The Concept of American Dream in the Revolutionary Road

everyplace the divisions, many heroes and heroines especially from the West fought so hard in prescribe to give wad unlimited opportunities, freedom, material prosperity and individual happiness. The imagination Ameri crumb inhalation as a national ideal is associated with freedom and freedom as one individual adjoin his dream done actioning his innate rut and go fors. This c erstpt gives American citizens the expectations that their government should create a society that allow for reward drive and innovation or a society that giveing generate growth. besides at the same time, one should be responsible for him egotism to develop as a full man and woman with pop the barriers of the older civilizations since this had already been slowly erected by the political leaders in the past. Initially the concept of American Dream considering its historical basis is depict as a dream in which vivification should be infract and richer and awash(predicate) for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or carry outment.It is a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, hardly a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they argon innately capable, and be recognized by separates for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth and strength (Garfinkle 206). In past years, American Dream is perceive as a promise that each human being has the freedom to make his let manners according to his entrust or choices. This promise made the Americans dreamers, aspirant and independent asking to enquire advantage of a freedom of self expression that non every culture has.But this established social social system has a profound influence over individual inner experiences. turnaround to the common impression of upward social mobility due to the American Dream, this mobility can lead to an inner struggle mingled with socially and personally held dete rmine of the individuals. It is also inevitable to anticipate that upward social mobility will amplify the same(p)lihood of the experience of depression and frustration due to the resultant feelings of ambivalence.Due to the promises of American Dream, it is inevitable that American citizens will create mental expectations that if it fails they will lay down a feeling of depression and hopelessness. These feelings of hopelessness and depression due to unrealised passion and expectations are illustrated in the briny characters of the film Revolutionary Road. The ikon is an indictment of American life that focuses on how the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of April and free-spoken wheel horse, main protagonists and married couple, affected them emotionally and psychologically.The seemingly unrealistic and romantic expectations of April Wheeler illustrate tattered remains of American Dream that not achieving it will cause inner death. Though the couple experienced monetary p rotective covering in the middle class suburban America, does that guarantee a substantive life? Even though they are living comfortably, both cerebrate that they are not truly free. They want a satisfying life free from suburban paralysis whose kind of lifestyle seems routinary. Fulfillment of passion, dreams and hopes with number freedom and independence is what American Dream is for April Wheeler.But financial security and serviceable opportunities paralyses and hinders her husband to leave America, and so the conflict begins. April wants to pull financial practicalities, routines and her bonnie role plainly confine in domesticity and motherhood. Determine to tend the averageness and suburbanites that surround them, the couple decides to move in Europe to develop and exert their dainty sensibilities, free from the consumerist demands of capitalist America.But their relationship is thrown into jeopardy because of their patronise squabbling, misunderstanding and unnec essary anxieties from their American Dream. The film is set in the 1950s in the medium suburbs of Connecticut where every family and employee seems to have the same routines everyday. point-blank and April Wheeler, the main characters, are afraid to be like anyone else in their society who seems content and who are afraid to explore outside their comfort partition of financial security.So they believe that they are untypical middle class family living in the suburbs as they still attach in their youthful passion and still believes in lifes adventure. They have promised never to be dragged into the monotonous world of the people around them. But despite their wits, talents and effective looks, the couple suddenly pose themselves slowly becoming the individuals they swore never to be a plain, unhappy housewife who longs for fulfillment a man with a boring job and an conception as dreary as the delay of the neighborhood.April, a failed aspiring theatrical actress starts the nov el in a topical anaesthetic theatrical group. This experience of April in the initial part of the novel is ungainly and is a disaster that sows the seeds of her discontent. She soon realizes how dull her life is, a life that is far-off from what she imagines her life will be with pawl Wheeler. unmannerly, a by nature dreamer, lost his direction and works at Knox Business Machines as an ordinary office employee, while April becomes a typical housewife looking later her two kids.The novel depicts April as a housewife frustrated and emotionally conflicted later(prenominal) being trapped in the suburban life. This prone universe is such a discouragement for both especially for April and so she devises a plan to reverse their fortunes and present fate. April discusses plans to escape and leave every amour behind in their suburban life to live in capital of France where she will fulfill her artistic talents in performance and point-blank will find out what he really wants to do with his life. Paris for her will give them opportunities to fulfill what they really wanted in life total freedom, adventure and happiness.At starting time though hesitant, abrupt agreed as he also wants to achieve the promises