Things?

For some reason I am still a little puzzled about why we are learning about materials and things. In class Wednesday we went back and talked about the relations of the things we have learned (Puritans, Landscapes, and Pocahontas)and four freedoms. After reading Butler's chapter on Things Material and Cullen's American Dream: Dream of the Good Life: Upward Mobility. I Still couldn't see how materials are related to freedom, especially the freedom from want, as we discussed in class.

Butler talked about how different groups, the Europeans, the African Americans, and the Native Americans ate, wore, and live differently. One of the example that was brought up in the chapter was that how the clothes that was made locally are very expensive even though it was badly made and had bad quality. Owning clothes locally gives you a better status. Now go back to Cullen's point that one of the essential part of American dream is how we can work hard to achieve a goal. The things we own shows the quality of life, which indirectly shows the achievement. A connection is somewhere made here, I guess?? There are definitely more to expand, and hopefully I will have something more tomorrow after class.