- Sep 22, 2013
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Here's a consumerism-centric 'fable' I wrote to make myself feel better about how capitalism has changed the way humanity thinks about shopping-culture and 'gift-giving optimism.'
I think First Lady Melania Trump would like such an idealistic portrayal of consumerism revelry, which is great, because I like to think she provides our capitalism-biased president (Donald Trump) the right dose of 'worldly wisdom.'
Does Melania Trump shop at GAP?
I personally hope she does not receive the weight of any anti-capitalism protests thrust upon the President (who may in contrast actually deserve criticism!).
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An bride in India named Sheena was depressed, since her family (in-laws) were displeased with her modest dowry (or customary 'bride-price' monetary gift). Sheena's father-in-law Rajiv, in particular, was very abusive towards her and treated her like she was a servant. To convince his father his bride Sheena was a good wife, Sheena's husband Aman decided to purchase a fine blue-ivory bracelet and place it on the dresser-table of the guest-bedroom of his father Rajiv's house where they all lived.
When Sheena's mother Nina found the blue-ivory bracelet, she did not know if Rajiv purchased it as a gift for her or if her son Aman purchased it for his wife Sheena. Nina took the bracelet to her husband Rajiv and asked her if he purchased the bracelet for her, but when Rajiv indicated he had no knowledge regarding the bracelet's origins, Nina assumed Aman purchased it for hi wife Sheena. When Nina gave the bracelet to Sheena that evening, telling her it was in the guest bedroom and was most likely a gift Aman purchased for Sheena, Sheena was very happy and grateful for the gift of the fine bracelet.
That night, when Aman came home from work, Sheena thanked Aman for the blue-ivory bracelet gift in front of his parents while they were all eating dinner together. Aman, however, indicated he did not know where the bracelet was from and that he himself did not buy it from anywhere. Aman's mother Nina was surprised and then assumed it was in fact her husband Rajiv who secretly purchased the bracelet for his daughter-in-law Sheena and placed it in the guest bedroom so it would come to a delightful surprise who purchased the bracelet and for whom (especially since Rajiv had been so cruel to Sheena because of her modest dowry!).
Nina turned to Rajiv and said, "My dear husband! You've achieved a wonderful trick to reveal the fact that you in fact were the one who placed the mysterious gift for all us to find and assume with an optimistic hear that it was you who purchased it for Sheena so you could heal hearts with her for your cruel treatment towards her!" Rajiv was so embarrassed by the 'philosophical guess' his wife Nina made that he had no choice but to reply at the dinner-table, "Alright, alright! You can assume it was me. I placed the gift, because I don't want Aman to think I am forever sour at him for the modest dowry from Sheena's family!"
Later that night, Sheena asked Aman if he thought the bracelet was truly purchased with such delightful and reconciliatory intentions by her father-in-law Rajiv, and Aman explained, "It doesn't matter who purchased the bracelet, my wife. What matters is that we all think that my obstinate father could at least imagine this gesture of kindness and reconciliatory civil behavior and familial imagination!" Sheena was embarrassed as she realized that it must have been Aman who placed the bracelet to play this spiritual and peace-promoting 'game-trick' on the family, and she regretted having an adulterous affair with Aman's best friend (she did so out of frustration at Aman's cruel father's treatment towards her!).
Sheena wrote in her diary:
"I used to despise the idea of consumerism and gifts and purchases between husbands and wives. However, tonight, I've discovered that Aman's clever and idealistic 'gift-trick' reveals that gift-giving and shopping in general can hide some surprisingly uplifting intentions between human beings seeking to create reconciliatory 'domesticity politics.' From now on, I will think more kindly upon eBay, Amazon.com, and GAP!"
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I think First Lady Melania Trump would like such an idealistic portrayal of consumerism revelry, which is great, because I like to think she provides our capitalism-biased president (Donald Trump) the right dose of 'worldly wisdom.'
Does Melania Trump shop at GAP?
I personally hope she does not receive the weight of any anti-capitalism protests thrust upon the President (who may in contrast actually deserve criticism!).
====
An bride in India named Sheena was depressed, since her family (in-laws) were displeased with her modest dowry (or customary 'bride-price' monetary gift). Sheena's father-in-law Rajiv, in particular, was very abusive towards her and treated her like she was a servant. To convince his father his bride Sheena was a good wife, Sheena's husband Aman decided to purchase a fine blue-ivory bracelet and place it on the dresser-table of the guest-bedroom of his father Rajiv's house where they all lived.
When Sheena's mother Nina found the blue-ivory bracelet, she did not know if Rajiv purchased it as a gift for her or if her son Aman purchased it for his wife Sheena. Nina took the bracelet to her husband Rajiv and asked her if he purchased the bracelet for her, but when Rajiv indicated he had no knowledge regarding the bracelet's origins, Nina assumed Aman purchased it for hi wife Sheena. When Nina gave the bracelet to Sheena that evening, telling her it was in the guest bedroom and was most likely a gift Aman purchased for Sheena, Sheena was very happy and grateful for the gift of the fine bracelet.
That night, when Aman came home from work, Sheena thanked Aman for the blue-ivory bracelet gift in front of his parents while they were all eating dinner together. Aman, however, indicated he did not know where the bracelet was from and that he himself did not buy it from anywhere. Aman's mother Nina was surprised and then assumed it was in fact her husband Rajiv who secretly purchased the bracelet for his daughter-in-law Sheena and placed it in the guest bedroom so it would come to a delightful surprise who purchased the bracelet and for whom (especially since Rajiv had been so cruel to Sheena because of her modest dowry!).
Nina turned to Rajiv and said, "My dear husband! You've achieved a wonderful trick to reveal the fact that you in fact were the one who placed the mysterious gift for all us to find and assume with an optimistic hear that it was you who purchased it for Sheena so you could heal hearts with her for your cruel treatment towards her!" Rajiv was so embarrassed by the 'philosophical guess' his wife Nina made that he had no choice but to reply at the dinner-table, "Alright, alright! You can assume it was me. I placed the gift, because I don't want Aman to think I am forever sour at him for the modest dowry from Sheena's family!"
Later that night, Sheena asked Aman if he thought the bracelet was truly purchased with such delightful and reconciliatory intentions by her father-in-law Rajiv, and Aman explained, "It doesn't matter who purchased the bracelet, my wife. What matters is that we all think that my obstinate father could at least imagine this gesture of kindness and reconciliatory civil behavior and familial imagination!" Sheena was embarrassed as she realized that it must have been Aman who placed the bracelet to play this spiritual and peace-promoting 'game-trick' on the family, and she regretted having an adulterous affair with Aman's best friend (she did so out of frustration at Aman's cruel father's treatment towards her!).
Sheena wrote in her diary:
"I used to despise the idea of consumerism and gifts and purchases between husbands and wives. However, tonight, I've discovered that Aman's clever and idealistic 'gift-trick' reveals that gift-giving and shopping in general can hide some surprisingly uplifting intentions between human beings seeking to create reconciliatory 'domesticity politics.' From now on, I will think more kindly upon eBay, Amazon.com, and GAP!"
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