Universität Duisburg-Essen

Campus Essen

Magisterarbeit

Facets of the American Dream and American Nightmare

in Film

Jessica Narloch

Magister Anglistik (Schwerpunkt USA)

11. Fachsemester

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

3

2. The American Dream ­ Historical Background

6

3. The American Dream today

12

4. Gabriele Muccino′s The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) ­ The American Dream

14

4.1 Story 14

4.2 Chris Gardner and Symbolism 17

4.3 Images of the American Dream 24

4.4 Realization of the American Dream 27

5. Sam Mendes′ American Beauty (1999) ­ The American Nightmare

29

5.1 Story 29

5.2 Suburban Life 32

5.3 Suburbs related to the American Dream 44

5.4 Failure of the American Dream 49

6. Andrew Bergman′s It Could Happen to You (1994) ­ The American Dream over
Night

50

6.1 Story 50

6.2 New York Living and Dreaming 54

6.3 Gambling in the USA related to the American Dream 56

6.4 Gambling as a Way to Happiness? 62

7. Oliver Stone′s U Turn (1997) ­ The American Bad Dream

65

7.1 Story 65

7.2 Dreams and Desires 68

7.3 The other Side of the Dream 73

7.4 American Nightmares 76

8. Realization of the American Dream ­ Positive Examples

78

9. Failure of the American Dream ­ Negative Examples

81

10. Conclusion

84

11. Bibliography

88

12. Appendix

93

12.1 Gambling in the United States 93

12.2 Poverty Rate in the U.S. 2002 by Race and Hispanic Origin 94

12.3 Prisoners and jail inmates in the U.S 94

12.4 Superior 96

2

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1. Introduction

"Predictively, any attempt at abstracting from the plethora of relevant publications

something even faintly resembling a definition of the `Dream′ is doomed to failure."1

Peter Freese

As Peter Freese precisely points out, defining the

American Dream

is a difficult if not

irresolvable task. The reason for this is that "beyond an abstract belief in possibility, there

is no

one

American Dream."2 Nevertheless, it is easy to find short definitions in various

encyclopedias. In

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

it is defined

as

"[a]n American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire:

"In the deepening gloom

of the Depression, the American Dream represented a reaffirmation of traditional American hopes."′

3

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy

offers a different definition:

"[a] phrase connoting hope for prosperity and happiness, symbolized particularly by having a house

of one′s own. Possibly applied at first to the hopes of immigrants, the phrase now applies to all

except the very rich and suggests a confident hope that one′s children′s economic and social

condition will be better than one′s own."4

A rather short and simple explanation of the term

American Dream

can be found in the

dictionary

WordNet

by the Princeton University which says that it is

"the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did."5

All of these definitions describe various facets of the dream, but none of them gets to the

point.

In order to get an idea of what the dream really is or what it is assumed to be and how the

idea of it came up, it is necessary to have a look at American history. The recapitulation in

1 Peter Freese (1994),

American Dream and American Nightmare

, p. 94

2 Jim Cullen (2003),

The American Dream

, p. 7

3 Anthony Brandt ­ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (January 2008)

4 Houghton Mifflin Company - The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy (January 2008)

5 Princeton University ­ WordNet (January 2008)

3

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this work will make an attempt to reveal why it is the

American

dream and how it is related

to American national identity. It will give a brief overview of the most important concepts in

the history of the country, starting back in 1585 when the first colonists arrived. It will deal

with important topics which, besides colonialization and the connected reasons for leaving

Europe, are the establishment of the Declaration of Independence, the Frontier and the

westward movement, Manifest Destiny all the way up to the Civil Rights Movement and

the struggle for equality. Besides, it is supposed to not only show the bright side of the

dream but its shady sides as well in order to give full testimony of the idea of the American

Dream. Among these are the struggle of the first colonists and the people moving

westwards, the displacement of the Native Americans as well as slavery and the pursuit of

equality. During this work, more prevailing topics such as gambling and homeownership

with its advantages and disadvantages will be discussed as well. But is the American

Dream still a topic discussed in every-day life? Some examples such as political speeches

will show that the enchantment and the topicality of this concept are unbroken.

The brief overview on American history will make clear that the concept of the American

Dream has positive as well as negative sides. But since this topic is rather complex and

not easily definable, there is more than just the good and the bad side of the coin. Thus,

the dream varies and has many facets.

Ever since, authors and writers wrote about the dream, and people still talk about it.

Authors of the 20th Century such as Langston Hughes, Kurt Vonnegut and F. Scott

Fitzgerald write books on it6 and newspapers of the 21st Century such as the

Newsweek7

and the

New York Times8

publish articles discussing the existence or non-existence of the

dream.

Above all, another medium has joined the discussion ­ the film. Since Charlie Chaplin′s

Gold Rush

from 1925, which is one of the first movie adaptations about the American

Dream, there have been more films closely related to this concept. Those movies are, for

example, Orson Welles′

Citizen Kane

(1941), Garry Marshall′s

Pretty Woman

(1990) and

Robert Zemeckis′

Forest Gump

(1994).

