Pursuit of Happiness - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to the Declaration of Independence, the pursuit of happiness is considered to be a fundamental right. The citizens of the United States are expected to freely pursue joy and live in a manner that makes them happy. The declaration goes further to provide conditions that enable a happy life. Citizens are required to live a happy life provided their enjoyment does not infringe on the rights of others or is illegal. The movie, "Pursuit of Happyness," is based on a true story and revolves around the life of Chris Gardner. The main character in the movie is involved in a struggle for survival. Gardner's main goal is to protect his family from sinking to poverty. The movie, Gardner's happiness is derived from being able to provide for his family. Therefore, happiness is being able to conquer poverty and providing for your family.

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The movie is based on the predicaments of a single father (Chris Gardner). Due to tough economic times, Gardner is evicted from his apartments. The father and his son become homeless in the streets. The happenings affect the life of Gardner because he is not able to provide for his family (Putri 3). Determination lands Gardner, a job at a prestigious brokerage firm. Unfortunately, he gets a job as an intern thus the position does not attract any wages or salary. The family is subjected to poverty which affects their life and jeopardizes their happiness. Therefore, Gardner and the son decide to live in shelters and endure the troubles associated with the area. However, Gardner is determined to live a better life and provide the best for his son. The determination enables him to conquer his troubles and achieve happiness for his family (Putri 6). The movie depicts poverty as a major cause of an unhappy life. Furthermore, money leads to happiness in the family.

Family comes first to most individuals. People cherish their families, and the goal is to ensure they get the best that life can offer. However, everything needs money, and the lack of it can affect the happiness of individuals. This is reflected in the film when Gardner's efforts to make his family happy were jeopardized by poverty. The news by President Ronald Regan about the state of the economy adversely affected Gardner and the family (Putri 9). He knew that he could not provide for his family. This illustrates that someone's happiness can be affected by the lack of money to ensure that his family lives a better life. Therefore, the best way to live a happy life is to have overcome poverty.

Happiness requires self-confidence. People who are happy should be ready to overcome their fears in life. To attain happiness, individuals should not give up in life. Therefore, happiness requires the courage to move on and fight the battle even when everything seems impossible. According to Gardner, he knew that his happiness depends on the way he could provide for his family and conquer poverty (Putri 11). Though the United States was experiencing financial problems, he knew that it was not the time to surrender. Therefore, Gardner decided to smile and start working hard to save his family from poverty. This shows that happiness can be attained through self-confidence. Additionally, people who throw in the towel do not get an opportunity to enjoy happiness. Subsequently, we should all have self-confidence during the time of our troubles to attain the happiness that we deserve.

Money matters a lot in the attainment of happiness. This is further illustrated in, "The Pursuit of Happyness." Later in the movie, Gardner is determined to have a better life (Putri 14). Therefore, in his pursuit of happiness, he starts pursuing money because he came to understand that life depends on money. To enjoy life, money must be involved. Therefore, the happiness of people across the world is dependent on money. Furthermore, money can be used to overcome poverty and achieve happiness. Through money, individuals can cater for most if not all of their needs. Therefore, money and happiness cannot be disconnected.

Conclusion

Happiness is dependent on money thus poverty jeopardizes the enjoyment. Therefore, to achieve the required satisfaction in life individuals have to have the required money to sustain their life and happiness. Additionally, happiness can be achieved through being determined through the times of hardship. People who surrender to their problems do not get the chance to enjoy their happiness. However, hardship requires tough individuals who are ready and determined to work in order to overcome their sorrows. The pursuit of Happiness is embedded in the United States Declaration of Independence. Every citizen is required to be happy and enjoy life through legal means that does not infringe on the rights of others. The film shows that money is required to achieve the goal. Happiness does not come for free; it requires people to spend in order to attain happiness. Furthermore, the family is an important aspect of every individual's life. Therefore, happiness can be derived from ensuring that your family is living a better life. Providing the required necessities to your family is important because provided they are happy, you are automatically at peace with yourself.

Works Cited

Putri, Oktavia Pratomo. The American Individualism Reflected in Chris Gardner A Character in the Pursuit of Happyness Movie. Diss. University of Diponegoro, 2011.