[A] Hope, dreams, and goals are all factors that are needed for success. [B] Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a story, about two men who are chasing the American dream, hitting many obstacles along the way. War Dance, directed by Sean Fine, is a documentary about life in the Ugandan war zone. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, directed by Ben Stiller, is a movie about Walter Mitty, an average man with a vast imagination, who ventures the world seeking a man who has the missing negative for a magazine cover that he needs to prevent himself from losing his job. [C] Every character from these three stories has to thrive on their hopes, dreams, and goals, to keep themselves going and get to where they want or need to go. [D] Hopes, …show more content…
[F] Even as the children in northern Uganda are living through a nightmare, they still have hope that one day things will get better. [G] In the article “Children of War in Uganda”, after Patrick gets interviewed, Morrison states, “And yet, they smile, they laugh, they sing. Just children, with nothing left but resilience and hope” (Morrison 4). [H] Without hope, these children wouldn’t have much to live for, and they would probably give up because of the nightmare they live in. [I] The students’ goals of being musicians, gives them hope and a way to cope with their hard situation. [J] By practicing every day and chasing their dream of winning the music competition, they are given hope that they will have a better future. [K] In “How We Lose Hope and How to Get it Back”, during the introduction, Joe Wilner writes, “Hope is the life force that keeps us going and gives us something to live for” (Wilner 1). [L] In War Dance the children of the Acholi tribe are living in a nightmare, but their goal of winning the Ugandan Music Competition gives them something that keeps them going. [M] If it wasn't for the joy these kids find in music, they wouldn't have much else getting the up every morning. [N] The dreams they have kept these children in northern Uganda going because it provides them with a pathway to what they want, and it shows them that there is light at the end of the …show more content…
[F] When Walter figure out that he needs to find the negative to save his job, he sets out to find the man who has it. [G] In the article, “How We Lose Hope and How to Get it Back”, at about the halfway point, Wilner writes, “…a major factor that contributes to our level of hope is the achievement of our goals” (2). [H] Since Walter wants to keep his job, he tries his best to find the missing negative, but the longer it takes him, the more he begins to lose hope. [I] His goal of keeping his job allows him to have enough hope to eventually achieve his goal. [J] Each time Walter reaches the place he thinks the negative is gonna be, he loses some hope, but then he realizes that since he was able to get there, he will be able to get the negative he needs. [K] In “How We Lose Hope and How to Get it Back”, in the intro, Wilmer writes, “Even a glimmer of hope that our situation will turn around can keep us going” (1). [L] Walter almost gives up, but when his mother says something, he gains a little spark of hope and decides to keep going and eventually reached his goal and finds the negative. [M] The hope that Walter had provided him with a way to reach his goals. [N] If it wasn't for Walters hopes, dreams, and goals, he would have never been able to work hard enough to find the missing
One theme the story leaves us is that always chase your dreams no matter how hard it is and if you fail just stand up and try again.
In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck illustrates the dreams of George,Lennie, and other characters and how these dreams are unrealistic and unattainable .Their dreams were the reason that these characters kept moving forward but because of difficult circumstances the dreams of George,Lennie,Candy and Curley's wife are shattered , they knew that their dream was never really attainable but they still had hope but because they were so greatly impacted by Lennies actions their dreams are never accomplished.
One’s ambition, when fueled by hope, can cause them to keep going when put in an adverse situation. When this occurs, it leaves a lasting effect on the individuals around them. In the film Shawshank Redemption by Frank Darabont, the main character Andy Dufrense experiences many hardships but perseveres through them using hope. Andy is placed in a situation that is out of his control and loses any hope he has at the beginning. Through the situations he faces, such as his encounters with the sisters, gaining funds for the library, and succeeding in his escape plan from the prison, Andy regains that hope which motivates his ambition to be free. In the film Shawshank Redemption, Darabont explores the idea that an individual’s ambition for freedom,
As the story, Of Mice and Men, ends, it it easy to realize how important the theme, characters, and symbols are and how they reflect ordinary life. The theme proves that no one can stay lonely forever, and everyone needs someone to be there for them. Many people could see themselves in the characters as they figure out who they really need. Lastly, as we hold onto our youth we also hold onto unrealistic dreams just like George. Before he can let go of the dreams, he must mature and get rid of the part that is holding him back,
Although it toys with the visually fascinating concept of dreams and their possibilities in ordinary life, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" seldom explores the theme with the imagination it deserves. Walter's search, the mysteries he must solve, the completely unsurprising pat ending, and the tiresomely predictable love between him and Cheryl simply overwhelm the notion of the dream life and its connections to what we like to regard as real life, that endlessly fascinating subject for the cinema.
In January 1889, Wavoka, a Paiute Indian, had a revelation during a total eclipse of the sun. It was the genesis of a religious movement that would become known as the Ghost Dance. It was this dance that the Indians believed would reunite them with friends and relatives in the ghost world. The legend states that after prayer and ceremony, the earth would shatter and let forth a great flood that would drown all the whites and enemy Indians, leaving the earth untouched and as it was before the settlers came to America. The religion prophesied the peaceful end of the westward expansion of whites and a return of the land to the Native Americans.
