Some thoughts about Luttrell and Tompkins

After the class discussion last Thursday, I discovered about how class issues are reflected in two texts and thought about myself. I recognized a characterestic of human nature "People always want more". Lower-class women in Luttrell's study desired a stable life and the social recognition. Tompkins, who got all of them, desired something more - a fulfillment of her inner side. It is somehow associated with my life. When I was a kid, our family's desire at that time was a realistic one- a stable financial life. The purpose of my education in the past was also very practical - getting into a business school. I focused on the subjects required for the university entrance exam rather than learn what I really liked. When I got into a top high school and my opportunity to get into a good college was nearly guaranteed, I realized I did not take care of my human side. I used to love reading and creating poems but now I can rarely write a good essay. Compared to my middle-class classmates, I am just a nerd who knows nothing except for study. I feel like I am one of the students in Tompkins class who are forced to pursue some practical careers without being interested in them. However, if I compare myself to a woman in Lutrell's study, to many poor children on the streets and to myself in the past, I may be a lucky girl.