What Is The Relationship Between He Got Game And The American Dream

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He Got Game follows Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted of killing his wife, and his journey to reestablish a relationship with his son Jesus Shuttleworth. Jesus is the top basketball player in the nation, and the pursuit to recruit him by top schools as begun. Jake is released on a ‘special government program’ in order to convince Jesus to sign to Big State. During this process Jake must confront his past and the mistakes he has made, while Jesus attempts to fight outside influences in regards to what school he signs with. Spike Lee’s He Got Game tackles themes, which explores and rationalizes the hopes and dreams that many inner urban Americans place in Basketball. Themes such as the American dream, religion, race, and gender were …show more content…
What becomes clear is that, most of these characters are clinging onto Jesus’s robes trying to gain influence, favors, future money, and most importantly, trying to connive out of him a decision (Wedge, 2000). None of their concerns and advice are genuine, these characters are attempting to gain the favor of Jesus so he can hopefully ‘bless’ their life in terms of financial prosperity. This method of success is again not in accordance to the traditional hard work and self-disciple characteristics of the traditional American Dream, instead this reimagined American Dream rely heavily on the success of another. We see this being heavily implemented with the character of Lala, Jesus’s girlfriend. Lala presented herself as a loving girlfriend that only wanted the best for Jesus, but in actuality she was also vying for the potential prosperity of Jesus. Lala even goes to the extent of working with an agent behind Jesus back in order to better manipulate Jesus into going straight to the NBA. This is done by using sex as well as guilt to pressure Jesus into making a decision. For instance Lala brings up the fact that she had to get an abortion because of him, and how she has always been there for him no matter what. It is clear that Lala is scared of being left behind, she states how …show more content…
This film explores the relationship between poverty and the hoop dreams phenomenon, in which urban youth believe that their only means out of their poverty stricken community is by means of their athletic abilities. Jesus shutterworth plays the role of the up and coming basketball star, who must deal with the temptations surrounding him, as well as those who seek to use him as a way out of Coney Island. From my point of view, this film created a reimagined American Dream in which the charters surrounding Jesus, placed their hopes and dreams on the back of Jesus. Jesus is seen as the savior that will lead his people (those living in Coney Island) out of Coney Island. However this American Dream relies heavily on the hard work of others, and does not focus on the hard work of the individual in question. Why are these characters relying so heavily on Jesus? This questions leads to the broader topic at hand, the poor education within inner urban America that led many of these youths to believe that the only way to success is through athletic means(Jones, 1996). This could be the reason why these characters in this film are constantly trying to sway Jesus to their side, they know they cannot make it with their athletics gifts, so they must turn to the next best thing of riding the success of those that

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