Everybody go through experiences of finding their own self identity. The two stories, One Thousand Dollars and Getting a Job by O. Henry and Maya Marguerite, tell readers about finding identities. Self identity can be defined as whom or what the subject think it as. In One Thousand Dollars, the main character Gillian goes through the experience later than the majority of people. Most people go through the experience of finding self identity in their teenage years, like showed in Getting a Job. In One Thousand Dollars, story starts with Gillian getting one thousand dollars from his dead uncle. Gillian, who always had enough money, showed an annoyance by the uncle¡¯s will, which was to record the expenditure. To spend his awkward amount of money, he goes around and asks ordinary people. During the time, he learns that he can use money well by giving it to one he loved. He asks the one to marry him, but gets rejected. He later receives rest of his uncle¡¯s inheritance, but refuses and gives the money to his love. At the end he learns a lesson and becomes a prudent person. In the story Getting a Job, Marguerite opens her eye on getting employed. Even though she is a young, low-educated girl she went to get a high positioned job, which only white could get. She get rejected and turned away, however she never gives up and tries constantly. From her effort and little lies in the application, she gets the job. She learns that she is more mature, and different from her common black friends in school, through going under these experiences, such as discrimination.
Each main character from One Thousand Dollars and Getting a Job are totally different. In the story One Thousand Dollars, Gillian is a man whose background is luxurious, and wealthy. He lives without feeling any needs or shortage of finance. He implied the thousand dollars not that big, even though the amount was entire asset for a man who he interviewed. On the other hand, the main character of Getting a Job, Marguerite lives with feeling hunger of working and treated equal. She was a black girl, who does not even graduate high school education. She lives in a poor environment and she wants to earn money in a higher position to feel the achievement in social status. Also, Marguerite is different from Gillian in how she wants to earn money to make a better living for her family, but Gillian gives up money for his love. On the other hand, they are similar because they go through the time of finding identity through experiencing and meeting various people. In One Thousand Dollars, the theme is money can not buy happiness. Gillian goes and asks different kinds of people what they could do with one thousand dollars. The answers varied but one mentions that even though he does not have enough money, he is very happy. After he learned that money can not buy happiness, he learns new ideas. He learns that he should be more precarious about spending money so wastefully, and that he can actually spend money effectively. In Getting a Job, Marguerite tells that self-confidence comes from experience. George Burns said ¡°Don¡¯t stay in bed, unless you can make money in bed.¡± Marguerite shows an innovative action where she tries out for a job which only white men could have. When she first failed to get the job, she was depressed, but a she kept trying out, she got confidence in herself. She showed a great passion to achieve her goal. She found her self while trying to get approved by white, who discriminated her. Also, in Getting a Job, readers can learn that white lies can be justified. Even though she lied to get her job, she set an example for the whites, which blacks can do as well as whites. Lastly, both stories carry the lesson that one should have a constant passion, and go through many attempts.
When I read One Thousand Dollars, I was surprised of Gillian¡¯s irresponsibleness. I thought all adult are responsible, but it was just a stereotype of mine. In Getting a Job, I like the theme of ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡± and ¡°Never give up.¡± Whenever I read this kind of stories, they remind me of myself being in America. I lived in a city where over 90percent of the residents were Jewish. Of course I was discriminated few times, and my heart fell every time. However, from Marguerite¡¯s actions, I now know that I should be the one who can set an example for Americans, by doing and achieving the best I can get.
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