I.

I think the author is trying to tell us that materialism does not give way to happiness, and
that materialism seems to come from non-ideal circumstances in life and I agree with the author.
I have personally seen and encountered a lot of people who are very flashy with their material
things and always bragging about their new gadget or clothes, when upon close inspection they
don’t seem truly happy with their lives. It’s always the same situation: either a parent is absent in
their life, or they are suffering financially.

II.
I will not deny that the things I buy and own bring me happiness and contentment. Books
provide entertainment and solitude when days get so bad that I feel suffocated. Clothes help me
express myself with my style. Gadgets are of great importance especially that I am in an online
class.
I think, out of all the things I own, books are what constitute to a great part of my self-
identity. It’s because they have helped me heal and cope with the challenges I have faced. I saw
fragments of myself in various characters in different books.