Pursuit Of Happyness Essay
The Pursuit of Happyness stars Will Smith as Chris Gardner and shows his struggle as a single father facing homelessness yet striving to create a better life for his family. While it could be described as a Black man’s struggle, the movie manages to leave that as a secondary factor rather than the main source of conflict. Both the generosity and the discrimination he experiences at the hands of whites around him are portrayed, as well as, the reality that poverty has no color boundaries. People of all ethnicities are shown in impoverished scenes: in homeless shelters and food kitchens. His cultural interaction includes Asian Americans as well and depicts the cultural misunderstandings and language barriers experienced between them.
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For instance, one of the executives asks to borrow $5 to pay his cab quickly. Chris hands over the money knowing that he needs that money but he needs the potential job more. The executive does not realize how insensitive it is to ask an unpaid intern for money because his economic status has him jaded about the experiences of those with less than him. His communications with the executives illustrates repeatedly that they are used to being around others with plenty of money so they lack empathy in their interactions with people who are without. Yet, he does not tell them his sad story in order to get sympathy as some people would; instead he pushes through and does anything he can to keep going. There’s a term that you “fake it until you make it” and that’s exactly what he does through the entire movie.
Mostly, “The Pursuit of Happyness” is a tale of perseverance and the American Dream. Some ethnicities are able to succeed because of the social capital afforded to them through ethnic organizations and cultural centers they have created. African Americans are at a distinct disadvantage in this capacity, they simply do not have a bounty of social networks and institutions to help them achieve their social and economic goals in the same way that many immigrants do. Chris Gardner manages to succeed despite this lack of support; even his wife leaves him and lacks faith in what they can achieve
This …show more content…
For instance, one of the executives asks to borrow $5 to pay his cab quickly. Chris hands over the money knowing that he needs that money but he needs the potential job more. The executive does not realize how insensitive it is to ask an unpaid intern for money because his economic status has him jaded about the experiences of those with less than him. His communications with the executives illustrates repeatedly that they are used to being around others with plenty of money so they lack empathy in their interactions with people who are without. Yet, he does not tell them his sad story in order to get sympathy as some people would; instead he pushes through and does anything he can to keep going. There’s a term that you “fake it until you make it” and that’s exactly what he does through the entire movie.
Mostly, “The Pursuit of Happyness” is a tale of perseverance and the American Dream. Some ethnicities are able to succeed because of the social capital afforded to them through ethnic organizations and cultural centers they have created. African Americans are at a distinct disadvantage in this capacity, they simply do not have a bounty of social networks and institutions to help them achieve their social and economic goals in the same way that many immigrants do. Chris Gardner manages to succeed despite this lack of support; even his wife leaves him and lacks faith in what they can achieve