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Student Name Professor Name Subject 8 May 2000 The Pursuit of Happiness. People are always in the search of happiness. They try to do everything they can in order to reach success, they earn money for having more material things, and they struggle in the wars to obtain freedom. But the value of the different events that make people happy varies form time to time. In the period of Great Depression, that took place in the 1930s, the understanding of happiness differed greatly from our present. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. The Worlds economy has declined greatly during the Great Depression. People suffered from hunger, they had no jobs, no money. It was the hardest time in their lives. So, they considered to be happy if they had something to eat. The films such as Citizen Cane, Madam Pierce and Modern Times have reflected that period. In Citizen Kane the person, who had everything but was not happy is depicted. Susan Alexander tells to Mr. Kane in her final argument with him that just money doesnt mean anything. She says that he doesnt give her anything he cares about. Mr. Kane buys everything he wants, including an opera house for his wife to sing in; nothing really brings him the happiness of Rosebud. This is the joy of the simple life of love and fun that is so often left out of the American Dream. In the movies we see the simple life with the bare minimum brings more happiness than the complexities of wealth.

Yourlastname 2 In the movie Madam Pierce the depiction of happiness is also. Are any of the characters of the film happy? This is film noir, black and white, somber, usually about a crime. What truly makes these characters happy? Is Mildred happy with her success? Is Monty Beragon happy with his mansion? Is Veda happy with her mothers money and mansion? Probably the happiest character in this movie is Kay, Mildreds daughter who dies of pneumonia early in the movie. Her death is in many ways, the death of happiness in the movie, because the focus in Mildreds life is now on Veda. That is a symbolic move from materialism playing a part in ones life, to materialism playing the main part, because Veda is the total materialist, a scavenger in life, who takes and takes. Veda moves Mildred out from a life of fulfillment to a life consumed by materialism, culminating in Mildreds buying a husband. Modern Times is in the 1930s during the Great Depression era. This film has a very important message to the viewer: the problem of unemployment, poverty, and hunger. It has a number of wonderfully inventive and memorable routines and scenes that proclaim the frustrating struggle by proletarian man against the dehumanizing effects of the machine in the Industrial Age (at the time of Henry Ford's assembly line), and various social institutions. So, what happiness means for people today. In 2012 people live in the abundance of the different material things, they have highly paid jobs, can travel a lot, they are free because they live in the democratic society. So often we buy into the fallacy that something or someone is going to come along and make us happy a new job, more money, a better relationship, etc. And until that happens, we resign to being unhappy and unfulfilled. The fact of the matter is, if we arent happy now, most probably, we never will be no matter what may come our way down the line. However, they still have problems; they do not consider themselves happy. So, what we need to be happy. This question is very controversial.

Yourlastname 3 A big part of this is not depending upon others, our current circumstance, or material possessions to make us happy. We must take responsibility for our own happiness, and find it in our very existence and in how we live our lives. Happiness is nothing more than attitude and fulfillment. The old saying, Either our glass is half full or half empty, is very true indeed. How we perceive our lives, who we are, and what we make of our current situations, has everything to do with our ultimate happiness and personal fulfillment. If we continually look down to road for our happiness, well never find it, as with our every step forward, the horizon moves one step further away. Consequently, happiness and fulfillment may forever elude us. If our eyes are always fixed on the horizon, well most certainly miss whats right at our feet. The simple fact is, happiness and fulfillment are within our grasp right here, right now. Life is a journey, and we make it what it is good or bad. For happiness and fulfillment doesnt come at the end of the journey, but rather, is found in the journey itself.

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Works Cited Films Citizen Cane, Madam Pierce and Modern Times