American Literature: Pursuit of Happiness
Caitlyn Parker
February 21, 2013
American Literature
Essay #1
Pursuit of Happiness Comes in Many Ways In Ron Carlson’s “The Ordinary Son.” Reed discovers that what he might want in life is different than how his family lives. Reed’s family isn’t your typical scenario. His family is a “famous family,” a group of geniuses not known by their family’s last name but by each individual. The children even called their parents by their first names. They all had their own names, they were known by who they are not by the traditional way of saying, “Oh they are the Landers family.” Geniuses lived not in a typical way of life. They were so focused on making the next big thing, that they never even spent family time together. Their house wasn’t full of fancy decorations, but actually quiet empty. They didn’t even have a dinner table. Geniuses weren’t social lights either, they never had people come over; they didn’t keep up with all the tech savvy stuff either. They had no television or telephone. It was a genius household and it wasn’t to be diminished by electronic gismos. Reed accepted the way of life as a genius family. He realized that living without a telephone or refrigerator was natural for him. Didn’t even have a car. He was used to not living like society. He accepted this way of life, so simplistic and empty. He noticed that how they lived was very different than other people’s lives. He learned that society mostly was settled around two things: television and soft foods with tons of sugar. Living this way meant you didn’t sweat the small stuff, but to live for the work they do, not for things. They don’t need anything in life, just their brains full of ideas. Being in a household of geniuses is hard for Reed because he wasn’t like the rest of his family; he’s the odd one out. He didn’t spend his life trying to show off his talents or be an overachiever like his siblings. He would congratulate them and their successes but lived his life in the shadows,
February 21, 2013
American Literature
Essay #1
Pursuit of Happiness Comes in Many Ways In Ron Carlson’s “The Ordinary Son.” Reed discovers that what he might want in life is different than how his family lives. Reed’s family isn’t your typical scenario. His family is a “famous family,” a group of geniuses not known by their family’s last name but by each individual. The children even called their parents by their first names. They all had their own names, they were known by who they are not by the traditional way of saying, “Oh they are the Landers family.” Geniuses lived not in a typical way of life. They were so focused on making the next big thing, that they never even spent family time together. Their house wasn’t full of fancy decorations, but actually quiet empty. They didn’t even have a dinner table. Geniuses weren’t social lights either, they never had people come over; they didn’t keep up with all the tech savvy stuff either. They had no television or telephone. It was a genius household and it wasn’t to be diminished by electronic gismos. Reed accepted the way of life as a genius family. He realized that living without a telephone or refrigerator was natural for him. Didn’t even have a car. He was used to not living like society. He accepted this way of life, so simplistic and empty. He noticed that how they lived was very different than other people’s lives. He learned that society mostly was settled around two things: television and soft foods with tons of sugar. Living this way meant you didn’t sweat the small stuff, but to live for the work they do, not for things. They don’t need anything in life, just their brains full of ideas. Being in a household of geniuses is hard for Reed because he wasn’t like the rest of his family; he’s the odd one out. He didn’t spend his life trying to show off his talents or be an overachiever like his siblings. He would congratulate them and their successes but lived his life in the shadows,