The search of the liberties and freedoms promised to all by the American Dream has led to the corruption of the key values of the Dream and the entrapment of all those who pursue it. A comparison of the novel Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates and the film American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes, specifically looking at the aspects of the Dream highlighted and criticised in each of the texts, reveals how the Dream continues to be an ideal situation which one can pursue their whole life and never achieve. Context, however, has changed the way people approach and attempt to achieve the Dream. Both texts use irony to highlight the unachievable characteristic of the Dream, however there are specific literary and cinematic techniques that highlight the corruption and superficiality of those trying to achieve happiness and that portray the entrapment of pursuers of the Dream. The American Dream is based around the desire for personal success no matter who you are. Both texts, …show more content…
however, ironically show this being misinterpreted by society as the need to appear successful no matter what hardships one faced. The mass conformity of the 1950’s explored in Revolutionary Road through the characterisation of Mrs Givings illustrates the hiding of one’s true feelings in order to create a façade of success. Yates uses Mrs Givings’ passive and polite language as a buffer between Frank and her son John when they are arguing; however this juxtaposes her feelings revealed by the sentence “Mrs Givings thought she would die” and shows her trying to maintain her façade of togetherness. Mrs Givings is also able to switch on her façade of happiness after a moment of weakness when she cries. The swift manner in which she is able to switch is amplified by the short sounds in the sentence “all she had to do was... blow her nose and wash her face and brush her hair”. Carolyn’s misinterpretation of the Dream is partly through one of her 1990’s individualistic mantras, “in order to be successful one must project an image of success at all times”. Her job as a real-estate agent is extremely significant in highlighting this as Mendes ironically shows her attempting to sell a sad looking house by saying “isn’t it just filled with positive energy”. The mis en scene of this shot shows a room with very dark lighting and unappealing 70’s décor all the while Carolyn is trying to create “an image of success” for the house. The facades created by both women in search of happiness leads to their entrapment as they feel to express their true emotions would lead them to be unsuccessful and unhappy. Narcissism is also a product of the corruption of The American Dream. Frank’s obsession with himself shown through the motif of mirrors and his reflection (during one flashback in the glass of the Knox building, foreshadowing the entrapment he will face when he is ‘forced’ to work there) develops, and overtime he becomes less and less self-aware. Even when April tells him in an emotion filled outburst that “everything… was based on this… premise of ours that we’re somehow very special… But we’re not!” his narcissism and ironic belief of his own supremacy (especially towards April; a woman) prevents him from seeing how insignificant he is. Lester’s search for happiness and freedom also results in a feeling of superiority and a lack of self-awareness.
After years of feeling trapped in his life and his job, Lester is motivated by Angela and Ricky to believe that he can find true happiness by giving up all of his responsibilities and acting like a selfish teenager. Lester quits his job to go back to flipping burgers like he did when he was younger and “had [his] whole life ahead of [him]”. Later he is seen in his grungy garage smoking weed and working out whilst Bob Dylan plays in the background, all symbols of his youth. Perhaps the greatest symbol of his youth, and similarly his narcissism, is his obsession with Angela which leads him to disregard the feelings of his wife and daughter. Both characters’ vanity consequently leads to their entrapment as it forces them to believe that their happiness is an individual thing and causes them to neglect the people around them who are the ones that can actually bring each of the men
freedom. There are some characters that are able to see through the illusion of the Dream. John Givings, with no family or responsibilities, has the freedom to refuse to conform. Satirically, Yates writes him to be insane, illustrating how the 1950s society attempts to lock away and extinguish the outsiders, the truth tellers. Ironically, he is the only one that can truly see through the “hopeless emptiness” that is the Dream. Yates’ choice of words and the vagueness he uses when describing how “Frank said something about “the hopeless emptiness of everything”” shows the meaninglessness of the phrase when Frank says it, but John’s tone when he repeats it by saying “wow… the hopeless emptiness” illustrates his belief that there is no truer way to describe his society. Similarly, Ricky Fitts is able to decode the Dream and escape entrapment yet still apply the aspects of the Dream that suit him. His handheld camera can be seen as a motif for seeing through the superficial facades around him and allows him to find true beauty in everything (including a dead bird and a plastic bag). Although he is seen as a “freak”, his context allows him not to be pegged as insane just because he does not conform. Both Yates and Mendes use these characters to highlight what happens to those that choose not to obey the rules of their respective societies. Also, Lester’s death ironically comes immediately after his realisation that his family the key to his happiness and to his escape. This realisation, shown through a series of close-up shots of Lester’s blissful face and of a family photo he is holding, is Mendes’ way of portraying that there is no escape from the Dream.
The almighty American dream, commonly misconceived as the property of those who reap great materialistic wealth, has been analyzed and sought after through generations. However, this dream, “could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country” (Goldberg), and the numerous success stories of impoverished beings proves this. This subjectiveness stems from the great diversity within human nature and the variation of goals and pleasures. The characters in novels such as The Glass Castle, To Kill a Mockingbird and the play, The Crucible, act to portray several attempts towards achieving this dream. Ultimately, the almighty American Dream manifests itself through the novels as the desire to accomplish stability and content within one’s
After reading both, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Paradox and Dream” by John Steinbeck, it is extremely clear that both authors believe the American Dream differs from person to person. Though, the main similarity between American’s different versions of the American Dream is that each person wants more than they have. No matter the social status or salary, each person dreams of more; more money, a bigger home, a better job, etc.
