Signing deals with the devil of neo-liberalism: An analysis of Neil Burger’s Limitless (2011) Anonymous College

To achieve power, knowledge and material wealth in this global age, people are signing deals with the Devil. In this regard, the key question should then be, who or what is the 'devil' we each are willing to bargain with to fulfil that hunger that burns all sensibilities? Through an analysis of Neil Burger’s Limitless (2011) and its orientation around the ideals of the American Dream, in this article I will demonstrate the deleterious effects on the ‘human essence’ of making a deal with the devil of neo-liberalism.

Although everyone has a unique interpretation of what the American Dream might be, in the contemporary era, the media has played a significant role in the way in which it is portrayed; the ‘dream’ has now evolved to include of one’s image, fame, land and house ownership, and materialistic possessions (cars, mansions, brand clothing, gadgets, etc.). In a nutshell, one strives to reach the American dream in pursuit of happiness through working to obtain lots of money to buy expensive items to prove one’s worth.

Theoretically, what the American Dream has become has been emerged as a matter of debate, and it is apposite in this juncture in history to note how its overemphasis on comparative material wealth, as the only...