Values Of Americans Essay, Research Paper

America is the most powerful country in the world. The American economy has been

a symbol of the wealth of a nation. The efforts of our forefathers and present

geniuses have created economic values, which have caused American?s to thrive.

Two of these influences are Bill Gates and Ben Franklin who through genius and

hard work, have made huge advances in economic values. Although their efforts

spaced by hundreds of years, they believe similarly in the success of workers.

Two articles "The Way to Wealth", by Ben Franklin and "Microserfs",

by David Coupland, support economic values of their specific time periods.

Franklin?s essay is written in 1733, when agriculture was the way of life.

David Coupland?s essay is a present day description of technology and how

Microsoft has had such an impact on our lives. Both essays, each defining

different eras, come together to portray the epitome of economic values. The

writers?s depiction of work, from their respected eras, show how these

American economic values has not changed. Poor Richard Saunders? advice

symbolizes what American worker?s economic values should be. Poor Richard is a

character Franklin uses to push his economic values, and he believes that firm

economic values will create wealth. He explains "get what you can, and what

you get hold; ?Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into

gold"(Franklin 551). Having good economic values can give you the gold

touch. Good time management and sound management of one?s money are the keys

to success. Hence Franklin?s famous sayings "a penny saved is a penny

earned" and "early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy,

wealthy, and wise"(Franklin 545). The sayings of Richard Saunders are for

the ages, as well as the agricultural life as he knew it. Douglas Coupland?s

character analysis of [email protected] serves as the icon of a modern day

American technological worker. [email protected] is an employee of Bill

Gates?s corporation Microsoft which "employs more than 32000 people in 60

countries"( Bill Gates? Web Site-Biography). [email protected] is a

prize employee who is loyal, hardworking, and relentless; he describes his life

as "work, sleep, work, sleep, work, sleep"(Coupland 598). The

Microsoft employee does not know the meaning of leisure as his work schedule

goes "In at 9:30 a.m.; out at 11:30 p.m."(Coupland 599). He describes

his "universe consists of home, Microsoft, and Costco"(Coupland 597).

Even in such a technological world [email protected] does not forget the

age-old values of being smart with time and money. The American economic values

of today are similar to the values of several hundred years ago. Richard

Saunders? advice of his time still remains relevant to the technological world

of the present. The values Coupland depicts in [email protected] correlate

directly to the messages Poor Richard teaches. Wealth always goes to who work

the hardest. America is a capitalist country based on the economic values

discussed in the featured essays, and Franklin is a brilliant man whose values

have withstood the test of time. Like anything else, the lifestyles depicted in

the articles are not perfect. There are negatives to the economic values

discussed, but the positives still outweigh the negatives. Wealth is a symbol of

the ideal American lifestyle, and if a person works hard enough he or she

obtains it. Wealth is important, but it does not complete a person. Both essays

contain inferences to mistrust in leisure and how the character?s lack leisure

time. [email protected] explains "I fell like my body is a station

wagon in which I drive my brain around, like a suburban mother taking the kids

to hockey practice"(598). This Microsoft employee definitely needs more

leisure time. He even goes on to say "I know a few Microsoft employees who

try to fake having a life-many a Redmond garage contains a never-used kayak

collecting dust"(Coupland 598). People must learn the importance of leisure

time. Success can be balanced with some leisure time; a happy median between

work and play can be found. Economic values of American lives have not changed

over the past several hundred years. From the adages of Ben Franklin, to the

genius of Bill Gates, Americans are economically the same. In the article "Microserfs,"

the highlight of the story was when an employee got emailed by Bill himself.

Gates has been described as spending "a significant person of his time to.

. . staying in contact with Microsoft employees around the world though

email?(Bill Gates? Web Site-Biography). Bill Gates is an idol amongst his

colleagues. America needs more people like Ben Franklin and Bill Gates, to teach

the importance of sound economic values. One must not forget about leisure time,

because it is important to the success of a human being. Leisure time and work

go together as people chase the American dream toward a prosperous life.

Bill Gates? Web Site-Biography. Microsoft Corporation 1999 <

http://www.microsoft.com/billgates/bio.htm>. Coupland, Douglas. "Microserfs."

Lunsford 595-606. Franklin, Benjamin. "The Way to Wealth." Lusford

545-553. Lunsford, Andrea A. , John J. Ruszkewicz. ed. The Presence of Others.

New York: St. Martin?s Press: 1997.