Can one truly be happy living the American dream? When watching the film American Beauty, I was shocked by how much a person would go through to achieve his or her image of the American dream. There truly isn’t a definition for the American dream; everyone has his or her own meaning to the American dream. At what cost is one willing to pay to achieve their American dream. Would one sacrifice their family’s relationship over achieving the American dream? Some of the characters in the movie choose the American dream over their family. Lester and Carolyn are the parents to Jane, in the film they were more worried about their own happiness instead of being involved in Jane’s life. Neither Lester nor Carolyn had a connection with their own daughter.
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In this scene it is where Jane is lying on Ricky’s beds, her boyfriend’s room, talking about Jane’s father, Lester. Jane said, “You think my dad is harmless, but you’re wrong he is doing massive psychological damage to me.” She also says, “I wish my dad paid as much of attention to me as he does Angela.”(Mendes, American Beauty) Jane’s father has a crush on her friend Angela; with that Jane see her father paying more attention to her friend than to her. Jane jokingly tells Ricky, “Well I too need structure and discipline.” (Mendes, American Beauty) In the scene you can tell in the look in Jane eye’s that it pains her to not have a good father figure in her life. All Jane wants is attention from her parents, but they are too wrapped up in trying to find their own happiness. I felt sorry for Jane, because of her parents are trying to fit the image of the American dream. When Jane’s parents finally realize the American dream really not worth the sacrifice anymore, it becomes far too late for the …show more content…
The American people want to live the American dream, instead of being happy with what they already have. The American dream has a different meaning to each person in the United States. Is there really an answer to the question; can one truly be happy living the American dream? My solution would be yes and no, because everyone has a different dream they want to fulfill in life. It would be up to that person to want to achieve that dream, and what they are will to sacrifice in the process. Just the movie American Beauty, it took the parents a long time to finally realize they didn’t need to pretend to be the happy little husband and wife, and that the American dream can be anything you want it to be in life. The average American parent is more worried about trying to fulfill an image, instead of being happy with his or her
In this scene it is where Jane is lying on Ricky’s beds, her boyfriend’s room, talking about Jane’s father, Lester. Jane said, “You think my dad is harmless, but you’re wrong he is doing massive psychological damage to me.” She also says, “I wish my dad paid as much of attention to me as he does Angela.”(Mendes, American Beauty) Jane’s father has a crush on her friend Angela; with that Jane see her father paying more attention to her friend than to her. Jane jokingly tells Ricky, “Well I too need structure and discipline.” (Mendes, American Beauty) In the scene you can tell in the look in Jane eye’s that it pains her to not have a good father figure in her life. All Jane wants is attention from her parents, but they are too wrapped up in trying to find their own happiness. I felt sorry for Jane, because of her parents are trying to fit the image of the American dream. When Jane’s parents finally realize the American dream really not worth the sacrifice anymore, it becomes far too late for the …show more content…
The American people want to live the American dream, instead of being happy with what they already have. The American dream has a different meaning to each person in the United States. Is there really an answer to the question; can one truly be happy living the American dream? My solution would be yes and no, because everyone has a different dream they want to fulfill in life. It would be up to that person to want to achieve that dream, and what they are will to sacrifice in the process. Just the movie American Beauty, it took the parents a long time to finally realize they didn’t need to pretend to be the happy little husband and wife, and that the American dream can be anything you want it to be in life. The average American parent is more worried about trying to fulfill an image, instead of being happy with his or her