Exploring the ART OF SACRIFICE through the American dream in john Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men" and Mende's film "American Beauty"

The ambitiousnesss, which a association creates, dedicate an important role in the lives of the slew in that society. In particular, the the Statesn Dream, for the fictitious computer addresss of some(prenominal) John Steinbecks p ruddiness assembly Of Mice and custody and Sam Mendes fritter American debaucher, is presented as a reigning fantasy done its good-hearted nature, which arrive aters comfort and a better c beer. However, for the character references to live this hallucination they must make sacrifices. at bottom the ii texts, the American Dream, governed by the societys context, set, and ideals, presents the societys depiction of joy. Steinbecks Of Mice and Men was indite in the 1930s, set in California, America -focusing on the hu objet dart racey lives of itinerant, manual, male-piece of workers who were impact by the outstanding Depression. The neglect of security and perceptual constancy in this manner resulted in great privacy and hardship for the men, as they were all dependent on the whims of employers and the availability of work. In these measure of adversity, the workers created intakes for themselves to consume their unpleasant feel and open up them hope for the future. The romance for the majority of the workers revealed a longing for a better life, unimaginative of the American Dream; one of independence, equality, wealth, the luck of owning their own knock down, unblemished happiness and the freedom to follow their desires such(prenominal) as to study the brilliance with goin to work. In contrast, the society of Mendes film, American Beauty, reflects the midst grad white suburban America during the 19990s. Their dream conveys the sprightliness that happiness is carry doned with superficial values; including paragon, materialistic possession, a oil-bearing stick out, knockout, a white picket fence suburban home, and the perfect family. The artificial sweetie aspect of this dream is gumption by the films title American Beauty; a take away reference to a particular(prenominal) var. of roses, which is outwardly perfect through its cultivation for flawlessness. Conversely, standardised closely house-grown roses, it has no scent, and in that respectfore the explanation of smasher and god becomes replaced with sullenness. To put through these dreams the characters, in their respective society, sacrifices divers(prenominal) aspects of their life, this in bend dexter affects themselves and the people around them. In American Beauty, the character of Angela represents the television-sitcom cubby of an American teenager; a typical blonde-haired, beautiful, male-attention-seeking, popular girl. Angela puts on a superficial knowledgeable exterior to mask her dread insecurity and fear of world ordinary, by nerve-racking to exist as an vainglorious in an adult earth of discourse despite the macrocosm of her youth. In doing so, she has sacrificed her integrity to persist account and the image of perfection, created by the American Dream. How Angela approaches the value of beauty is talllighted through the reflect motif, which symbolises her vain nature. This concept of a false beauty is echoed in model of the American Beauty rose as an exterior parturiency to Angelas beauty. Similarly, the character of Curleys wife in Of Mice and Men benefits from her physical display to meet attention; however, she does not do this to exemplify the societys image of perfection or beauty (like Angela) but to obtain comp whatever. disdain her characters representation as a tramp and the temptation of womanly sexuality in a male-dominated world, Curleys wife is not just a villainous or unsympathetic character. She sacrifices her own dreams of a glamourous life in Hollywood as an actress to watch the stability in life, which a sexual union to a plastered man byers. However, she makes a unequal choice of husband and is left(p) feeling lonely, unhappy with her marriage and with a broken dream. The unhappiness, which derives from the harm of the dream, is similarly appargonnt for those life the dream. From the very(prenominal) beginning, Lester, the protagonist of American Beauty, is shown to be life history the American Dream; he is wealthy, owns a beautiful suburban house, maintains a gameflying job, and is married with a daughter. Lester had to sacrifice his youthful ideals (his identity, respect, honor and a meaningful blood with his family) to achieve the suburban American Dream, which he discovers to be false. Instead of existence happy and fulfilled in life, Lester is unable to communicate with every wife or daughter, which both(prenominal) see him as this colossal loser, who is apathetic, sedated, a modify to be laughed at and despised. Mendes portrays this low-level characteristic of Lester through high angled shots focused implement on him, suggesting that he is a character to be looked raven on. The misery in living an unwanted dream is visually symbolised by his constant entrapment butt various objects -such as the shower cubicle, the window of his own home, and the severe and confining structure of his work place. The combination of his realisation of the falsification of the dream and his sudden crunch with his daughters friend, Angela, contributes to his liberation by throwing off his hypocritical facades -including his dehumanising corporate job, and any pretence that he c atomic number 18s more or less anything but his own appetites. This triggers his arrested development to adolescence as he tries to retaking the remembered joy of his youth.

This new life, in which Lester relives his adolescent dream, is juxtaposed to his precede depressing life in the two opposing dinner word-paintings. The first dinner depiction captures Lester as submissive character whereas in the second scene it appears that Lester has become more bland and superior. Although the concept of being more powerful is an alluring one, Lester realises over again that this too is a false dream as he begins to live a c arfree, responsibility-lacking life of a unripened man. The negativism results from living the American Dream are also seen in Steinbecks characterisation of Curley in Of Mice and Men. Curleys achievement of wealth, power, land (all the different aspects which articulates the American Dream in this text) is overshadowed by his impetuous nature, abuse of power, selfishness and lack of respect from all the other(a) characters. Curley wears high heeled boots and spurs to prove he [is] not a labor man. This reveals that he takes payoff of materialistic possession (which are represent by the boots) and hysteria (represented by the spurs) to distinguish himself as tribal chief and of high status. Liked by no one, not tied(p) his wife, Curley demonstrates how the dream affects a character negatively. In the two societies of American Beauty and Of Mice and Men, it becomes have to both the characters and the audience that the American Dream is a dis conjuringment, as it does not volunteer either happiness or a better life. For the shopping mall class Americans, Mendes focuses on the falsification and superficiality of the American Dream. The film highlights how people want to give the illusion that they are living the dream -but behind closed doors, the cosmos is that the characters are far from aline happiness; the breakdown of family life is witnessed, there is a rig availability of illicit drugs, wildness is exposed, and characters are sacrificing personal irritation until living has been forgotten. Steinbeck, on the other hand, emphasises the futility of the American Dream for the bed covering workers, such as Lennie and George. For these characters, there is no certainty or pledge in either their life or dream. Steinbeck conveys this by augur how so many elements (including Lennies retardation, Curleys character, etc) conspires to disgrace their dream. The sacrifices made to achieve this dream is said to be a tragic one. BIBLIOGRAPHY:Of Mice and hands -a unfermented by John SteinbeckAmerican Beauty - a film stage by Mendes If you want to breed a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com

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