May Day

Hello my name is Enis Bektesevic from ENN195 Violence in American Art and Culture, an Urban Studies course at LaGuardia Community College in Queens New York. After reading through many riots that took place and after reading a few fiction novels, I've gained some knowledge as to why violence has occurred here in our country and I believe in most of the riots, violence is a consequence of Capitalism.

In May Day, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the observation of the text leads you to believe that he is not for Capitalism and is for Socialism. This is why this piece was not used around public schools after it was published. What sticks out to me most after the reading is the fact that Fitzgerald kind of portrays  the soldiers who came back from WWI as brainwashed ignorant proud citizens who are actually supporting a system of Capitalism that used them for the benefit of making a few people rich and not really doing much for them. After a Jewish socialist gave a realistic speech to the soldiers on how J.P Morgan and Rockefeller are the only ones capitalizing from the war while the soldiers are lucky to even still have their wives if they haven't already ran off with someone else while they were serving their country. Fitzgerald pokes fun at the mentality of the soldiers by making them ignorant to this fact by beating up the truth speaking Jewish man. The soldiers are clearly full of pride-or a weapon the the government instilled in this soldiers to support this way of Capitalism. They are brainwashed by thinking they are benefitting themselves by risking their lives for their country to gain a sense of belonging and entitlements when in fact they are not being rewarded because they are still in the low ranks of society while the rich are benefitting by selling and making money off of the war.