Collin Collins
Mr.Marshall
DATE \@ "MMMM d, y" February 22, 2015
Anna Quindlen judges the consumer taste . She claims that people frequently waste money on “junk” that they do not need, such as “appliances, toys, clothes, [and] gadgets” (Quindlen 1). Quindlen encourages her audience to realize that “stuff does not bring salvation” (1). She argues that people can be happier if they live simply without unnecessary products and desires. Quindlen makes a few interesting claims about the consumer culture, but her argument is slightly weakened because she only uses her personal experiences, future statistics, and inappropriate comparisons.

To support her claims, Quindlen incorporates her personal experiences into her essay. First, Quindlen describes a part of her childhood: “Television advertising… made me want a Chatty Cathy doll so much as a kid that when I saw her under the tree my head almost exploded… but I didn’t even really like dolls, especially dolls who introduced themselves to you over and over again when you pulled the ring in their necks” (1). Her personal experience during her childhood gives an example of how people buy products that they may not like or need. Her personal experience is also relatable because many readers have experienced losing interest in toys that they persistently begged their parents to buy for them. In addition, Quindlen mentions that she knows a family in rural Pennsylvania (1). The members of this family have little desires and only possess items that have “real meaning” (Quindlen 1). Quindlen uses her observations of this family to demonstrate how people can be happy if they live simply with things that truly matter to them. Although she attempts to support her main ideas, Quindlen focuses too much on her personal experiences and observations. She does not cite outside sources, quote experts, or give examples of people who do not have connections to her. When she only uses examples from her own life, Quindlen sounds biased; therefore, she loses her credibility. Furthermore, she uses her experiences to mainly appeal to readers who support her point of view, but she does not effectively persuade readers who oppose her argument. But in American culture people these days live on impulse and not thought. Rather buy food for the family or go buy drinks for the night they pick option two. As the years go by and the generations go and past morals and ethics go and past as well. People that are older seem to be more responsible, they know what can happen and what will happen. The generation that is living right now, needs to get a grasp on reality and live to their fullest potential and not live beyond there means but live where they were meant to be.
In addition to using her personal experiences, Quindlen provides statistics to support her ideas. First, Quindlen declares that “by 2010 Americans will be a trillion dollars in the hole on credit-card debt alone” (1). She describes that in today’s society, people frequently use their credit cards to pay for products, so they do not know how much they are spending until they receive their bills. Secondly, Quindlen explains that “there is still plenty of need” because “for the first time this month, the number of people on food stamps will exceed the 30 million mark” (1). Quindlen. The keyword in both of these statistics is “will,” which shows that the statistics are based on future predictions rather than on events that have already occurred. Many readers understand that the future is uncertain; therefore, the data is subject to change and the statistics are not completely accurate and trustworthy. Furthermore, Quindlen does not provide citations for any of her statistics.

Last, but not least, Quindlen’s argument is also weak because she uses ineffective comparisons. Quindlen claims that consumerism is a “pernicious problem, an addiction to consumption so out of control that it qualifies as a sickness” (1). She also asserts that “now much of the country is made up of people with the acquisition habits of a 7-year-old, desire untethered from need, or the ability to pay” (Quindlen 1). Quindlen connects people’s addiction to a sickness and people’s habits to a 7-year-old’s habits as a way of criticizing their consumer behaviors. However, Quindlen’s criticisms may have offended some of her readers, especially people who are part of the consumer culture. Quindlen also sounds biased and angry when she introduces her own personal opinions into her essay.

Although Quindlen does not make a compelling argument, I agree with several of her claims. In today’s society, people spend most of their money on merchandises, such as toys, brand name clothes, and new technological inventions. For example, I have a friend who uses his paychecks to buy action figures and video game consoles instead of saving his money for college tuition. In addition, people tend to go to the mall more often during holiday sales, such as Black Friday and After-Christmas Sales. During these sales, people buy a countless amount of cheap clothes and products that they do not need. Furthermore, people eventually lose interest in the items they buy, especially when the item is no longer a part of the latest trend. For example, around Christmastime, people were complaining on Facebook and Twitter that they had an iPhone 5, but they wanted an iPhone 6. Instead of desiring for more, people need to learn how to be grateful for what they already possess. However, people do not have to completely stop purchasing products (since that would negatively affect the economy), but instead, they need to stop purchasing too many items. A person does not need three cars and two houses unless he or she has a specific use for these products. People have the freedom to buy what they want with their money; all they need to do is learn how to restrain themselves from over-purchasing.