Essay Assignment 1
The Technology of Simplicity and A Bedtime Story

In Mark Burch’s story “The Technology of Simplicity” and Gilles Pinette’s story, “A Bedtime Story”, the narrators of each story, George Longarrow and Mark, believe it is truly important to value and savour rather than to consume.
In “A Bedtime Story”, George Longarrow starts by telling his grandchildren a story about the Spirit of Christmas. This story is used to emphasize his beliefs. George believes that the Christmas holidays are a time for family to come together, to love, laugh, and appreciate the time spent together. Unfortunately his daughter, Hope, believes or is tainted by the consumer society and feels like she needs to provide her children with store bought toys and goods for the holidays. What is ironic, is the fact that the grandchildren would rather enjoy being with their mother for Christmas than get new toys to play with. It’s interesting, the grandfather, old and wise, sees no interest in consumer goods, nor do the grandchildren, whom are young and naive.
In “The Technology of Simplicity”, the narrator, Mark, states that the more North American society consumes, the less chance it has of leaving behind the consumer society and realizing the pleasures of life. “The very rate at which consumption proceeds virtually negates the possibility of attentiveness or mindfulness.” In the beginning of the story, Mark starts of as another person also controlled by consumerism, however throughout the story