Monica Ng

The Act of Sacrifice Practice Essay

The novel Of Mice and Men (1937), by John Steinbeck and the film American beauty (1999), directed
by Sam Mendes explore the acts of sacrifice that differing characters make in an attempt to
accomplish the dream of their social context. The American dream is deceptive in the sense that it
promises happiness from attaining materialistic wealth and becoming successful, but in reality, it is
only true relationships and love, which can fulfil an individual. As a result, individuals experience
feelings of misery when they seek these dreams, as they give up something of importance to them in
hopes of a better future, but their hopes are crushed when the dream does not give a sense of
satisfaction or when they are not able to attain the dream. Only the individuals who do not buy into
the falsity of the dream are protected from the misery that arises.

When an individual sacrifices their relationships with loved ones during the pursuit of a hopeless and
disillusioned dream, they will experience emotional anguish. In the context of 1930 rural, itinerant
America, individuals would strive to achieve self-sufficiency and independence by being in a secure
financial position to purchase their own land, settle down and get married. Throughout the novel,
George preserves an attitude of determination towards seeking the social dream with his companion
Lennie. The repetition of we in Georges dialogue we gotta keep it till we get a stake. We can't
help it Lennie. We'll get out jus' as we can conveys his strong companionship with Lennie in that
they give support to each other in times of hardship, and share the same hopes to live on the fatta
the land. Despite their strong bond, there is an overwhelming sense of hopelessness displayed in
Georges emotive dialogue I could live so easy and so nice without you as George has already
sacrificed his freedom and independence but constantly experiences misery and frustration. The
intangible nature of the dream is exemplified in Georges act to kill Lennie where the dramatic
imagery he pulled the trigger the crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again
emphasises the ultimate sacrifice George made to preserve Lennies happiness and innocence. As a
consequence of this act, George loses all hopes of attaining the dream and experiences great agony
and loss. The detrimental effects of the suburban dream is expressed in the film American Beauty in
which the focalising character Lester Burnham has achieved the social dream, but continues to be
dissatisfied and lack fulfilment in his life because of the futile and false nature of the dream. Lesters
apathetic tone in his voice over in a way I am dead already portrays the lack of life and energy in
his mental and emotional aspects of his life despite having acquired the suburban dream. Lester
gives up his values of integrity and ignores the importance of family relationships to pursue his
selfish adolescent dream, resulting in the disintegration of his relationships with his family. In the
gloomy family dinner scene, the physical distance between each character seated at the table
reflects the lack of intimacy between them, and the long held camera shot with the extremely slow
push in exemplifies the tension in the atmosphere. It is only at the end when Lester comes to the
realisation that his family is important to him, shown through the close up of Lester holding the
family photograph in his hands. Through the two texts it is evident that the sacrifices made in chasing
the American dream will lead to misery.

The desire to be seen as perfect and successful individual in the eyes of society will drive an
individual to make sacrifices in the hopes to live up to the American Dream, however the
consequences of making these sacrifices result in great misery. In the Steinbecks novel, Curleys wife
chooses to sacrifice her freedom and personal dream of becoming an actor in order to achieve the
social dream of wealth but experiences profound isolation and unhappiness as a consequence of her
marriage to Curley. The wistful tone in her dialogue I tell ya I could of went with the shows
portrays her realisation that the sacrifices she made to conform to society were not worth it. The
narration she was breathless with indignation emphasises the discontentment Curleys wife has
towards her life and her dialogue I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely emphasises the
misery she experiences despite having achieved the social dream. To Curley, she is merely a material
possession and a display of wealth and success, and their relationship lacks love and true meaning.
Through the characterisation of Carolyn in the film American Beauty, it becomes clear that her
priority of maintaining a successful career takes a toll on her life in the sense that it does not reward
her with gratification and makes her neglect her relationships with her husband and daughter.
Carolyns fast and frantic movements while cleaning the house portrays her outward perfectionistic
nature as diligent real estate agent, however, the viewer is exposed to her insecurities and fragility
when Carolyn breaks down crying in the darkness at her failure to sell the house. The repetition in
Lesters voice-over she used to be happy. We used to be happy, reveals the absence of love and
happiness in the husband-wife relationship as a consequence of Carolyns obsession with becoming a
successful businesswoman. Therefore, both texts suggest that when an individual strives to achieve
societys image of perfection, they will suffer and experience unhappiness because of the things they
have sacrificed to get to their position.

Individuals who recognise the superficiality of the dream and choose to reject the attainment of the
American dream do not experience misery because they remain true to their identity and do not put
up a false image. In Of Mice and Men, the descriptions of Slim as a natural leader and the prince
of the rank evokes a sense of respect for the character who is contented with his life and has not
sacrificed his integrity and compassion for the illusion of the social dream. Slims words to George
never you mind, a guy got to sometimes expresses the empathy that Slim possesses in that he is
able to understand Georges intentions behind killing Lennie, and how he offers consolation to
George. Mendess character Ricky Fitts consciously rejects the social dream of his time, and is not
blinded by urge to conform to society. As a result of this, he is able to form an intimate relationship
with Janie, see her true beauty and love her for who she truly is. While Ricky is showing Janie his
video tape of the plastic bag and sharing his philosophical life views with her, the close up shots of
their faces reveals the intensity of the moment as the two teenagers have a moment of deep
spiritual connection and intimacy. Therefore, when individuals do not sacrifice their personal values
or relationships to achieve the elusive social dream, they experience a sense of happiness and
fulfilment.

In conclusion, the act of sacrificing in an attempt to achieve unreasonable dreams will result in
misery for an individual. These sacrifices may include giving up relationships with the people close to
you or giving up personal values and sense of self to conform to society, and the consequences of
sacrifices are the emotional agony and misery that an individual is subject to.

Financial security, regular work. He hasnt sacrificed anything but thinks he has sacrificed freedom
and independence Lennies fault. Sacrificing love and friendship to protect Lennie.