In a word, a slice of perspective

By: Mary Schmich

            While reading the column In a word a, slice of perspective the author, Mary Schmich, wants us to feel both sympathetic and deppressed. I know this because she uses phrases such as "Corpses rot in the mud." and," ...the death count rises as inexorably as the moon." This shows the depressed side of the pieces by bringn up situations most people would not want to hear about that are revolting/ depressing. This piece alsom makes us sympathetic because she brings up her younger sister who" is mentally disabled, who on an average day literally trembles with medicine..." This makes us sympathetic of her daughter who most likely cannot do anything on her own and will be stuck that way her whole life.

             The author wants us to remeber how no matter how little we have someone, somewhere out there has less. I know this is true because she says in the last paragraph" There's always somebody with more... [but] a lot of us have potato chips to spare." This shows how there is always someone with more than you but also you will always have extra for someone else. She doesn't want anyone to take there portion for granted and keep living the way we can.The people who let the person who has more than them to define themselves is always the mosre depressed.

            The purpose of the column is to show how good you have it compared to the others. The authore quotes her mentally handicapped sister who said " Compared to them... I have a lot." This shows that even if a person in her position realizes that she has a lot then you must be able to also. You have to realize that you have a lot more than many people. She wants us to stop asking for more and more and be happy with what we are given.

             The author uses diction throughout her column to further the goal of the piece by repeating the word portion throughout the piece. Although it seems most of the time she is using it negatively, when she describes it she uses words such as fortune and fate, which seem positive. So truly when she uses this word really she is trying to point out that the little these people have can actually be seen as a lot. 

            The column relates to real life in many ways. It shows that we should be wary of what we complain because most likely someon out there doesnt have anything like it. It shows that people like Kanye West or Justin Beiber could contribute to society much more if they donated to charity or other rather than give us their crappy music and gossip. Although you life at some points might seem tough there are people out there who have gone through worse and you can make it through it