This Kid Needs Help

If Jonas' birthday fell upon June 23 and I could give him two gifts tomorrow, I would treat him like the lion in The Wizard of Oz and give him courage, also I would treat him like Napoleon Dynamite and give him awesome nunchuck skills (only true Napoleon Dynamite fans will catch the reference). I am going to lay it out on the line, after completing the novel I recognized that Jonas lacks the self-confidence that makes his mother such a wonderful person. His lack of courage first presents itself when he backs down from his band members after they shoot down an idea of his for a song to play. Despite admittedly being the best in the band, "he practiced and practiced" further distancing himself talent-wise from the mediocre guys he played with (147). In spite of all this, he still found his ideas shot down by older kids who did not respect him because of a lack of self-esteem. Thus I feel courage appropriately fits as a birthday gift for poor Jonas. Secondly I would give him physical matter that could represent courage or self-defense in the nunchucks. These would not only actually protect him from physical harm, but give him the illusion that he has more power than he actually does. Reason being that Joseph Novak, mentally deranged hermit, knocked Jonas out with one punch. This is embarrassing. The author writes of how even though no one saw the event, Jonas still became very embarrassed at his own shortcomings and recollects how he has never been "seriously hurt" (255). He even goes as far as to call himself a word that more vulgarly means wimp. The pathos throughout this section exacts sympathy for Jonas from individuals who know what it is like to lack self-esteem. I firmly believe that a simple token resembling toughness would greatly help Jonas out because undoubtedly, this kid needs help.

Money Money Money... Money! (High Pitched, Song-like Tone)

From the beginning of time the saying has gone "money can't buy happiness" or as they say in more urban areas, "mo' money mo' problems." Jonathan Dee angles his story, The Privileges, around said concept. He includes this controversial contradiction by way of describing how much an excess of money altered Adam and Cynthia's children's lives. He writes of Jonas' anti-social nature and how he matures at an almost unhealthy rate just so that he can break away from parental dependence. His own sister calls him a "forty year old junior" which obviously sheds light upon his want to sever his need of his parents (186).  He pronounces that his parents money, "is not who I am" (186).  Likewise but alternatively, Dee foils Jonas' character with the Morey's eldest child, April who cannot seem to mature at all and continually makes stupid, rash decisions that do not concern her because she knows her parents will simply pay her way out of trouble. I am rather angry that the author allows all of the blame for her immaturity fall upon her family's financials and that Dee does not apportion some of the blame to April's parents who clearly did not teach her how to handle youth and prosperity. The writer tells of April's beyond dumb decision to meet up with someone she just got to know in a porn chatroom just so that if people found out then "she would be... the damaged one" (160). Did an excess of money cause April to need attention? NO! Her own parents neglectful attitudes and primary concerns of just having fun led to this attention deficit she seeked to fill. Sure maybe her parents quest for cash caused some of the neglect however that problem lies in the parents innate greed rather than money itself. I will defend money because it cannot help being the universal language and solver of any problem! How can money create problems when one can also use it to rectify any situation? Dee's inclusion of his argument that money cannot buy happiness only serves to free the Morey parents of some guilt for poor parenting.

A Look into Cynthia's World

We need more Cynthia Moreys in this world. I have found Cynthia in The Privileges my favorite character thus fas. From the very first page Jonathan Dee introduced her I have found myself fascinated by her values and what she brings to the table in terms of her family life. The author begins with narration of how she married a remarkable gentleman named Adam (how ironic) who "only cared about making her happy" (7). What a lucky woman! She sees this opportunity at a life of happiness and prosperity (for Adam was quite intelligent) and seizes it! I am very moved by her initiative and decisiveness to marry this fellow and feel that if only more people would capture these moments of sure self-benefit, our nation would rise to a much better state than the present one.  We would raise a new generation of self-reliant individuals who do not seek support for their future from anyone else.  Furthermore, I see a certain selfishness in Cynthia. While many rebuke selfishness, it has its uses. For instance, when Cynthia's children ask her to play "Go Fish" and she refuses and says "I want to play poker" (38). This is not some petty, immature demand! Whilst the childish diction "I want" suggests a mere desire to do as she pleases, I believe Cynthia simply knows that her children must understand the art of gambling in order to succeed in life and takes the time to teach them this valuable lesson. Also, I recognize a very profound sense of self-pride in Cynthia which surfaces several times in the beginning of the book. Some may label this self-pride "cockiness" but I am not fond of that word for it has certain negative connotations surrounding it. For example, at a cocktail party Cynthia finds herself "visibly smashed" and encircled by single men (73). This direct characterization of "smashed" underscores a striking self-confidence such that she would enjoy herself without regard of losing her reputation.  I am in awe of her and wish more people in today's world would act so impulsively and not worry what others thought of them.  Well, she leads these men on until her husband walks by in which case she yells "This, losers, is my husband" (73). The author's amused tone suggests that her favorite time of the night occurred when showing off her immensely successful and handsome husband even though she, ironically, had nothing to do with his fortune or fame.  To bluntly put it, I am very intrigued by Cynthia's decisiveness, selfishness, self-pride, and self-confidence for she truly just takes Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theory to heart, and who can really fault her?