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Examples Of The American Dream In Gran Torino

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In today’s day and age, it would be very difficult to find someone who has not heard of the American dream. Although most people have heard of the American dream, if you were to ask a couple people what the phrase means to them, there would probably be very different responses. With all the various interpretations of the American dream out there, it has probably become somewhat difficult to truly understand the meaning behind the phrase. However, no film better portrays what the American dream is than Gran Torino. In Gran Torino, it is shown that the American dream is much more than owning large amounts of material objects, but rather being able to live happily in America, and that is a goal that anyone can reach, no matter the race or gender. As long as they are willing to travel down a potentially hard road and put in the work, the American dream is attainable. Sometimes on the path of achieving the American dream, it can be easy to forget what the American dream truly is, and make the mistake of believing that wealth equates to being successful a person. Almost all of the characters in Gran Torino are materialistic in their own way. A great example is Walt, who primarily cares about his car, a material possession which also represents the American dream. “The American pragmatist, he fixes things as well as finishes things. He spends a lifetime accumulating the tools in his garage, material goods, naming them and knowing how they work.” (Alpert) Even though Walt and his

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