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Name Prof name Class Date Title? In The Outliers Malcolm Gladwells objective is to explain success in multiple wa s usin! example stories just to prove "is t"eories on t"e subject# $uccess can be ac"ieved b an one it doesnt c"an!e if ou are a different race% et"nicit % "ave a "i!" or low economic status% or "ave a successful famil bac&!round# 'ou earn our success wit" "ard wor& and dedication# (T"e $tor of $uccess) !ives examples suc" as et"nic "istories% economic status w"ile usin! over* !enerali+ations to !ive t"e audience a perspective on different wa s success is ac"ieved# ,ccordin! to Gladwell we are all prisoners to our et"nic "istories# -rom m perspective t"is could be accurate and inaccurate# Dependin! on w"at specific et"nicit ou are% our "istor

definitel can pla a "u!e role on our life# -or example% ,frican ,mericans could feel li&e prisoners to t"eir et"nic "istor due to slaver and se!re!ation# .n t"e ot"er "and immi!rants in t"e earl /0t" centur could feel li&e prisoners to t"eir "erita!e because t"e were jud!ed on t"eir appearances and accents w"ic" businesses t"ou!"t would affect t"eir wor& et"ic# 1ust because of t"eir bac&!round% different cultures would cause conflict in "onor of t"eir "erita!e# Gladwell explains t"at wor&in! on rice paddies for 1ewis" immi!rants was a meanin!ful job# T"ere is a clear relations"ip in rice farmin! between effort and reward# T"e farmers do not simpl just plant

in t"e sprin! and "arvest in t"e fall# It is more complex t"an t"at# T"ese farmers run t"eir small businesses wit" also "avin! to focus on ju!!lin! famil % wor&force% seed selection% irri!ation and "arvestin!# Gladwell for example uses 1apan and C"ina of t"e fourteent" and fifteent" centur to describe w" t"is job is so meanin!ful to t"ese immi!rants# 2ssentiall t"e peasants of 2urope wor&ed as low* paid slaves of an aristocratic landlord wit" little control over t"eir destinies# ,lt"ou!" in 1apan and C"ina t"e never developed t"at &ind of oppressive feudal s stem# -armin! was "anded off from t"e landlords to t"e immi!rants allowin! t"em to !o about t"eir business and "ave t"eir rent collected# (Meanin!ful) in t"is part of t"e c"apter is lin&ed to success because t"ese immi!rants were pro!ressin! wit" t"eir own business of farmin! and not bein! ordered w"at to do li&e slaves or peasants# T"e &new t"at t"eir future would be successful wit" ma&in! t"eir own mone as t"e "arvested t"e crops for eac" season# 3"etoricall spea&in!% over*!enerali+ations can cause an ar!ument to be fault because it doesnt provide ever variable to t"e discussion and uses "ast comments to prove t"eir opinion# Gladwell provides points and bac&!round stories to "is ar!uments t"orou!"l in t"is boo&# $ome c"apters ma "ave an exa!!erated t"eor but Gladwell does not suffer from ma&in! too man over*!enerali+ations# Gladwell correlates our abilit to be successful wit" w"ere we come from b usin! economic status and et"nic bac&!round# ,lt"ou!" "e wants to convince "is readers t"at t"ere is parenta!e and patrona!e involved t"at s"apes an individual% a persons culture% w"en and w"ere t"e !rew up are all bac&!round 4ualities t"at could be t"e reason for someones success# In t"e stories of t"e oun! 1ewis" men w"o overcame t"eir povert bac& !round t"rou!" wor&in! and pa in! for colle!e on t"eir own% t"is example s"ows t"at alt"ou!" t"e came from not"in!% t"e built up t"eir own life because t"e wanted to brea& t"rou!" t"e barrier of bein! &nown as poor

immi!rants# T"eir famil "ad no status and not"in! to offer t"eir sons li&e ot"er -irm partners and because of t"at% it motivated t"em to become better t"an t"e were# , persons bac&!round and life experiences "ave ever t"in! to do wit" strivin! to become someone in a profitable world# 5ein! brou!"t up in certain "ouse"olds can c"an!e someones point of view on controversial topics s"apin! t"em to be independent or dependent on t"e wa t"eir parents t"in&# 6e explains t"at it does not matter w"ere ou come from but t"e "ard wor& t"at ou put into w"at ou want t"at will define our success# I believe t"at if someone "as a successful or unsuccessful bac&!round it doesnt define t"eir future# Man families w"o are well off could provide for t"eir c"ildren because t"e are alread successful wit" businesses but t"eir c"ildren ma want to "ave somet"in! on t"eir own to be called successful for and not rel on t"eir famil name# I t"in& its a fair correlation to sa someones economic status is t"e result to t"eir success because t"e ma want to "ave a name for t"emselves and not be defined but t"eir bac&!round# T"e boo& is about success and all t"e wa s it can be ac"ieved# 2ac" stor is different et wit" t"e same outcome# $uccess is earned not !iven and I am a firm believer in t"at# Gladwell produced a "elpful tool in t"is boo& and Im sure it provided people a !reat use w"en wantin! to &now if success is even possible for someone li&e t"emselves# 6ale % 'ou seem to be touc"in! on some reall important points in t"is essa # I particularl li&ed "ow ou discussed "ow social prejudices could affect an individuals success# I do feel li&e t"ere are para!rap"s t"at seem to be amal!amations of different conversations w"en eac" para!rap" s"ould be focused on a sin!ular topic# ,lso% t"ere are times w"en I !et t"e impression t"at our

answerin! a prompt as opposed to ma&in! a particular ar!ument or pursuin! a specific t"esis# $o tr to brin! some focus to t"is essa and I t"in& ou could reall be on to somet"in!#