Manohla Dargis called the movie The Pursuit of Happyness "the same old bootstraps story, an American Dream artfully told, skillfully sold. How you respond to this man's moving story may depend on whether you find Mr. Smith's and his son's performances so overwhelmingly winning that you buy the idea that poverty is a function of bad luck and bad choices, and success the result of heroic toil and dreams." What idea is being expressed here?

a. The American Dream is an ideology.

b. America is a largely class-free society.

c. Poverty is absolute, not relative.

d. Most Americans will inherit their parents' class status.

Question

Zachariah Chan

Arts

29 November, 19:01

Manohla Dargis called the movie The Pursuit of Happyness "the same old bootstraps story, an American Dream artfully told, skillfully sold. How you respond to this man's moving story may depend on whether you find Mr. Smith's and his son's performances so overwhelmingly winning that you buy the idea that poverty is a function of bad luck and bad choices, and success the result of heroic toil and dreams." What idea is being expressed here?

a. The American Dream is an ideology.

b. America is a largely class-free society.

c. Poverty is absolute, not relative.

d. Most Americans will inherit their parents' class status.

+5

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Brando · Answer 1

a. The American Dream is an ideology.

Explanation:

Basically in America or in any other country, every poor person wants to grow rich, but that is not the defined parameter of being happy.

In the movie the father, Mr. Smith chooses to be happy, and to find happiness.

For this, he works really hard and he turns to be a millionaire through his hard work.

This confirms that the American dream is an ideology, and accordingly one wants to be happy, he can and there is no role of luck, its basically, you choose to be happy.