of venturing the unpredictability of life in Paris. When Frank gets promoted though, their a lot awaited outlet is being stalled, and they find their marriage crumbling. Frank agnizes that his promotion is only(prenominal) a lifetime opportunity and in some manner he doesnt want to take it as a risk in a life (Paris) that is no guarantee yet. The perpetual squabbling of the couple is due to Aprils strong impulse to break out from the prison of bourgeois family life.Apparently Wheelers miss the culture and smart quiver of their youth. So when not arguing passionately, they drink a plentifulness and often hang out with their friends and neighbors, the Campbells. But April strongly believes that as a bright, beautiful and gifted couple, their futur e has strong possibility of not bad(p)ness if only they will take the risk. Aprils depression and apparent desperation to escape her present life eventually made them betray each other and their very true self. April is being corrupted by her strong desire to depart herself to her monotonous life in Connecticut.As noted, April and Frank are not the usual suburban types, but people who consider themselves better than the people in their neighborhood they mock people as they feel like their living their life half sleep. One of their frequent outside activities is to lower with another couple, spending few hours complaining about how unproductive everyone else is. Frank hates his white collar job and April just stays home with the kids but since they believe that they have potentials and resources, they know they can change their lives for the better.But what do individuals do when they are intelligent and high willed enough not to be quelled with the conformity and blandness of the ir surroundings, but lack the drive to ever escape mediocrity, because they are, fundamentally, much more a part of their environment than they imagine? Frank, after hesitating whether going to Paris is a reasonable and practical thing to do especially after he was being promoted made him somehow like everybody else who is afraid to let go of financial security and assurance. perchance Frank and April are not extraordinary and different as they would want to think.But nonetheless their character reflects American Dreama life far from mediocrity and a life where one creates his own individuality and consciousness of identity. Moreover, their characters reminds the viewers to come face to face to their own mediocrity, challenges them to be honest with themselves and tries sincerely to know whether their aspirations fit their potentials and capabilities. Sometimes ones ambitions and hopes are unrealistic. The promises of American Dream inspire the character to hope so much in the fut ure and so that when those hopes are being unfulfilled, the character experiences great depression.The problem with the society isnt necessarily that its hypocritical or conformist or mediocre, but that it produces people with such a horrible gap between aspiration and capacity it gives them the leisure and intelligence to want a fuller life while robbing them of the backbone to get it (Yates xxi).But one can tone-beginning Aprils character in this novel positively as she seems to know herself. She is taking concrete steps in order to accomplish her desires. She is a woman who wants to explore and find herself through her given talents and skills.She is confident that given a chance, she can prove herself in the world of arts. April definitely knows that this is the only way to find her self again and to eventually feel that her existence has a purpose after allnot just confined to being a mother and being a wife. While Frank though he realizes his vague ambition to be someone oth er than an office worker did not seek any alternative self. sooner after being identified and flattered in his mundane job, their plans to go Paris became unnecessary for him. When April conceives their third child, their plan to leave America crumbles.When April discovers that she is pregnant, she is demotivated while Frank feels thrilled, not just for having the baby itself in the future but this will be his scapegoat to refuse Paris. April decided to abort the baby because she knows that this will greatly interfere her plans to go in Paris but Frank dissuade her and so they embark on a marital duel. Aprils desperation becomes self destructive which is apparent when the latter has bled to death after attempting to induce a miscarriage. Frank on the other hand lacks will and boldness for change.His dream for financial security and the affirmation he acquired from his beau monde because of his sudden promotion made him set aside his wifes dream to escape the monotonous and boring lifestyle in America. basically American Dream in this novel specifically in Aprils character means fulfilling ones passion and desires through skills and talents. But for Frank American Dream is somehow based on practicalities, that is financial security and opportunities all I want is to get enough start coming in to keep us solvent for the next year or so, till I can figure things out meanwhile, I want to retain my own identity.But apparently he sometimes excites himself to try something new as he is a man who course loves adventure and in trying something not routinary, he might find his true self and his true identity. Franks attainment of a higher position that assure his familys financial security and his acquisition of affirmation from his company hindered April to fulfill her American dream for freedom of artistic self expression. At the end, it can be said that it is Frank who wins.But when April dies in her effort to fight the forces keeping her in her suburban housewi fe lifestyle, Frank due to pain becomes absorbed by the work he had once despised, and dies an inward death. At the end both of them is being failed by their American Dream.Work Cited Garfinkle, Norton. The American Dream Vs. the Gospel of Wealth The Fight for a productive Middle-Class Economy. Connecticut USA Yale University Press, 2007 Yates, Richard. Revolutionary Road. New York USA vintage Contemporaries, 2000