She initially admits that she doesn't feel much toward Thanksgiving, but then progresses to reflecting on the unique memories from her childhood that stick out; she realizes that her perception of tradition was surrounded by a desire to explore and see more variation in the world, experience the new. As she grows older she sees the blatant consumerism and the beauty of 'togetherness' marred by expectations of spending lots of money. As she spends more time with friends and others, they begin to see differently how Thanksgiving can be viewed from multiple perspectives; as she then marries to a husband with a larger family, more diverse, she sees the dichotomy of willing to be in a group of people but also alone. Through reflection she realizes that she actually yearns for the solitude that her childhood Thanksgiving's brought her, and the quiet time with family.
An essay or a writing for English class
This is a line in Laurence Shames’ “The More Factor.” In this essay, Shames argues that Americans have always valued the idea of having “more”. He states that this was intrinsic to the development of the nation during the years of the Wild West. People wanted more land, more riches, and were prepared to sacrifice everything in order to obtain it. He also argues that this desire for “more” has meant that Americans have forgotten about other values, concentrating on quantity instead of quality.
Shames also argues that the idea of “open space,” of unlimited land that could be grabbed, generated ambition, but it also generated a metaphor. That is, a metaphor of unlimited potential and growth. This metaphor is still associated with the idea of “conquering frontiers.” However, he argues that as hopes of growth are now put on the economy, we have to realize that growth is finite, and that we need to reexamine our values and future goals for the country.
