Abstract:The American dream is a belief that one can get a better life through endeavor and hardworking in America. But along with time changes, people found that it was very difficult to make their American dreams come true, and began to loss faith in the American dream. In 2006, The Pursuit of Happiness, a movie about the American dream came out and successfully moved and inspired a large amount of people. This thesis focuses on the positive meaning of The Pursuit of Happiness from leading character’s realization of the American dream, and analyzes the motivational effect of the American dream in The Pursuit of Happiness and the rebound in confidence of the American dream.

Key words: the American dream; The Pursuit of Happiness; motivational effect; the rebound in confidence

Table of Contents

Abstract

摘要

1.Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-2

2.1 Study on the American dream-2

2.1.1 History of the American dream-2

2.1.2 Meaning of the American dream-2

2.2 Study on mass communication-3

3. Brief Introduction of The Pursuit of Happiness-4

4.-Chris Gardner’s Realization of the American Dream-5

4.1 Predicament-5

4.2 Sense of loss-5

4.3 Pursuit-5

4.4 Self- actualization-6

5. Positive Meaning of The Pursuit of Happiness-7

5.1-Disappointment of the American dream-7

5.1.1-Criticisms in literature-7

5.1.2 Social background of America in 2006-7

5.2 Motivational effect of the American dream in The Pursuit of Happiness-8

5.2.1-Equal opportunity and its motivational effect-9

5.2.2 Possibility of crossing class and its motivational effect-9

5.2.3 Family love and its motivational effect-10

5.3 Rebound in confidence of the American dream-11

6. Conclusion-13

References-14

Acknowledgements-15