The four movies chosen for this work are recent publications with the oldest one being

from 1994 and the newest one from 2006. These films differ in concept and matter though

6 Peter Freese (1994),

American Dream and American Nightmare

, p. 174 f

7 Peter Freese (1994),

American Dream and American Nightmare

, p. 177

8 New York Times ­ The American Dream in Reverse (January 2008)

4

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they are all related to the American Dream. The purpose of this work is to show that there

is a variety of concepts and that these films are manifold in presenting the dream, its

vision not only presenting black and white but many different facets. Thus, this work is not

supposed to give a detailed analysis of each movie but an overview or in fact a width in

order to see the various layers and different facets of it.

Hereby, it is important that all movies are related to the history of America in order to be

relevant for the discussion.

Gabriele Muccino′s

The Pursuit of Happyness

(2006) is an example for the American

Dream come true. It offers the typical image of the idea of becoming from rags to riches

and thus serves as a positive example. The movie is also linked to important subjects of

the American history such as the

Declaration of Independence

and the

American Flag

which will be discussed in matters of relevance.

Sam Mendes′

American Beauty

(1999) is the counterpart to

The Pursuit of Happyness

,

describing the shady sides or the underbelly of the dream ­ its failure, so to say. It is

linked to the dream of homeownership and upward mobility and reflects its advantages as

well as its disadvantages. The film reveals the negative sides of the image

American

Dream

and shows that, instead of being beautiful, it might turn out to be a nightmare.

Andrew Bergman′s

It Could Happen to You

(1994) is related to the idea of becoming rich

over night without much effort. It is the contrary to the idea of the Puritans who believed

that hard work was the way to happiness. Because the protagonists win their money in

the lottery, it is necessary to disclose the American history of gambling in order to

understand how it is linked to the American Dream, which will be discussed in that

chapter.

Oliver Stone′s

U Turn

(1997) is an example for the

American Bad Dream

, a dream that

although it is most likely out of reach, still creates desire. It is the story about people

desperately trying to fulfil their dreams regardless of the price they have to pay. That

discussion questions the Americans′ will to aspire happiness or wealth under the aspect of

America′s current situation concerning poverty and inequality, for example.

The questions this work is going to discuss are how manifold films about the American

Dream and the American Nightmare really are and in how far they can be related to

American history. It will consider if these films are relevant in order to define the dream

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and if it is as easy as to divide them into positive and negative examples or if there are

different facets and, if that is the case, how these facets are being illustrated.

Each movie analysis follows the same approach. First, a short overview about the story of

the film is given in order to understand its relevance for the topic. Afterwards, the main

protagonists, their dreams and desires as well as their nightmares will be examined.

These chapters will reveal some obvious facets of the American Dream, positive as well

as negative ones. The following excursus will show in how far the topic is related to

American history and sheds light on the connection between American Dream and the

history of the country. Concluding, all aspects will be discussed to find out how the

American Dream is being realized or why its realization failed.

2. The American Dream ­ Historical Background

"But there has been also the American dream, that dream of a land in which life should be

better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability

and achievement."

James Truslow Adams

In 1931, the American historian9 James Truslow Adams published his book

The Epic of

America

which became famous as the study which shaped the term

American Dream

.

Adams was the first person to use this expression and it became a phrase frequently used

by people all over the world. Today, it is connected to the national identity of America and

it is an inherent part of every American′s vocabulary. At that time, Adams defined the

dream by saying that

"it is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each

man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable,

and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or

position."10

9 Peter Freese (2006),

The American Dream. Humankind′s second Chance?

, p.10f

10 James Truslow Adams (1954),

The Epic of America

, p.374

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Today one would say that it is the dream or the opportunity to rise from rags to riches. But

although Adams was the one who gave this idea a name, he was not the one who

invented it.

Peter Freese, a scholar who is intensely engaged in questions about the American

Dream, says that "long before America became a country, it was a continent, and long

before it was known to exist as a continent, it was a vision and a dream"11. What he

means by that is the struggle of mankind to find a place where everyone is free and has

the opportunity to live a life of self-determination. He gives some examples which he

accounts to be synonyms for a place like America, for instance, "a paradise on earth"12, a

place where Europeans could be free from religious bondage; "Atlantis"13, Plato′s vision of

an island that is fertile and paradise-like; "El Dorado"14, a country rich of gold and other

treasures. In the course of history, other phrases concerning the newly explored continent,

America, arose. Worth mentioning are the most famous phrases such as

Brave New

World

, a term first used by Shakespeare in the 5th act of his drama

Tempest

and later

adopted by Aldous Huxley15. Also the term

land of milk and honey

which can be found in

the bible was later being related to America. In 1630, John Winthrop, who was one of the

first settlers and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, wrote in his essay

A Model

of Christian Charity

that this new world "shall be as a city upon a hill"16 whereby he quotes

the bible in which is written that

"ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle,

and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."

(Matthew 5.14-15)

This notion gives hope to many people and again creates a picture of a paradise-like

place. But it was not only this idea of a fertile and untouched country which could be an

escape from "a sinful and urbanized Europe"17, a chance for the people to start anew.

