I, Pencil by Leonard E. Read

Summary

In the article know as I, Pencil by Leonard Read is based of the point of view of a actual pencil. In the beginning of the article the pencil tells of how much work is put into the fabrications of every detail in which the pencil is made from. The pencil explain in many details the exact components of each part of its final structure and its ancestral background of his final structure. He explains how much labor of people and skills were involved in the process of making the pencil such as the lead, the wood, the label, the eraser. The pencil keeps provoking the fact that even know he is made from such a complex process, know one really knows how the pencil was made. For example, workers who make the lead of the pencil don't even know the process of the other components of the pencil such as the wood or eraser. Near the end of the atricle the pencil speaks of freedom, the "mastermind", and the "invisible hand". When speaking of freedom, the pencil mentions that the people needed the freedom of feeling free to try new things and creating new things. The freedom of creativity, without creativity the pencil or any other product would not be possible. As the "mastermind", there is none. The pencil explains how even though there is such a complex process of making the pencil and how much the pencil is used by everyday people there is no real mastermind (or person) that thought of the real core of his creation. The pencil's creation was through the process of man kinds creativity and the need for necessities. The last point he makes is the "invisible hand" which is nothing physical but the direction in which life flows. The main lesson the pencil wants to teach is to let creativity be free to everyone and be willing to let creativity flow and let the "invisible hand" guide is to the right direction.

Quotes to support Summary

1) "Think of all the persons and the numberless skills that went into fabrication; the mining of ore, the making of steel and its refinement into saws, axes, motors; the growing of hemp and bringing it through all the stages to heavy and strong rope; the logging camps with their beds and mess halls, the cookery and the raising of all foods.""Para 6, pg 1
2)"There is a fact still more astounding: The absence of the master mind, of anyone dictating or forcibly directing these countless actions which bring me into being. No trace of such a person can be found. Instead, we find the Invisible Hand at work. This is a mystery to which I earlier refereed." Para 4, pg 2
3) "I, Pencil, am a complex combination of miracles; a tree, zinc, copper, graphite, and so on. but to these miracles which manifest themselves in Nature an even more extraordinary miracle has been added: the configuration of creative hum energies." Para 6, pg 2
4)"The lesson I have to teach is this: Leave all creative energies uninhibited. Merely organize society to act in harmony with the lesson. Let society's legal apparatus remove obstacles the best it can Permit these creative know- hows freely to flow. Have faith that free men and women will respond to the Invisible Hand." Para 4, pg 4

Analysis
In most of the article the Pencil keeps provoking the fact that know one knows how complicated it is in order to make the the pencil itself. Then he goes through each process and how much work and people it is needed in order to produce the final structure of the pencil and throughout that whole description I think the author was in some sort of way trying to show the ignorance of people. Many people use the pencil every day of their lives yet most of the time people do not value the pencil for what it was made for or the fact that it was made in the first place. It even says in the article that "I am taken for granted by those who use me, as if I were a mere incident and without background.", this quote indicating that many people do not really value the every day items that they have. People don't really look at every day items such as a pencil i think "oh, i wonder what was the process in which this pencil's structure was made from?", this is definitely not a common thought. Although, looking at all the process the Pencil explain in making each part of itself such as the eraser, the wood, etc. and how much chemical components and lobor is put into making something as simple as a pencil makes me think of how much money it must have taken to produce this product. Most likely much more then of how much we buy it for in stores. I think that is one of the reason why the author makes the article in the point of view of a pencil, to give it some feeling of being "human". It gives a feeling as if it was an acutally person with feelings to try and make readers feel that the pencil's process was so much work and to actually value its process. And it helps show the author's real main idea that he wanted to provoke which is "Leave all creative energies uninhibited". This kind of tells me how without creativitity and the knowledge people are unable to really invent and make all these products around us. Ive always felt that the more needy people are in the world and the more nessesities everyone is always wanting is a waste, its just being selfish is some sort of way the the author kind of opens up the fact that without the wants for nessities and items there would really be nothing to be invented, the items around us wouldn't exist because they were made from people who wanted more. For example things that make our lives easier such as transportation, computers, stoves, etc. would not exist without someone's creativity to invent something that makes our lives easier.

Diff Peoples perspectives of the AWOL

Many people have a different definition about the American Way of life.
Many people have similar ideas and some have completely different point
of views on the American way of life. People who are not from American
such as immigrants or tourists have different perspectives of the
American way of life to those who are from America. Although, there are
also those who are from American but do not consider themselves
American. When exploring peoples ideas and perspectives of the typical
American Way of Life there were many patterns noticed as well as
completely different ideas from the patterns. These patterns include
work, money, and freedom.
When brought up the topic of the American Way of Life to those from
America many brought up a pattern of work being an important part of the
American way of life. Comparing work to the way of survival. Without
work a person can't earn money and without money a person is unable to
buy material items let alone items such as food or even shelter. Two (to
what seems to be) hispanic males both in the working class mentioned
that work is definetly a big part of the American way of life. "The
typical American way of life.... Get up, work, pay bills and take care
of my son. It can get tiring"  They also mentioned that "yes" they do
live a typical American way of life.
Work is an important part of everyday American life because without work
to gain money they won't be able to have a standard living. A standard
living is many mentioned is a good typical way of life. "The American
way of life is able to have the freedom of standard living. Thats is if
you can afford the comforts." Says Robert Hillman, a caucasion male.
Freedom is another common factor that was brought up that relates to the
American way of life. Freedom such as" freedom of speech, freedom of
religion, freedom of individual rights, etc. Robert Hillman mentions
that America has " Democracy and freedom of speech, individual rights
and religon. We actually have individual democracy that works and not
many country has that". When asked to elaborate he mentioned for example
is that the people in America are allowed to call the president an idiot
or anyone part of the government and the people of America are allowed
to be in any religion without being persecuted. Freedom is a popular
idea mentioned by people when brought up the question of what do you
think is the American way of life?
When brought up the question to those who were not from America they had
some similar and different ideas about the American way of life to those
from America. The most different idea that someone brought up was a
female cacasion from Irland who said "the American way of life makes me
think of fast food, and fast everything. Everythings always in a rush"
which is something very different from people who were interview that
were actually from America. Another male from Irland mentioned that
American, especially New York is like a "rat race", and that everyone
is always working. Again work is mentioned even to those who immigrated
to America. Which can infer that no matter what, if your in America you
can find yourself stuck into the fast lane of working to survive.
Even thought freedom and work was mentioned so much, politics
specifically was only mentioned once and it was mentioned as a "non
important" part of America. The same male from Irland mentioned "money
is important, politics is not because money can buy me stuff and
politics does not do anything for me." It seems that in conclusion by
looking at all the ideas from people in America that the American way of
life is all about living in a material world and doing so is by having a
minimum to advanced pay in working in order to earn a comfortable way of
life. Being able to survive as well as afford material items.