedly portraying African-Americans as unimportant, Mark Twain creates the image of how life was like during the time period this novel was written.

The influence that Mark Twain’s living environment had is proven by Charles H. Nilon when he states that “After 1876 the Supreme Court most often interpreted the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments in ways that weakened the protection of black people” (65). With all this going on, it’s quite difficult to say that Mark Twain put only his own racist thoughts in Huckleberry Finn. With all these external influences, it must have been difficult to maintain a fair novel with justice among all races. Although it could be argued that Mark Twain was a racist himself, nobody can prove that he was truly anti-African-American at heart. The government’s poor treatment in African-Americans also played a role in the views expressed in the novel. Thus, if one chooses to criticize Mark Twain for his chauvinism shown in the book, they must also take into consideration the authority behind it.

In conclusion, I believe that removing Huckleberry Finn from our school would do more bad than good. It would create more arguments and controversy among the administrators, staff, and students. To negotiate with the people that believe Huckleberry Finn should be banished from our education, I would propose the following: the novel would be restricted from the students, and only those who would not follow in the novel’s footsteps in their treatment towards African-Americans should be permitted to read it for educational purposes. Basically, only those ethical and mature enough to consume only the positive knowledge out of the book would gain access to it. Thus, when a student becomes old enough to realize that this is not how to treat African-Americans in modern-day society, they would be permitted to analyze and be educated on the novel. With a high-quality instructor, students can work together and receive the correct guidance to extract the most they can get out of the book.