Materialism

            (Topic) The view taken by Lewis Lapham of "the American faith in money" meticulously identifies the covetous sentiment shared by our people. (Tell #1) Since the formation of this nation, Americans have been materialistic. (Show #1) Henry Adams observed how "deflected by the pursuit of money" the Americans were. (Mean #1) We have slowly altered our course in life to focus on achieving great riches, although these will only remain a dream for most. (Tell #2) The American people attempt to use their wealth to prove their "worth" to others and themselves. (Show #2) The philosophy, "the visible signs of wealth testify to an inward state of grace" or success, epitomizes the doctrines of the American people. (Mean #3) By ostentatiously displaying our tangible assets, we assume that other people will conclude we are happy and successful because we own so much. (Tell #3) Citizens of other countries largely have not had the same opportunities as Americans. They defer to values in "family, religion, honor, intellect, and social class". (Show #3) The beauty of the Constitution and founding principles of America were to have a diverse society, where people with different ideas and beliefs could harmoniously live together. Therefore, we do not all have a consensual system to pass judgment on, so we turn to the obvious source of unity: money. In this land of opportunity, a clever person can build a fortune from scratch, in the past, through oil corporations and railroads, in the present, through Internet companies. We have faith in money, because we believe that to achieve that level of affluence, the individual must be intelligent, shrewd, astute, and witty along with dozens of other favorable and cherished characteristics. Money is an integral part of our lives because with it we associate the same connotations that the English do to a name; the Germans, a university degree; or the Soviets, political power.