Tragedy in life normally comes with betrayal and compromise, and trading on your integrity and not having dignity in life. That's really where failure comes.
-Tom Cochrane
Beginning the reflection on our Dignity.
By reflecting on the Dignity they possess, Americans can use this to help make morality-questioning decisions. Much like the rest of the main-focus areas of Cook's research for his success-trait development, dignity is one of the three virtues that is perfected through the simple act of life experience. This such concept is particularly noted within the works of the famous Psychologists Erik Erikson's psychosocial development, and Jean Piaget's cognitive development stages. With more experiences to reflect on, the success-striving American citizen can further-develop his or her senses of value and worth for the people, places, object in their environment, and even a value for themselves. However, there may be times where the American will have to make significant sacrifices for others at their own expense; this is due in part to their belief or concept that someone else or something else possesses a stronger value than they value they have regarded for themselves. This exact concept is exemplified by the novels "The Catcher in the Rye," and "The Great Gatsby.
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By reflecting on the Dignity they possess, Americans can use this to help make morality-questioning decisions. Much like the rest of the main-focus areas of Cook's research for his success-trait development, dignity is one of the three virtues that is perfected through the simple act of life experience. This such concept is particularly noted within the works of the famous Psychologists Erik Erikson's psychosocial development, and Jean Piaget's cognitive development stages. With more experiences to reflect on, the success-striving American citizen can further-develop his or her senses of value and worth for the people, places, object in their environment, and even a value for themselves. However, there may be times where the American will have to make significant sacrifices for others at their own expense; this is due in part to their belief or concept that someone else or something else possesses a stronger value than they value they have regarded for themselves. This exact concept is exemplified by the novels "The Catcher in the Rye," and "The Great Gatsby.
dignity within The catcher in the rye
The famous American character Holden Caulfield from the J.D. Salinger's legendary literary masterpiece, "The Catcher in the Rye," is a pinnacle example of the troubled soul struggling to grasp the concept of self-worth and dignity. Although disputed amongst the novel's countless readers, Holden does eventually come to the realization of self-worth and dignity near the story's conclusion, with an intricate analysis of the story.
On the notion of self-identity and value, J.D. Salinger includes several explicit instances throughout the novel of contradictions in Holden's character. These contradictions are included in the story to highlight Holden's inability to grasp a core understanding of his self-identity. One of the most famous examples of Holden's contradictions occurs in chapter five when engaging in a physical fight with his roommate, Stradlater. Salinger notes:
"This next part I don't remember so hot. All I know is I got up from the bed, like I was going down to the can or something, and then I tried to sock him, with all my might, right smack in the toothbrush, so it would split his goddam throat open. Only I missed. I didn't connect. All I did was sort of get him on the side of the head or something...
Anyway, the next thing I knew, I was on the goddam floor and he was sitting on my chest, with his face all red (Salinger, 45)."
Anyway, the next thing I knew, I was on the goddam floor and he was sitting on my chest, with his face all red (Salinger, 45)."
Holden, written by Salinger, mentions he verbally taunted and attempted to humiliate Stradlater after he had pinned him down for his botched-sucker punch. However, the interesting part of this excerpt is what Holden regards himself as in the very same chapter:
"I'm not too tough. I'm a pacifist, if you want to know the truth (Salinger, 46)."
Holden also bestows several bizarre adjectives upon himself, such as referring to himself as "yellow" in chapter thirteen, specifically stating: "Maybe that's why I'm partly yellow. It's not an excuse, though. It really isn't. What you should be is not yellow at all (Salinger, 89)."
However, Holden, following his revelation of envisioning himself falling through the concrete sidewalks of New York City, believes he's discovered his true calling in life: to be "the catcher in the rye," as stated in chapter twenty-two:
"It is 'If a body meet a boy coming through the rye.' I didn't know it then, though. I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,' I said. 'Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, nobody's around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy (Salinger, 173)."
After years of coping with the death of his brother Allie, who he utterly admired, struggling with the symptoms of clinical and psychological depression, and even battling consciously whether to commit suicide, Holden had been denied a proper childhood or a nurturing relationship with his parental figures. He mentions he had been shipped off to several boarding schools, all in which he flunked out, or was forced to leave. Finally at the point of this quotation, Holden conjures the idea that his self-identity and purpose in his existence is to preserve and maintain the childhoods of the children he has connections with in his life, primarily his sibling Phoebe. He is so attached to Phoebe that he is enraged to see profanity graffitied on the walls near her school.
The Great gatsby and dignity.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's world-famous novel, and now movie, "The Great Gatsby," the main character, Jay Gatsby, the platonic self-conception and alter-ego of James Gats, is being driven home by Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life, when suddenly she hits and kills a woman who ran out in the middle of the street, then flees the scene of the accident, placing Gatsby into a troublesome dilemma. Gatsby must make the decision whether or not to take the fall for the woman of his dreams, who has done nothing wrong in her lifetime, whereas Gatsby had been a con, potentially involved in some serious mob activity.