Many Historians say that Isadora Duncan was the first dancer to present “modern dancing” to the public. Duncan felt that the pointe shoes and costumes that ballerinas wore were to restrictive. She began to dance in a way that seemed to be more natural to her. Her inspirations came from the movements of the tress, the ocean and other forms from nature. Her techniques included hopping, swaying, skipping and running. She felt these type of movements were natural and expressive. Also, the history of the Greeks
Alvin Ailey, a dancer born in 1931, founded what is known today as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Born in Texas, Ailey faced intense racism and discrimination growing up. As a result he strove to created a multi-racial company where dancers were judged upon ability and not their race or background. This was groundbreaking since at the time racism led to limited opportunities for African American dancers. At 22 Ailey joined the Horton dance company where he would eventually become the artistic director after Horton’s passing. Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958. Popularizing modern dance, Ailey became known throughout the world as he traveled internationally with his dance company. Emphasizing the theatricality of dance, Ailey utilized intricate costumes, stunning lighting displays and makeup in his performances. The style of Ailey’s choreography incorporates aligned ballet legs with a more loose, “modern” torso. Ailey choreographed 79 pieces for the company before his death in December of 1989, one of the most acclaimed being Revelations. Revelations was created by Ailey in 1960 and brought fame to the company. The highly acclaimed piece is still preformed today by the company’s dancers. Ailey died of AIDS in 1989 after choreographing countless pieces for his own company and others such as the American Ballet Theater.
The point of living is so that you can accomplish something by the time you die. Therefore hopes and dreams are the driving force of life. Hopes and dreams are exactly what kept the two migrant workers, George and Lennie, going on in life. Their ambition of one day having a farm of their own is what makes Lennie and George work as hard as they do. The theme of these ambitions being deleterious is what makes up the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Even though the ambitions that the characters of the story have could show to be better for them and be their fresh start if proven pointless, the theme of the book Of Mice and Men is that ambitions are deleterious because for Lennie and George their hopes of one
And though he experiences both sides of the paradox, it is ultimately the uplifting and inspiring effect of hope that pushes him to fight back against his oppression rather than continue to accept his enslavement. Grappling with hope and using it to move himself forward against overwhelming odds shows that even though it can be used to pacify people and keep them in their place, wishing for a rosy future that can never exist, it can also be the fire that motivates them to finally change their
‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ is about a boring man who has a lot of daydreams. It was originally a short story by James Thurber, but was also made into a movie. The way that the story is presented in both is a key factor in either’s success, and when compared, the two are very different. For example, in the short story, Walter has little to no character development, but in the movie, nearly the entire production is him being put through a lot of situations that let us see more of the true character of Walter Mitty. This example and others is what makes the movie adaptation of ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ better than that of the short story.
Walter attempts to reinvent himself through his work and relationships to try and provide for his wife and family. Walter is fighting a battle within his household because he believes that Ruth, his wife, “couldn’t be on [his] side that long for nothing,” even though she is just trying to do what is best for everyone involved (Hansberry 32). Walter cannot see past his dream to realize the impact it would have on everyone else if it failed, so he drowns his sorrows in alcohol. Although “he knows the possibility of failure is also a vital part of the American success story” Walter is not just risking his own future, he is risking his child’s, mother’s and sister’s and without a second thought to his personal relationships, he blindly makes an investment on the chance of having the wealth and house he desires for everyone (Washington 98). Walter is so focused on reinventing his work life and having money that he loses sight of his family’s values and ideas. He does not care about Ruth being pregnant and the possibility of aborting their child as long as he can achieve his goals. Walter is living in a dream where he believes that “anyone can become anything he wants to be,” and that is not true in his case with the social and racial standards that are set against him (Washington 95). Walter sees wealth as ensuring happiness and having everything he desires, which is why he is pushing his family so hard for the money, causing issues. Even though all the odds are set against him in this time period, Walter cannot see past being able to provide for his family and having the American Dream that he most
Almost every moment of their lives, people hope and dream for a better life for themselves or for another person they love. Yet, no matter how hard they try, the hope they had almost never becomes reality. They are unable to reach that hope since the hope is a false hope. A false hope is hope for something to become a certain way, but never becoming the way as it was hoped. False hopes are present in Black Boy by Richard Wright, “Death of a Salesman”, by Arthur Miller, and Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, in the way that the characters don't completely realize that it is false and try their hardest to achieve their “false hope”. Their hopes are their adrenaline throughout their journey and although they turn out to be false, the false hopes strengthen the characters. Therefore, false hopes are a big factor of characters' development and growth.
We all have a dream, but the difference is how we realise our dream, how we obtain our dream, and how our dream changes us. This is evident in our learning of dreams and aspirations through the texts Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? by Lasse Hallström, and through my own studies of Million Dollar Baby by Clint Eastwood. These three highly acclaimed texts represent the same ideas on dreams and aspirations, which can be defined as hope, desire or the longing for a condition or achievement, but these texts express the same ideas differently, shaping our understanding of dreams and aspirations.
In America there is countless of different definitions of what the American Dream is, but according Xavier University “many Americans most commonly define the American Dream in terms of opportunity, freedom, and family” (Good). A great definition of what the American Dream is” no matter what your race you are, what country you come from, and what financial background you have you can be anything you want to be” said Sidd Singhal an investment banker (National: Defining the American Dream). While on their journey many Americans realize that the American Dream bring a different paths of happiness which includes alcohol, sex, and drugs. In both movies “Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Great Gatsby” are great representation of what the American Dream is and the paths of happiness that comes along with it. Both movies were released in the same year, have the same theme and one the main characters Jordan Belfort and Jay Gatsby are both played by Leonardo DiCaprio My focus in this essay is to compare both Wolf of Wall Street and The Great Gatsby to show the connection between the American Dream and the paths to happiness.