Alexis de Toqueville vs The Truman Show Anonymous College

A white picket fence and 2.5 children is the standard model of the American dream. It is an often quoted ideal and the literal dream of many people in the country. However; there is a problem in the definition of this dream in that the very nature of such an ideal makes it impossible to define when or if that dream has been attained. This is a question that plagues many when searching for the picturesque “American Dream”. It also leads many to struggle for unattainable goals and not realize the reality that they are living in while trying to achieve an alternate version of their own circumstances in what they perceive to be a better reality. This desire to escape one’s reality is brought to attention by Alexis de Toqueville in his literary work, Democracy in America. He highlights these tendencies and describes their source as rooted in the opportunities that are afforded to Americans (De Toqueville, Democracy in America). Another critique of the American ideal of escapism comes into play in The Truman Show, a film directed by Dennis Gassner that looks into the life of a man, Truman, who is living what many would assume to be the definition of the American dream, but when he discovers it to be fake does everything in his power...