An Exemplum Essay, Research Paper

The Immigrant and the Car Salesman

There was once a boy named Petros who immigrated

to the United States from Greece. His family was

very poor, so they came on a ship, and took a train

to Chicago, where they thought they could find work.

When Petros turned eighteen, he decided to move to

Lynn, MA, where he settled in the Greek community.

He began to work hard and saved all of the money he

earned. He married, and, together with his wife,

opened a small produce store. The business prospered, and Petros soon became a wealthy man. He was a very simple man and dressed humbly, always wearing his old hat when he went out.

After a few years, Petros decided that he

wanted a car, and he went to a Cadillac dealership.

The owner of this dealership was aware that Petros

was a rich man and knew about his successful business. He asked Petros what he wanted to buy, and Petros left the dealership with a new Cadillac. Over the years, Petros came to buy many different cars from the dealership.

Many years later, when Petros was an old man,

and his daughter had taken over the produce store, he

put on his old hat and decided to go back to the

Cadillac dealership. When he arrived at the

dealership, a new salesman came out to help him.

Petros asked him the price of one of the new models

in the showroom. The salesman looked at the old man,

with his foreign accent, and wearing his old, beat-up

hat, and told him that it was very expensive and

that he would show him a different one that was much

more affordable. Petros told him that he still wanted

it. The salesman insisted that the car was much too

expensive and that it was not the right car for Petros.

At that moment, the owner of the dealership came out

of his office to go to lunch and, recognizing Petros,

greeted him warmly. He asked him what he wanted to

buy. Petros told him that he wanted the new Cadillac

in the showroom, but that the salesman had tried to

show him a different one because he didn’t think he

could afford the new one. The owner angrily fired

the salesman, and Petros drove away in his new car.

So we see that “Las apariencias enga?an.” In English,

appearances are deceiving.