Ed, a Businessperson, Is a Friend of Fran, the Owner

question 69

Essay

Ed, a businessperson, is a friend of Fran, the owner of a Good Bean Coffee & Bagels store. Every day, Ed spends five minutes in Fran's store, looking at the goods and usually buying one or two cinnamon buns or bagels. One afternoon, Ed goes into the store, looks at the items, and picks up a $1 chocolate brownie. Ed waves the brownie at Fran without saying a word and walks out. Is there a contract? If so, how would it be classified in terms of formation, performance, and enforceability?

---

Definitions:

Collectivist Cultures

Societies that prioritize the needs and goals of the group over individual desires, emphasizing interdependence, cooperation, and social harmony.

Individualistic Cultures

Societies that emphasize personal achievement, independence, and self-reliance over collective goals and interdependence.

Sigmund Freud

An Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst.

George Herbert Mead

An American sociologist and philosopher known for his work on the development of the self and the concept of social behaviorism.