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Brian Herhold
Professor Douglas
UWRT 1101-090
2 September 2014
The Eternal Gift of Giving
I believe that in order to be the most content with ourselves and to reach the
deepest meaning of life we have to give our time, talent and treasure to others. Through
Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture), I have learned that we are a result of what we make of
our lives. By watching the movie, The Book of Eli, I have developed an understanding of
what is truly important for survival and satisfaction. Noticing that Eli serves as a sponsor
of literacy in a way, he holds the key to leadership, fellowship, and success for others in
the movie and in society today.
In order to reach the deepest understanding of life, we have to give everything we
can to others and to serve others in any way possible. I believe this is the key to eternal
satisfaction because we are positively impacting someone elses life. I believe that if you
arent helping someone else, youre wasting your time. We should jump at every
opportunity we have to improve someone elses life; however, in reality we are selfcentered, rude and greedy. Most people in society today think that they would be happier
with a new car or a bigger house, but more material possessions will never give us true
satisfaction. The satisfaction received from material possessions is short-term compared
to the happiness we could receive from helping someone else. When we give to the poor
or help those who are less fortunate than ourselves, we receive what money cant buy;
emotions. We can always look back on the day when we gave food to a homeless man or

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when we donated money so that children across the world can have drinking water. When
we decide to give to others instead of spending more on ourselves, we receive a deeper
understanding of who we are and what our purpose is.
When we look at the media, we always see people who are happy and enjoying
themselves, so we try to act just like them. This happiness is short-lived because we are
trying to compete with someone who is not really us. Every choice we make and
everyone we follow has an impact on us, so we should choose who we follow carefully.
We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand (Randy Pausch).
This means that we cannot change what we are born with, but we can choose how we
want to live our life.
The movie, The book of Eli, is a source that has further influenced my belief that
it is important to articulate and put into action higher priorities in our lives. In this movie,
Eli shows us what items are truly necessary for survival. Despite the importance of food
and water, Eli proved to us that scripture is a true necessity and that as long as one lives
by faith, they will not perish. Eli doesnt worry about where he is going because he walks
by faith and not by sight. I see Eli is a sponsor of literacy because of his biblical
knowledge. He reads to Solara and in doing this, he is a teacher, a model, and the key to
future success (Whitta). Sponsors nevertheless set the terms for access to literacy and
wield powerful incentives for compliance and loyalty (Brandt 165-166). In a sense, Eli
is the only sponsor of literacy at the time because he is the only one who has the Bible
and he is the only one who has memorized it. By having the Bible printed, he is ensuring
that people have something to look to for true meaning and power. In the movie, the
Bible is a true source of reason and leadership. It has the power to bring others together

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and to ensure the existence of mankind. This movie exemplifies the importance of the
Bible and its impact on society. It is a prime example of rule for how we are supposed to
live our lives. The Bible explains how we should always take what we have and give to
others regardless of their social class or rank in society. The Bible teaches us to live
simplistic lives that are centered on helping others rather than providing the best for
ourselves.
When I think of someone in my life that has influenced my belief, I think of my
mom. She is the most selfless and caring person I know. She always puts others first and
she is a huge inspiration for me. My mom seems to live by faith because she donates her
time, talent and treasure to those who need it most. She volunteers at literacy centers in
hope that she can improve the life of someone else by helping them earn their GED. She
could spend her time doing what she wants to do, but it isnt about her; its about others.
This belief is manifested in my daily life through my actions and when I see
someone who needs help. Often times, we can change how someone else feels just by
complimenting that person or by talking to him or her for a little while. Sometimes I see
homeless people on the side of the road who are in need of food or water. I often find
myself stopping to give them something that I take for granted. When we take the time to
give to others we reach a deeper understanding of who we really are. When we help
others, we receive what money cant buy. We receive memories that are worth more than
any car, house or any possession. We receive friendship and a connection to another
human that cannot be taken away. When we give to others, it is like we are giving a part
of ourselves to someone else. In exchange, we are receiving the joy and pleasure of

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helping improve that persons life. Its not about how much we can get. Its about how
much we can give.
Society tends to look down upon sharing ones wealth because that person
worked hard to get what they have. I remember driving with my friend one time and we
came up to an intersection where a homeless man was standing with a sign that said
Homeless, Please Help, God Bless. I ended up giving the man some food I bought
earlier. My friend asked me why I would waste my money on someone who has no
future. For a moment I was in accordance with him, but then I said that I would be
happier improving someone elses life rather than my own.
I do not think that my belief will change over time. I believe that the satisfaction
we receive from others far outweighs what we can get through buying any material
possession. Seeing the smiles of those you help seems to attach to a part of you and stick
with you longer than anything else.
In conclusion, I believe that in order to achieve true satisfaction in our lives, we
have to take the time to help others any in way we can. Randy Pausch has taught me that
the choices we make in life determine how our life will turn out. By watching The Book
of Eli, I have learned what is really important in society when everything else is in utter
destruction. Eli serves as a sponsor of literacy by serving as a role model for leadership,
contentment and prosperity in the movie and in society today.

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Works Cited
Brandt, Deborah. "College Composition and Communication." The Sponsors of Literacy.
2nd ed. Vol. 49. Albany, N.Y.: National Research Center on English Learning &
Achievement, Albany, New York ;, 1997. 165-185. Print.

Pausch, Randy, and Jeffrey Zaslow. The Last Lecture. Pittsburgh: Hyperion, 2008. Print.

Whitta, Gary. The Book of Eli. Perf. Danzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman. Blitz
Film & Video Distribution, 2010. DVD.