Fitzgerald provides insight into Gatsby's past on pages 133 and 134, during the scene in which Tom Buchanan and Gatsby are quarreling over who Daisy truly loves. However, Tom had an ace up his sleeve, and announces to everyone in the room exactly what kind of man he discovered Jay Gatsby really was.
"'She's not leaving me!' Tom's words suddenly leaned down over Gatsby. 'Certainly not for a common swindler who'd have to steal the ring he put on her finger.'
'Who are you anyhow?' broke out Tom. 'You're one of that bunch that hangs around with Meyer Wolfsheim--that much I happen to know. I've made a little investigation into your affairs--and I'll carry it further to-morrow.'
'I found out what your 'drug-stores' were.' He turned to us and spoke rapidly. 'He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That's one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn't far wrong (Fitzgerald, 133-134).''
'Who are you anyhow?' broke out Tom. 'You're one of that bunch that hangs around with Meyer Wolfsheim--that much I happen to know. I've made a little investigation into your affairs--and I'll carry it further to-morrow.'
'I found out what your 'drug-stores' were.' He turned to us and spoke rapidly. 'He and this Wolfsheim bought up a lot of side-street drug-stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter. That's one of his little stunts. I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him, and I wasn't far wrong (Fitzgerald, 133-134).''
This specific excerpt from the novel is important because it presents a clear perspective on Gatsby's background, shining light on what was always a shady character to begin with. However, this exemplification of Gatsby's past merely sets the stage for how extravagant of an action he will take next.
On page 139 in the novel, Daisy's husband, Tom Buchanan is discussing the details of the accident with the police, and how it involved his vehicle, which was being driven by Daisy at the time. Fitzgerald writes:
"'What happened? - that's what I want to know.'
'Auto hit her. Ins'antly killed.'
Instantly killed,' repeated Tom, staring.
'She ran out ina 'road. Son-of-a-bitch didn't even stopus car.'
'There was two cars,' said Michaelis, 'one comin', one goin', see (Fitzgerald, 139)?'"
'Auto hit her. Ins'antly killed.'
Instantly killed,' repeated Tom, staring.
'She ran out ina 'road. Son-of-a-bitch didn't even stopus car.'
'There was two cars,' said Michaelis, 'one comin', one goin', see (Fitzgerald, 139)?'"
Shortly after, Fitzgerald then reveals to the reader the truth behind the incident on page 143. He states:
"'[Gatsby] Well, I tried to sing the wheel-' He broke off, and suddenly I guessed at the truth.
'Was Daisy driving?'
'Yes,' he said after a moment, 'but of course I'll say I was. You see, when we left New York she was very nervous and she thought it would steady her to drive--and this woman rushed out at us just as we were passing a car coming the other way. It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were somebody we knew. Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and she lost her nerve and turned back. The second my hand reached the wheel I felt the shock--it must have killed her instantly (Fitzgerald, 144).'"
'Was Daisy driving?'
'Yes,' he said after a moment, 'but of course I'll say I was. You see, when we left New York she was very nervous and she thought it would steady her to drive--and this woman rushed out at us just as we were passing a car coming the other way. It all happened in a minute, but it seemed to me that she wanted to speak to us, thought we were somebody we knew. Well, first Daisy turned away from the woman toward the other car, and she lost her nerve and turned back. The second my hand reached the wheel I felt the shock--it must have killed her instantly (Fitzgerald, 144).'"
From there, Gatsby follows through on his decision to take the fall for Daisy, recognizing he faces potential prison time and legal action against him. His entire life, he had been working vigorously to climb the rungs of wealth-status in the United States to have another opportunity to win the heart of the woman he loved, Daisy, and he was willing to throw his wealth, his life, and all of his hard-efforts away, sacrificing them for the wellbeing of Daisy. Gatsby was willing to make this sacrifice because he developed a core-sense of dignity and value of the people around him, and he realized in that quarrel with Tom that he did, in fact, con his way to the top, whereas Daisy committed no crimes ever in her lifetime. Upon this realization, Gatsby came to the conclusion that her life and wellbeing out-valued that of his own, thus he decided it was just and necessary to give it all up for Daisy.
As Americans grow with age, so does their dignity with life experiences, thus providing them with a stronger sense of right and wrong. This is due in part to their expansive collection of experiences, that bring with it insight and knowledge into their next stage of development. Morality. Furthermore, with a sufficiently-developed sense of dignity, Americans will also now possesses a strong sense of self-worth, along with value of others, thus teaching them the value of integrity in hard work,