11 Peter Freese (1985),

Anglistik und Englischunterricht

, p. 8

12 ibid

13 ibid

14 Peter Freese (1985),

Anglistik und Englischunterricht

, p. 8

15 ibid

16 John Winthrop (1630),

A Model of Christian Charity

, p. 118

17 Peter Freese (1985),

Anglistik und Englischunterricht

, p. 9

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Between 1585 and 1630, the first colonists established four colonies whereas the motives

of the settlers were very different. In 1585, Walter Ralegh established a colony at

Roanoke Island with the purpose to steal gold from the Spaniards18. This was not very

effective. More successful was the foundation of Jamestown, Virginia, by Captain John

Smith in 1607/0819. The purpose was to do business and trade and so "Virginia′s early

residents were [...] preoccupied with a vain search for gold and a sea passage to Asia

markets [...] until tobacco provided a profitable export."20 In 1620, Plymouth Plantation

was founded by the Pilgrims, a group of religious refugees who could not live freely in

their home country England and were seeking for a place where they would make their

own decisions concerning religion. Unlike the people who came to Jamestown, these

settlers did not leave England to work for it but they left because they wanted to escape

it21. The last of the four colonies was the already mentioned Massachusetts Bay Colony,

established by John Winthrop who wanted to find the New Jerusalem, a place provided by

God for those who were "seeking an earthly paradise in which to perfect a reformation of

the Church"22. All of these people had more or less one common dream, though their

dreams varied ­ some were dreaming of wealth and others were dreaming of freedom ­

but in the end all were dreaming of new opportunities, an idea later known as the

American Dream

. But the history of colonialization was not always dream-like ­

sometimes and for some people it was also the history of nightmares. There were, on the

one hand, the first settlers at Roanoke Island who did not survive this adventure because

they could not cope with the conditions of the new continent23. People who came to

America had to survive an exhausting and dangerous trip by boat and had to deal with

diseases that killed many of them. When they arrived they had to fight hunger and cold

and so it "must (and did) appear miraculous that the [first] colon[ies] survived."24 But the

newly arrived inhabitants of the American continent were not the only unfortunates. There

were, on the other hand, the Indians, who were fought and forced to leave their territories

because they were considered to be "besotted, childish, cruel, degraded, dirty, diseased,

18 Hugh Brogan (1999),

The Penguin History of the USA

, p. 7

19 Hugh Brogan (1999),

The Penguin History of the USA

, p. 19 ff

20 David Mauk and John Oakland (2002),

American Civilization

, p. 47

21 Gert Raeithel (1987),

Geschichte der Nordamerikanischen Kultur Band 1

, p. 13

22 Peter Freese (1994),

American Dream and American Nightmare

, p. 100

23 Hugh Brogan (1999),

The Penguin History of the USA

, p. 7

24 Hugh Brogan (1999),

The Penguin History of the USA

, p. 21

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drunken, faithless [...]; barbarians, demons, [...] savages."25 Also many Indians died

because of diseases brought to them by the Europeans, pox, for instance.

Besides the destiny of the American Natives, the new inhabitants moved further

westwards to cultivate and civilize the rest of the country. Especially the Puritans, as

mentioned before, believed that they were destined to find the New Jerusalem. In 1845,

the journalist John L. O′Sullivan coined the term

Manifest Destiny

which is related to the

idea of being destined to explore and cross the Frontiers of America. He says that

"the

untransacted

destiny of the American people is to subdue the continent ­ to rush over this vast

field to the Pacific Ocean ­ to animate the many hundred millions of its people, and to cheer them

upward [...]."26

To him, it is the destiny of these people to fulfil this "divine task [...] [and] immortal

mission"27 whereby he means that it "was `manifest destiny′ that the United States would

one day soon come to possess not only Texas but also California, Oregon and Canada."28

With this idea of westward expansion and the so-called mission to cultivate and civilize the

rest of the country, the Frontier moved further and further towards the Pacific Ocean. The

term

Manifest Destiny

was closely linked to values such as liberty and federated self-

government since the idea of it arose at a time where Great Britain and the United States

had an argument about the boundaries in Oregon29. It becomes obvious that it was not

only a matter of belief in a specific destiny of America but a manifested idea which served

as an argument and justification to enter and annex new territories. Although O′ Sullivan′s

idea described a non-violent westward expansion, it was also misapplied to legitimate

wars such as the Mexican-American War in 1846 and the displacement of the Native

Americans30. Here again it can be seen that while the

American Dream

became a real

chance and opportunity for the people who moved westwards, it became at the same time

a nightmare to those who were forced into elopement and fighting.

For the purpose of cultivating the West it was important to convince the people that

America was a better place, far better than the Old World, Europe and especially Great

25 Hugh Brogan (1999),

The Penguin History of the USA

, p. 55

26 William Gilpin (1874),

Mission of the North American People

, pp. 71, 130

27 ibid

28 Hugh Brogan (1999),

The Penguin History of the USA

, p. 297

29 ibid

30 ibid

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