Tadpoles Are Really Ugly

There is an old asian proverb, that goes, 'The frog forgets his time as a tadpole'. The related folktale is that tadpoles, as a tadpole, yearn to grow in to a frog. They wriggle around hard, trying hard to grow their legs. However, once they morph in to their dreams, they forget their past and act like they've gotten their dreams by working hard, believing themselves a 'self-made man,' when they are actually the product of a biological predisposition that have been to applied equally, self made or not, to their ancestors.

The irony isn't only applied to animals in the folktale. Real life examples exist everywhere: The white community from "The Raisin In the Sun" is a perfect example. They too were tadpoles, working hard in order to achieve their dreams. Yet, they decide to ignore other people's dreams, because they aren't tadpoles anymore.

Does success negatively impact people on who they are as people? While the question is not a rhetorical, it cannot be denied that they change, good or bad. Windows founder Bill Gates uses his pile of money to help the poor, and rapper Game set up a music studio in a public high school. However, we can never tell if they are still in contact with those they have known before success. In fact, countless numbers of celebrities refuse to date those that are not celebrities.

What is true to multiple extents, however, is the outrageous attitude of Karl and the community. The ugly racism aside, they decided that their dreams are superior than other people's dreams. The way they outright ignore there slightly different (mind you, different does not equal wrong) shows how self centered and selfish humans can be. It is undeniable that humanity must work towards resolving these problems; not only racism, but the selfishness that potentially lies under all of us.

Pop Goes the Dream

So Gatsby is a self made man. Be it. But what came out of it?

Jay Gatsby, in the Roaring Twenties novel, "Great Gatsby", by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is illustrated as a self made man who has built his wealth and reputation in a common goal to get his dream girl, Daisy Faye Buchanan. Sadly a few problems already rest for Gatsby. She's already married, Jay; if you want a girl, you gotta go get her quick if you really want her.

But once he has finished building his ability to run parties on a weekly basis, Daisy was already married. While the that fact allowed Gatsby to be held 'esteemed' among his 'peers' (oh, the irony), he had only one goal to achieve such success: Daisy. Once he loses this sense of goal, he lacks a reason to continue on. In this sense, he loses nothing when Wilson kills him. 

This seems to be a running theme between pieces from Fitzgerald; another example is his short story, "Winter Dreams", in which Dexter goes after a deja vu - causing rich girl named Judy Jones. Dexter also happens to be a "self-made man". But similar to Jay, he finds Judy, many years later, not only married, but left without her beauty. 

Society considers 'self-made' an extraordinary attribute. But even such can lack a meaning if dreams are popped. 

"We made ourselves, one by one like Lego blocks

Got the fire in me goin, blocks melt down

What's this for if I can even tell who I am

Let me break back apart and organize my dreams"

-Fana, "Still a Team"

Dolla Dolla Bill Y'All

Welcome to the Jazz Age. The government has prohibited alchohol usage. However, people party on a weekly basis like there's no tomorrow, with more and more people becoming a part of the wealthy elites. Economy itself is sky high, people are having a marvelous time. Are these people happy?

Fast forward one hundred years. Artists have started to spread the message that "Cash rules everything around [them]" (C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan), criticizing how much money is important in our lives. Jessie J goes further to say that "It seems like everybody's got a price" (Price Tag - Jessie J). This change in culture vastly reflects how much people are aware of materialistic views.

The "Great Gatsby", the famed novel by Robert Fitzgerald, set in the Jazz Age, shows the influence of materialistic values on the American society. While people may look happy, they can often be seen unhappy; couples argue at parties, affairs are common, and many die at parties. Then the party resumes the next week, or even that very night. Behind the jazz music and the group of fancy dancers, only sadness awaits. 

America already experienced what happens. The 1930s were a mess. However, the 'money money money' state of mind continued on. This is still illustrated today, such as the Black Friday sales. The day before is Thanksgiving, when people supposedly are thankful of what they have. They hurry to finish dinner and run to the mall to get in line to get in their favorite shops and buy a bagful of clothes or electronics. The irony ensues every year.

People are becoming more and more aware of such ugly fact about America. The materialistic views, however, are not changing. Furthermore, America is one of the biggest examples that developing countries follow in order to gain economical success. To serve a good example, and also for their own good, America needs to not only be aware, but improve the way it thinks about the dollar bills.

"Goddamnit I like it

Bright lights [are] enticing

But look what it did to Tyson

All the money in one night

Thirty mil for one fight, 

but soon as all that money blows,

all the pigeons take flight"

-Jay Z - Holy Grail