How Is Erin Brockovich The Personification Of The American Dream?
The American dream is the ideology that if we work hard we will do well and be successful in life.
Erin Brockovich brings this idea to life as she works hard to become the successful woman that she
wants to be. This idea is emphasised by the fact that she is a single mother, poor and without much
of an education behind her and so has to defy all the odds to achieve the things she wants. The
idea is also further extended as not only does she work hard to gain success but helps people in the
process, implying that the american dream can help others aswell as ourselves and that our dreams
do not have to help only ourselves. The film Erin Brockovich is not entirely truthful as it promotes the
American dream through the Erin Brockovich story yet only shows the positive side, missing out the
more serious negative sides to the after effects of what actually happened.
The film deals with the concept of the american dream by looking into the many modern day
issues that stood in between the title character and achieving the dream. Erin Brockovich is a single
mother, trying to make enough money to support her children. After a car accident which wasn't her
fault she persuades the lawyer who represented her in court to give her a job. Whilst doing this job
she comes across some medical records in with the real estate files, and curious, decides to investi
gate. She finds out about a cover-up in a local community. The local water supply is contaminated
causing devastating illnesses to the current and some previous residents. After further investigation
and with the help of a major law firm Erin and her boss fight against the company responsible,
PG&E, and win the residents the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action law suit in the US,
$333 million. Winning the case earns Erin more money and respect than she has eve...