The Pursuits of happiness, as one of movie that will be focused on this paper reflect these Myths. The values of American though can be seen in the movie especially from the main character, Chris Gardner. The movie is based on a true story. It tells about Chris Gardner who is struggling to sell his bones machine. He is abandoned by his wife as the life of the family become harder because Chris can not produce any money. He lives mobile with his son after being driven out of his apartment. Realizing that his expensive bones machine can not change his life, he struggles to find a job. He join a program in Dean Witter stock broker company to be the only who is accepted in the strict competition to be stock broker. Many obstacles he faces in gaining this achievement, but he stays strong and belief that everything will be alright. Although he is strong, he criticizes Thomas Jefferson and his declaration of independence in how he recited the phrase the pursuit of happiness. He just wonders why happiness should be pursued- he compares it with his life in ‘running’ for the happiness.
The pursuit of Happiness reflects the typical value of American people and the pursuit of happiness that strongly engraved in the mind of its people. The rights to have a better life in the wilderness of the world support this idea. Chris runs to pursue his dreams for his only son. The strong idea of hard worker and optimistic dominate the character of Chris and most of the successful people depicted in the movie. In this case, the values of American thought that can be seen is the combination of Puritanism and Enlightenment as the biggest influence in the development of America. Those thoughts are clearly depicted by the characters in the movie and how Chris deals with his life. Nothing more important than the family is also shown despite the fact that Chris is left by his wife. It shows Chris struggle for his only son, and the way he try to let his wife go to search her own happiness as Chris can not give it to her.
Puritan Ethics
Chris Gardner brings the strong idea of Puritan ethics. He is depicted as hard worker and believes in God. Chris Gardner believes that God has a plan for him and he needs to seek for that. In this case, Chris believes that his life can change. Probably what we can see in this case is the opposed idea in Puritanism. Chris’s believe on God does not bring him to surrender towards the fate as what the Puritan ethic believe. In Puritanism, we know that God is the source of everything and he controls all people’s fate. In addition, the predestination also dominates Puritan people in the first time in which human live were in sorrow due to the original sin. They can not change their fate and live happily because God punishes them for this original sin. It makes the characters of Puritan people to be pessimistic.
In my opinion, what is believed by the early Puritanism has not become a problem for the American people nowadays. They have left this thinking but still holds what they consider is important. In this case, Chris Gardner represents the characters of most American people in becoming religious and worldly oriented as well. The puritan thought helps people to be wise in living their life modestly. Living well in the world and believe that God is the source of everything.
Chris believes in God, and he understands that God has a plan for him and his son. He tries to achieve what God has given for him. One scene that is interesting is when Chris’s son tells him a story about a bull that is in danger as it will fall from the valley. One bull comes and offers help, but the other bull refuses because on the belief that God will the bull. Next, another one bull comes offering the same help, but the other bull keep rejecting it. Then finally the bull falls and died. After the bull died, he asks God why he did not save him. God replies that he has sent two bulls to save him, but he keeps rejecting it. Chris’s son laughs after telling this story. In my opinion, why this story is told by Chris’s son is to signify the criticism towards Chris which almost gives up. The innocent of his son bring a strong idea of life. It shows us how the role of God is important, but one thing that we must remember that God gives a way in giving his help, so people must struggle to get God’s help.
Not many scenes depict Chris’s interaction with God, but one scene shows Chris in the church and the church choir sings the song of God’s help that make Chris becomes stronger. Most of American people maybe are not as religious as once, but the Puritan ethics is strongly engraved in most American people. The idea of hard worker is strongly depicted by the character of Chris which represents the character of American people.
The belief that God has plans for human makes American people to have the characteristics of hard worker. Chris also has this character. American people believe that they can change their life through every chance that God is given to them. Thus, hard work is the only way to achieve this. When I watched this movie, I was tired as what I see the struggle of Chris in getting money by selling his bones machine and his running in achieving what he want with all the obstacles. Chris also put aside all the risk in joining payless program as stock broker in the belief that he can pass the program and become the part of Dean Witter. In the end of the story, it is proven. His hard work gives a big chance for his life. He is successfully accepted to be the only one who pass the program and officially work in the company. It happens due to his competence and his struggle in passing the program. Puritan ethics probably is not purely reflected in the life of American people, but its influence is so big in shaping American characters to live well in modesty.
The important of the family is also reflected in this movie. Although, Chris separates from his wife, he still tries to keep her stay. He finally let his wife go because he realizes that he can not give happiness to her. His son is the most important for Chris. He keeps living and struggling to pursue a better life due to him. He can acts both as the father and mother and friend as well for his son. He never let his son sad, though his son understand what kind of live he lives. In Puritanism, family is also important because it is where their heart is bounded. Just like what Chris experience. It is not the kind of family with house in which house is the final destination, but what Chris experienced is the close relationship with family which makes him to keep it and to go for his life. This is a good value of Puritanism in maintaining brotherhood not only with family but also all people.
