In Search Of America Essay

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Is there a place in America where the true meaning of life and authentic freedom are available for people to discover? The movie, In Search of America, directed by Paul Bogart in 1971, really captures the spirit of younger people at that time. More specifically, it vividly portrays the younger generation with extensive characteristics of hippie culture. Mike, the main character played by Jeff Bridges in the movie, drops out of college and persuades his whole family to take on a cultural pilgrimage to search for a new American soul. What they have encountered during the trip is a high drama of hippie ethos in play: a magic bus, a Woodstock-type festival, a bunch of hippies who can be identified with their long hair and unconventional dresses, …show more content…

Starting from 60’s, the hippie movement among younger people is initially regarded as totally against everything their parents believe, such as established societal norms, traditional values, and political perspectives. As a result, an awkward generation gap between younger generation and their parents appears and persists. Apparently, the movie makes a serious implication that both generations need to learn from each other in order to bridge the generation gap. Mike’s parents, initially outraged with Mike’s dropout, eventually endorse his decision and join him to an expedition in search of a new meaning in life. And all of those Hippies, whom Mike’s family meets and bump into, such as Cathy, Anne, J.J. and Bodhi, are decent, charismatic, free-spirited, and thoughtful. So, our society should be tolerable for whatever they have faith and practice, in a way of hoping to gradually assimilate the respectable portion of their ideologies into our social mainstream. For sure, hippies have a strong will of opposing to social and political orthodox. That said, if the grandma Rose is able find a lot in common with hippies and the family can reconcile the differences between the generations, why should our society do the

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