• Introduction 
    • Hook – either show blurry pictures or have people cross their eyes
    • Thesis – Glasses, or corrective lenses, have transitioned from being a luxury only afforded to the wealthy to being a fashion statement and an accessible gadget that allows much of the population to interact with society.
    • History – Romans’ first development, Ben Franklin, and new manufacturing processes 
  • Body 
    • Commonplaces established in the past before efficient manufacturing (pre-17th century) 
      • Wealth – only ones who could afford it 
      • Intelligence – monks and educated needed it to read, unlike uneducated peasants 
        • The ability to read was tied to intelligence 
      • Glasses challenged the notion that education was reserved for the well-seeing, allowed more (albeit rich people) to attain scholarship 
    • Changed with printing press – allowed widespread circulation of books so more people could be educated
      • Demand for glasses rose, encouraging corrective lens technology to develop more quickly than before
    • Commonplaces after manufacturing but before 20th century 
      • Flaw – glasses were an admission of a flaw to the rich, who hid their corrective lenses in opera glasses 
        • Upholding the image of wealth was just as important as having the wealth 
      • Mainstream (class divide) – standard glasses became indistinguishable between the rich and poor, the rich switched to monocles 
        • Comments on the need of the wealthy to establish the bounds of their social class through behavior and/or material goods 
        • Framed civic engagement by allowing commoners to engage with society and contribute when they wouldn’t have been able to in the past when only the wealthy could afford to see well
      • Changed when the pince-nez (as worn by Teddy Roosevelt) became popular among all, and the stigma around corrective lenses shifted from being a flaw to being necessary 
    • Commonplaces established now 
      • Normal – glasses themselves are accessible (in the U.S. at least) for most of the population and doesn’t serve as a social barrier like it did in the past when only the wealthy could afford to see well
        • With fashion, glasses can still divide with brands like Ray-Bans, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, etc. 
      • Fashion – accessories influence our culture (pictures)
        • Marilyn Monroe popularized the cat eye in the 1940s, and hippies made oversized glasses trendy in the 1970s 
        • Now, certain style of lenses can be seen in the hipster trend (oversized glasses, retro wireframes, aviators) 
        • Fashion is influenced by social media and celebrities 
  • Conclusion 
    • Glasses were once a barrier between social classes  
    • Now, they enable most to perform everyday tasks, and there is little stigma surrounding them 
    • Glasses have grown from being a physical need to being a fashion statement through different brands and styles 
    • If something as seemingly insignificant as glasses perpetuated class divide, other objects and institutions are contributing?