Enlightenment Contributions
One thing that conflicting in the idea of Puritanism that is reflected in the character of Chris is the way he believes in God. He believes in God but he also believes that he is the only one who can change his fate. The enlightenment ideas influence this idea very much. Henry Bolingbroke stated the concept of man as capable of infinite perfectibility instead of the gloomy doctrine of original sin and as creature whose good and evil traits resulted fro environmental condition rather than Divine Grace or Sins (Horton & Edwards). In this case, enlightenment idea is to believe that God is the first cause of everything and men has the biggest control over his life. Men is the driver where their life should be, because God only provides a way in getting into the place that men want to go.
Chris Gardner, as what I have said in the previous discussion, believes in god. However, he does not surrender to fate and his condition. He believes that he is the only one who can change his life. He keeps struggling despite all the Obstacles he faces. Dean Witter in this case is the medium from God to help Chris. Chris bravely enters a new world for him as stock broker. He gives his efforts in passing the internship program to drive his own fate in the company, and finally he reaches his goal. One thing that is reflected by Chris is the way he keeps his things, the bones machine. He lost those machines many times but he does not surrender to not find the machine anymore. Every chance he gets in getting back his stuff, he will go for it. American people also reflects this values, they do not surrender easier in facing obstacles in their life as it make them grows. Many Enlightenment figures still uphold their Puritanism idea. They grow in that environment and still believe the existence of God such as Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine, but the role of God is just in guiding people to reach his goal not the one who wholly control fate.
The title of this film, The Pursuit of Happyness, reflects the most important part in the declaration of independent. As what Benjamin Franklin, one of important figures in Enlightenment stated in the early times that America needs to abandon the view of election by God and encouraging the view that life should be dedicated for the pursuit of happiness practiced in daily human life (Horton & Edwards). The statement becomes the basic idea on the life of every American people. They understand that they have rights in living a good life. It encourages people to have a broaden view to believe in themselves in achieving happiness. Chris Gardner supported by this statement though he keeps complaining on why Thomas Jefferson had to put the word pursue in it. It is reflected Chris life who dominates by ‘running’ in living his life. The idea of success become the motivation for Chris in gaining achievement because in the enlightenment Benjamin Franklin also believed that nothing wrong in the worship of success so long as that success was honestly obtained (Horton & Edwards).
The idea of hard working and the pursuit of happiness that is strongly upheld by most American people produce optimistic value in life. In gaining success, indeed people should be optimistic because it encourages people to work harder and defend all the obstacles the face. Chris is optimistic. Although, it is not clearly depicted because his image is always gloomy, his efforts in pursuing a good life for him and his son reflect this idea. This optimistic value brings American people in successfully achieve their goal.
The Characters of Thoughts Hybridity
As what we have discussed in the previous chapters, the values of American thought are still reflected in the life of American people nowadays. What we see is not one belief or thought anymore, but the combination of what is believed to be the good idea in building America and its people. Puritanism with its believe in the control of God and the Enlightenment which proposes men’s struggle in facing and in changing his life bring American people to the success of life and the importance of moral virtue as the key of personal happiness and social well being. The character of Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happiness reflects this idea. His believe that God has a plan for him and his son encourages him to gives his efforts in deciding what he will do to be success.
The development of these mixtures indeed happened due to the diversity of American society which makes it to be an open society. The legacy of American thought is not disappearing as it keeps contesting and debating which support their existence. There are many values that shape the American character and enrich their way of thinking. This is why American society becomes so open towards development and invention which promotes even small changes in every people’s life.
Thoughts grew due to different perspective in responding life. One people and another might have different idea just like what happened in the long journey of American thought. Puritan may be the base of American thought but Enlightenment enriches the idea of both hard working in the area of optimistic which is important in the betterment of life. Those ideas brings a new way of thinking in which success should be gained through moral virtue and God is the first way in providing people with the medium in which people can success because Men without God is nothing, and God is not autocratic in this case, this is how the hybrid of American thoughts works.
Conclusion
The development of American thought in American society is also reflected in the pop culture as the product of cultural mobility. The existence of these thoughts is not merely a single pure idea to believe but it has transformed into mixture thoughts. The diversity which promotes open mind ness brings these thoughts grows and shapes the American characters. Puritanism and Enlightenment contribution is one of these phenomenons. Their mixture belief strengthens the characters of American people in living their life optimistically in God’s help and men’s effort to success. Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happiness reflects this idea, the product of Puritanism and Enlightenment. His effort in success is gained by the hard work values and the belief in God of Puritanism and the optimistic and the idea of pursuit of happiness in the Enlightenment. Although, some ideas in those two thoughts oppose each other, the growth of American thought force them to work together in shaping American character and in enriching hybrid American thoughts.