The Pursuit of Happyness
Social stereotypes and Happiness
The Pursuit of Happyness
11/21/2012
Instructor: Prof. Kristin Little
Author: Tareq Naseer Alsamarh
Social stereotypes and happiness
The story of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino portrays a family who struggles with finding enough money to pay taxes and afford living expenses. The movie takes a place in San Francisco during the 80s. The two main characters are the father Chris Gardner and his son Christopher, Will Smith and Jaden Smith respectively. Gardner tries to support his family. But every time he attempts to make things better, they always end up worse. Gardner in the story wonders on "how to be happy?" He earns his money by selling the bone density scanners; however, those scanners do not make enough money for him, and sometimes he finds it hard to even sell a single scanner. So he ends up with his son living on the street after his wife, Linda, goes to New York. The movie delivers a message of pursuing happiness and the impact of social stereotypes through many scenes that show how personality, fatherhood, family, home and homelessness affect on the degree of happiness. Gardner in the movie has a nice personality that makes people treat him with respect. When Gardner walks on the street and looks at people, he thinks that all of them are happy. He then starts thinking that if he cultivates this happiness and provides the best to his family, he would have a better life. Chris says "I still remember that moment, they all looked so damn happy to me, why couldn’t I look like that" (Pursuit). This is a stereotype in social judgment that Gardner thinks about the people around Dean Witter Company because he generalizes that all people are happy near that company. Gardner decides to get a job in Dean Witter. During the meeting for his internship, Gardner was not wearing formal clothes. They ask their colleague about Chris's clothes, and how Gardner usually dresses. He, the manager,
The Pursuit of Happyness
11/21/2012
Instructor: Prof. Kristin Little
Author: Tareq Naseer Alsamarh
Social stereotypes and happiness
The story of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino portrays a family who struggles with finding enough money to pay taxes and afford living expenses. The movie takes a place in San Francisco during the 80s. The two main characters are the father Chris Gardner and his son Christopher, Will Smith and Jaden Smith respectively. Gardner tries to support his family. But every time he attempts to make things better, they always end up worse. Gardner in the story wonders on "how to be happy?" He earns his money by selling the bone density scanners; however, those scanners do not make enough money for him, and sometimes he finds it hard to even sell a single scanner. So he ends up with his son living on the street after his wife, Linda, goes to New York. The movie delivers a message of pursuing happiness and the impact of social stereotypes through many scenes that show how personality, fatherhood, family, home and homelessness affect on the degree of happiness. Gardner in the movie has a nice personality that makes people treat him with respect. When Gardner walks on the street and looks at people, he thinks that all of them are happy. He then starts thinking that if he cultivates this happiness and provides the best to his family, he would have a better life. Chris says "I still remember that moment, they all looked so damn happy to me, why couldn’t I look like that" (Pursuit). This is a stereotype in social judgment that Gardner thinks about the people around Dean Witter Company because he generalizes that all people are happy near that company. Gardner decides to get a job in Dean Witter. During the meeting for his internship, Gardner was not wearing formal clothes. They ask their colleague about Chris's clothes, and how Gardner usually dresses. He, the manager,
Cited: Cullen, Takeuchi, and Lev Grossman. "Fatherhood 2.0." Time.com. 4 Oct. 2007. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. Fagan, Kevin. "Shame of the City." SFGate. 2-3 Dec. 2003. Web. 19 Nov. 2012 < http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SHAME-OF-THE-CITY-THE-BEST- INTENTIONS-The-2547229.php#photo-2685180> The pursuit of happyness. Dir. Garbiel Muccino. Perf. Will Smith, and Jaden Smith. Columbia Pictures, 2006. Film. < http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1668449,00.html>