Article Analysis - Admission/Application Essay Example

Joy by Zadie Smith al Affiliation Joy by Zadie Smith The article by Zadie Smith known as Joy brings out a thesis that thereis a significant difference between pleasure and joy. There is also a derived implication that joy is more important to human beings than pleasure is. From the experiences that the author describes, pleasure seems to be something that people gain in their daily activities. She talks of watching people eating as giving her small pleasures and lead to her satisfaction. However, joy seems very different and cannot be equated with joy.

The author describes joy as a mixture of pain, terror as well as delight. Nonetheless, joy, according to her, is more important than pleasure, which is often just a passing feeling. Smith goes as far as to assert that joy in one’s life makes the colors brighter and life more beautiful.The essay by Zadie Smith has persuaded me to believe that pleasure is what a person experiences at a particular time. It is not long-term and can be trivial as it is quickly forgotten. There is only instant gratification to the person who is living through it.

I am convinced that the main way of distinguishing joy and pleasure is assessing if there are feelings of terror or dread of the feeling coming to an end. Where there is such a feeling, then the person is experiencing joy. Further, where one feels worthless or desolate after losing the thing that made them happy, then they were experiencing joy. In the event, many people pursue pleasure, which is fleeting and not joy; whose loss leads to desperation and feelings of helplessness. Finally, I agree with Smith when she asserts that things that hurt are worth having, as they bring a significant measure of joy.

ReferencesSmith, Z. (2012, December 23). Joy. YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF. Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://youmightfindyourself.com/post/38624810934/joy-by-zadie-smith