The Pearl 2020

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8Whispers of the SeaMeghan Brune
Roads Less TravelledCaleb RigdonIn 1938, the sociologist Robert Merton offered a famous theory toexplain the existence of crime. He posited that people are heavily influencedby a society’s goals and means of reaching those goals. In the UnitedStates, the goal is the American Dream, which emphasizes the idea ofmonetary wealth: in order to be successful in life, we must make lots ofmoney. How individuals go about achieving that ambition is what separatesthem into distinct groups.The first is made up by those who accept both the goal and themeans of obtaining. These people want to make lots of money, and theydo it in ways we’re taught are acceptable. They go to work every day, theysave, they have stock investments, they have a 401(k)—these are the conformists.There are also individuals who accept the means of making money,but they have long given up on the goal of becoming wealthy. These arethe folks who go to work, day in and day out without hope of becomingrich. They are the workforce zombies, simply going through the motionsthey chained themselves to when they accepted their prison. They don’tfind joy in their work lives, and they certainly do not see it as the highwayto wealth, but they don’t really care—these are the ritualists.Next are the people who want the American Dream just like anyoneelse, but do not agree to the means that society says are legitimateways of obtaining wealth. Instead of working to make money, they dealdrugs, they steal and fence items, they traffic humans, they murder theirspouse for the insurance policy. These are the criminals, driven to theirdeeds because they want to buy nice things.Merton calls the criminals innovators, people who see their problemsand work outside the typical realm of thinking in order to achievetheir goal. They think creatively, much the same way a successful CEO orinventor might, they just do it illegally (not that CEO’s can’t do illegalthings). Being inventive and forward-thinking and different than the averageperson is another part of the American Dream, and by painting criminalsin this light, Merton lays respect at their feet for thinking laterally, forbeing different.The final group consists of those who reject both the means and9
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Page 4 and 5: The Pearl is an annual non-fiction
Page 7 and 8: Table of ContentsFirst placeAsleep
Page 9: There is Nothing to Fear but Fear I
Page 12 and 13: 2munities allow school lunch debt r
Page 14 and 15: Astral ProjectionKristjan NixonI wa
Page 16 and 17: winter on a wednesdayPaige Waskowch
Page 20 and 21: goals—people who do not want weal
Page 22 and 23: ~~~The last vacation my family went
Page 24 and 25: bottle, a bin of trail mix, a blank
Page 26 and 27: looking place in the country, you w
Page 28 and 29: 18the umpteenth time. We all wanted
Page 30 and 31: before walking into the hospital.Na
Page 32 and 33: 22Little House by the SeaMeghan Bru
Page 34 and 35: I think I understand the mistake.He
Page 36 and 37: Waldo CanyonBrenna KerwinThe sound
Page 38 and 39: A Collection ofObservationsBrenna K
Page 40 and 41: Body PoliticRose BirgyLooking at ol
Page 42 and 43: Radio SilenceArabella ChamberlainIt
Page 44 and 45: 34A lone juvenile cariboucrosses th
Page 46 and 47: 36the street after a storm a decade
Page 48 and 49: The last supperEllora BultemaLive e
Page 50 and 51: with a little too much vigor in my
Page 52 and 53: 42Spread LoveKaleb Fillenworth
Page 54 and 55: 44moment after I put on my gold glo
Page 56 and 57: 46Wood. You’re my student, but sh
Page 58 and 59: 48street crossing, right?I line mys
Page 60 and 61: untitled epistolary poemKailey Ann
Page 62 and 63: to love HimKailey Ann BlunkHe sits
Page 64 and 65: 54but He watches television for an
Page 66 and 67: 56Ripples & LinesDominic Slouka
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58I looked up at my mom and nodded.
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My mom spent the majority of her ti
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as each person kissed him on the fo
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left.My dad was in his 20’s when
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friends for their continued support
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The Pearl 2020

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