Birdman Thomson Effect

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A Lesson on Success: The Negative Effects of the Pursuit of Happiness
Whether it be in your family, at work, or the world at large, everyone wants to feel successful. This idea is explored in the movie Birdman. Riggan Thomson, the protagonist of the film, is trying to revive his acting career in a modern day setting. The allurement of belonging to an elite group of actors on New York’s Broadway causes Riggan to set aside a lot of his priorities. In pursuit of his idea of success, he is seen as constantly bitter and stressed throughout the entire movie. Similar traits can be seen in The Awakening’s Edna, who also has her moments of happiness, as well as the narrator in Fight Club. Birdman and other texts reveal the problems that come when individuals equate success with …show more content…

Birdman and its setting show that individuals struggle to find a sense of belonging in a community if they define inclusion based off of others’ perception of them. Modern day society has re-defined being successful as being influential or being famous as opposed to accomplishing their own individual goals (Rosenblum). Birdman, taking place in the early 21st century, follows the formerly successful actor, Riggan Thomson, as he tries to direct and star in his own Broadway show. His attempt to be accepted in the modern day theater community as a Broadway actor reflects the modern idea of success as being popular or accepted in society based on others’ thoughts of an individual. Riggan argues about

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