Have you ever found yourself giving in to your guilty pleasure of eating a Mcdouble from Mcdonalds when you know you are supposed to be watching your health or spending money you can’t afford to spend on a new pair of shoes? You are not alone in this fight against this addiction to satisfying your present desires despite the future consequences. However, this lifestyle is destructive if you are unable to control yourself. The collection of short stories called Latin American Short Stories, edited by Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria, include two great stories, “Meat” by Virgilio Pinera and “Balthazar’s Marvelous Afternoon” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, that clearly shows the flaws of living for the moment. In the short story “Meat” Mr. Ansaldo shows
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At the resolution of the story, after Balthazar gave away his beloved cage and told everyone that he had sold it for sixty pesos, Marquez describes how Balthazar bought beers for everyone with money he didn’t really have. In fact he even had to pawn his watch because he couldn’t physically pay for all that he was buying (Marquez 389). This shows how Balthazar is celebrating before he even gets any money for his cages. He assumes that since he could’ve sold his cage for sixty pesos, he could always make more and become wealthy. However, this is all theoretical money he doesn’t yet have. It is obvious to the reader that Balthazar had just ruined his life for one night of fame and recognition. The moment people realize that Balthazar is dirt poor; they will make him the laughing stock of the town. The feeling you get from spending all your money in one night may feel good at the moment, but later when you look into your wallet, you always become full of regret. This story of spending money that you don’t have for the satisfaction of being able to buy what you want to buy is seen everyday in today’s society. Especially with credit cards that allow us to spend money we don’t have. This behavior shows an obvious repercussion, yet this is how people behave when looking for immediate
At the resolution of the story, after Balthazar gave away his beloved cage and told everyone that he had sold it for sixty pesos, Marquez describes how Balthazar bought beers for everyone with money he didn’t really have. In fact he even had to pawn his watch because he couldn’t physically pay for all that he was buying (Marquez 389). This shows how Balthazar is celebrating before he even gets any money for his cages. He assumes that since he could’ve sold his cage for sixty pesos, he could always make more and become wealthy. However, this is all theoretical money he doesn’t yet have. It is obvious to the reader that Balthazar had just ruined his life for one night of fame and recognition. The moment people realize that Balthazar is dirt poor; they will make him the laughing stock of the town. The feeling you get from spending all your money in one night may feel good at the moment, but later when you look into your wallet, you always become full of regret. This story of spending money that you don’t have for the satisfaction of being able to buy what you want to buy is seen everyday in today’s society. Especially with credit cards that allow us to spend money we don’t have. This behavior shows an obvious repercussion, yet this is how people behave when looking for immediate