A Dangerous Obsession

(I'd just like to point out that I have never watched the first two movies of the "Lord of the Ring" series so the only information I know, I got it from the movie we watched in class.)

The things life throws at us can make or break us. Much can be said about the ring that Frodo carried around his neck. Not only did it hold strong powers, but it also affected whoever wore it greatly. Frodo's mission was to carry the ring to the (dark city) where he would destroy it, and in doing so he decided to carry it around his neck to avoid its dangerous powers. However, the ring's power did not cease when he wore it around his neck. Instead, the influence that it had on Frodo was somewhat subdued. Sadly, Frodo still held a desire for it deep down, and it was that desire for it that led him to believe that anyone and everyone was trying to take it away from him. His paranoia helped make him an easy target for Smeagle, who in an attempt to steal the ring for himself, convinced Frodo that Sam was trying to take the ring from him.
In life, there are those like Frodo who under the influence of an external danger/obsession see the world in a distorted way. Many people driven by addictions can become obsessed with said addiction and in turn become slaves of that addiction. Alcoholics glued to a bottle of vodka see the world differently and lose conscious of those they once loved and cared about. Families that are torn apart and the alcoholic family member finds himself or herself completely and entirely alone, isolated from the rest with only alcohol as their comofort.
A more popular obsession within our generation can be found in shopping. There are teens who claim to feel an adrenaline rush after making a purchase of nice clothes. The obsession that many teens have with fashion and material things can be mirrored by the obsession that Smeagle had with the ring. Such obsessions also come with great sacrifices. To afford the bundles of expensive clothing housed in a teen girl's closet, someone must make the sacrifice to give up their hard earned money to buy the clothes, whether it be the girl or her parents. This economic trade-off is one that can place many families in economic distress. By choosing to remain obsessed with the ring, Smeagle gave up his comfortable life as a hobbit, and transformed into a horrible looking creature that survived off of raw fish. Making the decision of sacrificing important aspects of our lives to enjoy the pleasures of an obsession with a material object is a predicament we might find ourselves in someday.
I think that the most important thing to remember if we are ever faced with having to make that choice, is who we are. We must weigh the importance of our loved ones and various other endeavors that we may have had before having met that problem, and decide whether those things are worth giving up.

A Christmas Carol

A prominent theme in Dicken's A Christmas Carol, is that of selfishness, and the impact that it had on the different social classes of that time period. Ebenezer Scrooge, a successful businessman, had allowed himself to be transformed by the evil of the money that he horded over the years. His character, which had at one point been sweet and humble had turned into the complete opposite. His family had abandoned him in hopes of escaping his cold demeanor and cruel temperament. Scrooge was a greedy businessman who had no shame in demanding money from those who owed him, as poor as they may have been.
A Christmas Carol was set at the start of the 19th century, at the dawn of the industrial revolution. Social classes in Britain were well defined, and the poor had hardly any hopes of moving up in social rankings. However, in his novel, Dickens was able to depict the poor as being joyful and happy despite their economic situations. By doing so, Dickens introduced an interesting concept into the ideal of social classes. The poor, though they may have had no money, seemed to value the more important things in life more than a richer person. The bonds of family became stronger in poorer families, because many times that was all they had: one another. During Scrooge's exploration of the "present", he is taken by the ghost to the humble home of his worker Bob Cratchit whose family is suffering of poverty. Dicken's portrayal of the poor in his novel, truly defied previous stereotypes of the miserable lower classes in society and shed light on the idea that happiness in its purest form can be found in various places and does not have to be linked to material things such as money.
Much could be said about today's society and the differentiation of the social classes within our country. Despite the ever present greedy capitalists that have remained throughout the years, in today's society one can work their way up the social and economic ladder through hard work. Rather than being tied down by social labels, one can easily break away and become their own person.