TheDisillusionmentofVengefulDreams

張逸聞

【Abstract】This thesis， through the representatives movie production of American Dream the Great Gatsby and the typical Chinese Dream movie American Dreams in China， analyzed the differences and similarities between the two great concepts.

【Key words】American Dream； Chinese Dream； the differences and similarities between American Dreams and Chinese Dream

【作者簡介】嚴芊蕙（1996.3- ），女，漢族，廣東深圳人，廣東財經大學華商學院在讀本科生，研究方向：英語。

To understand the importance of American Dream and Chinese Dream， analysis of the similarities and differences are of great significance. The two concepts share resemblance in historical background and starting point and differ in cultural background， value， connotation and approach.

The Similarities in Starting Point

According to Deng Niangang， （1997） Professor of the Bei Jing University of Finance and Commerce， Chinese Dream emphasizes on hard work and changes of the current status. Only when the Chinese Nation unites together， and works hard to fight a way out can we make a difference and realize Chinese Dream. President Xi Jingping defined Chinese Dream as the greatest dream of the Chinese Nation throughout the ages， the great rejuvenation of China. The term “rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation”， in other words， means a different future， a different path， a different goal from before， a future that can let the nation as a whole live a content life， a path that can lead Chinese people to walk out of the distress and suffering left from the intrusion of foreign countries in the 1900s， a goal that can unite the Chinese Nation all together and help China to rejuvenate and realize a peaceful rise in the global community. All in all， the starting point of Chinese Dream is to change.

In American Dreams in China， the director vividly showed the audience the realization of the three protagonists Chinese Dream. The reason why Cheng Dongqing， Meng Xiaojun and Wang Yang wanted to go to America in the first place and start a English study institution of their own is that they want to change， they want to change a different way of life， they want to change the underprivileged Chinese students to go to America. Even though Cheng Dongqing was denied to enter America for further study by the American Embassy several times， Meng Xiaojun encountered numerous hardships when he was in America and Wang Yang experienced painful breakup with his American girl friend， they did not give up on themselves， they did not give up on their Chinese Dream， they continued to fight for changes. They knew that， only when they pour their hard work can they achieve something. It is the determination of changes that helped them to realize their dream， which holds a mirror of the starting point of the Chinese Dream.

Ever since the introduction of American Dream， the American people firmly believe that with hard work， perseverance and their belief， they can change their life， they can enjoy prosperity； they can live contently in a peaceful environment without discrimination. After the American Civil War， the American society suffered from great racial discrimination， the whole country was divided， and people lived in constant fear and turmoil. The Americans， in order to change the situation， to live with peace， prosperity and equality， worked hard， and strove to make great achievements. Therefore， the American Dream emphasized on making changes at the very beginning.

In the movie the Great Gatsby， the protagonist Jay was a poor child who grew up in the middle of nowhere with his abusive and alcoholic father. Because he did not want to get stuck in this pathetic environment where he could achieve nothing， he decided to leave his small village to find a way out. He later joined the army and found the love of his life， Daisy， who belonged to the upper class society. Knowing that he was just nothing compared to Daisy， he struggled to make a difference to let him match the status of Daisy. Even though Jay won his way to the upper class society by illegal means， we can see that it is due to the fact that he wanted to make changes of himself that drove him to conduct illegal business. All in all， his starting point was to change， which matched the emphasis of American Dream.

The Differences in Connotation

Chinese Dream is defined by President Xi Jingping as the greatest dream of the Chinese nation as a whole throughout the years. It aims at the rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. It is the path towards the rejuvenation of our nation， and the path towards a brand new future in which China can no longer be the subject of the foreign invasion and World Wars. President Xi clearly stated that when he defined Chinese Dream： “The rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation， Which is the Chinese Dream， will be realized.”

The connotation of Chinese Dream can be described in two “century goals.” By the time when the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party and the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China reach their 100th anniversary respectively in 2021 and 2049， China will gradually make its peaceful rise in the global community and the rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation as a whole. According to the report of the 18th Peoples Congress， the manifestation of the realization of Chinese Dream in reality can be summarized as follows：

National prosperity and strength

The rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation

The well-being of the People

In conclusion， based on the connotation of Chinese Dream above， it is evident that Chinese Dreams concerns are on the people and the whole nation. It puts emphasis on the national well-being instead of individuals success.

In American Dreams in China， the manifestation of the connotation of Chinese Dream can be found nearly everywhere. The story happened after the horrific Cultural Revolution， and people were still living in a stirred environment where the trauma of the Second World War was still haunting the Chinese people. At that time， everyone， including the three protagonists， wanted to contribute their bits to help the nation. They knew that in China where the traditional value was still prevalent， going aboard or sending Chinese students aboard were the optimal options to make a change of the country.

The connotation of American Dream can be further analyzed into two categories. In the broad sense， American Dream refers to a kind of national belief， such as democracy， liberation， justice， equality， etc. Such belief is evident in the United States Declaration of Independence： “hold these truths which is self-evident， that is life and equality； God has given them inalienable power： life， liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The United States Constitution has made the connotation of American Dream more specific which can be summarized into the following three parts.

All men are equal；

Freedom and Fairness：

Everyone has the pursuit of happiness and opportunity.

Therefore， based on the statements made in the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution， it is evident that the concepts of democracy and equality are highly emphasized in American Dream so that we can say that broadly speaking， the connotation of American Dream is democracy and equality.

However， in a narrow sense， the American Dream can be described as a belief in the freedom that allows all citizens and residents of the United States of America to achieve their goals in life through hard work. Today， in America it generally refers to the idea that ones prosperity depends upon ones own abilities and hard work， not on a rigid class structure， though the meaning of the phrase has changed over Americas history. For some， it is the opportunity to achieve more prosperity than they could in their countries of origin； for others， it is the opportunity for their children to grow up with an education and career opportunities； for others， it is the opportunity to be an individual without the constraints imposed by class， caste， race， or ethnicity.

In the Great Gatsby， it is not hard to find the connotation of Jay Gatsbys American Dream， that is： everyone， regardless of the social class， can have the opportunity to be successful， to make achievement， to make a difference. Jay Gatsby was a no one until he became one of the wealthiest persons in American. Irrespective of the way he gained fortune， he was living a life which he called highly successful， for he had climbed up the social ladder and won the heart of the love of his life， even though it was just a moment compared to his permanent death and notorious reputation afterwards.

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