“Perhaps the closest we can come is to say that the American dream represents both what Americans believe themselves entitled to and what we believe themselves capable of. In other words, it is the promise inherent in the idea of America itself. (147)”
The concept of American dream originated in the 1600s, even before America was a country (“Ten Facts”). The forever changing American dream, has instilled in American literature the choices people are forced to make regarding their aspirations. Every generation has changed the common idea of what the American dream entails. There are immense possibilities as to how the common person interprets the American dream. The American dream inspires people to make their own decisions and prompts people that there is always another possibility (Izaguirre). In American literature the theme of choices and possibilities is prominent.
The American Dream is a strong and powerful set of values that includes the chance to have an abundance of freedom, wealth, and success. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the American Dream is something everybody wants. Sometimes it takes a long journey to achieve these goals and the path taken may not be an easy one.
The American Dream still lives today in society in which people strive to the top and accomplish their goals in life. James Truslow Adams coined the term in 1931 in his book called “American Dream”. He stated in the book "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement". The importance of this quote in Adams’ novel is that the American Dream can be achieved by anyone (Warshauer 3). There are no limits and bounds to these emotions and people from any social class can seek their dreams and desires in life. Over the years the definition of the American Dream has changed, but the underlying fundamental meaning had stayed the same. The American mentality is basically participation in the economy and society in order to gain a better social standard and be prosperous. The United States Declaration of Independence also had some influence in the definition of the American Dream. In the Declaration of Independence it states all men are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" includi...
The American dream has been a tangible idea, greatly sought after by many over the course of American History. The dream has eluded many, to strive for achieving in America’s open markets, and become a self-made man from the sweat of one’s brow. The idea of become self-sufficient, and have limitless dreams that take one as far as they are willing to imagine is captured very differently from The Great Gatsby to A Raisin in the Sun. Both novels seem to have the American dream as their subject, but both end up having very different outcomes to how one achieves it, and if the dream is truly in existence, namely with the characters of Jay Gatsby and Walter Younger. The books mainly brushes upon the idea of what the American dream truly is, how one achieves the dream, and what the real fulfillment the dream encompasses.
Achieving the American Dream has been the ideal for people living in the United States for decades. People believed that the way to get there was through hard work, also known as the “Protestant work ethic”. The American Dream can vary depending on the person. Some people think that owning a house with a white picket-fence is the American Dream while others think that it is becoming a celebrity with a lot of money.
John Steinbeck, in his essay America and Americans, uses many contradictions to explain his views on the American Dream. I have witnessed and experienced many of these contradictions in my life. Through my experiences, I have learned to believe that the American dream is no more than just a dream.
To have a strong American Dream, there must be a fear of failure. In both works, failure is defined as losing manhood, and success is equated with being the “ideal male”. The American Dream becomes an extension of masculinity attained through material possessions, work ethic, and status. Manhood is represented by the determination, achievement, and accomplishment, which makes failure more threatening as it equates to the destruction of the individual rather than his goals. Fear is another motivation which turns the struggles for greatness very personal for the cast. The theme of the film is based on antiquated concept that males are supposed to protect and provide for women; therefore, failing to succeed becomes a threat to the male’s domestic
The American Dream was derived from the United States Declaration of Independence which states that, “All mean are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (US 1776). This means that every person has equal opportunity
In the United States there is an idea many pursue called the American dream, which differs from person to person. The American dream according to americanradioworks.publicradio.org is “a revolutionary notion: each person has the right to pursue happiness, and the freedom to strive for a better life through hard work and fair ambition”. Yet it has been said there is no real definition of American dream, instead it merely proves that it has an unconscious influence in American mentality (Ştiuliuc 1). The American dream is different for each person because everyone yearns for things that will they hope will in return make them happy. Whatever that may be, each person goes through different struggles to obtain what they want. According to Frederic Carpenter, the American dream “has never been defined exactly, and probably never can be. It is both too various and too vague” (3). The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse depicts the different interpretations on what the American dream actually is through the opinions and actions of Hector Esperanza, Efren Mendoza and Mrs. Calhoun.
In 1931 when the American Dream arose, Americans believed that the harder one worked, the more one would prosper (Meacham, 2012). In other words, they strongly believed that the American Dream was gaining a better, richer, happier life. Today, the American Dream is still hoping to earn a college degree, get a good job, buy a house, and start a family, but according to MetLife’s fifth annual survey, 41% of the respondents said it was about personal fulfillment, while most American’s say it is out of reach for many (White, ...
Each character in the novel has their own interpretation of the ‘American Dream – the pursuit of happiness’ as they all lack happiness due to the careless nature of American society during the Jazz Age. The American Dreams seems almost non-existent to those whom haven’t already achieved it.
With America actually being seen as the land of assurance, the American dream is usually associated with the freedom and opportunity of gaining prosperity, recognition, power, triumph, and contentment. On the surface, this dream appears virtually delighted, offering individuals the exceptional hope of accomplishing success despite of one’s race, religion, or family history. The American Dream is accurately what it seems to be the chance of perfect lying nearby the corner. However, the actual nature of this dream prohibit the pleasure of the victory one has earned, as the desire is always demanding one to work a slight harder and gain a slightly more.