The Florida Project Essay

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The Florida Project, a film directed by Sean Baker, explores the fundamental challenges embedded within the concept of the American Dream. The American Dream is the idea that success can be achieved through hard work, determination, and perseverance. This “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mindset is deeply ingrained in the history of the United States, as the country was built on the desire to build a better life for itself and future generations. Baker’s film follows the lives of six-year-old Moonee and her mother, Halley. This film showcases the reality of living in poverty, growing up with a difficult childhood, and losing one’s childhood innocence. Through the characters of Moonee, her mother, and her friends, the audience is urged …show more content…

In one scene we can see the duality of lifestyles when Monee and her mother are struggling to pay rent so they sell perfumes from a wholesaler and go around asking tourists if they would like to buy perfumes from them. This shows how they were trying to afford their rent while other people around them were vacationing at “the happiest place on earth”. The motel was within walking distance from Disney, showing how different two places in the same area can be. Monee and her mother had to find unique ways to afford the motel, which is the reality for many low-income and working-class people. The article “The American Dream of upward mobility is broken”. Look at the numbers” states that “In the US, 8% of children raised in the bottom 20% of the income distribution are able to climb to the top 20% as adults, while the figure in Denmark is nearly double at 15%.” (Mark Rank and Lawrence Eppard) This shows that although some people who grow up in poverty can make it up the social ladder, many still aren't able to make it out. This indicates a low level of upward mobility in the US, which is much lower than other

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