Mr. Smith goes to Washington

 I can agree that America was founded on big radical ideas and was built with the idea of freedom at the forefront of the founding father's minds.  As portrayed in the film, liberty, individualism, and populism are the values as saw on display most. The idea that any ol person can become a government leader and make it in this country is a part of the “American Dream.” The reading touches on how the original settlers brought with them a lot of these values we hold strong today, especially liberty. These cultures all came here and brought new ideas to the table on what it means to be an American. The film also attempted to reveal some of the issues within the American government, as Mr. Smith stands up to fight against a powerful corrupt government. The other strong theme in the film is patriotism. The readings mention how unity and patriotism are harder to come by these days, but in 1939 as World War II was starting creating a movie that promotes some blind patriotism was needed for the time. I see these five main values from this quote loosely resembled in America today, but with less compelling support. The reality is that these main values are not truly reflected in American society. Everyone is not equal or free, and a government “for the people” is diluted in our unjust oppressive voting laws and representation systems. 





Comments

  1. David BernellFebruary 10, 2023 at 4:53 PM

    The themes of liberty and patriotism are clearly present in the film. Are there some examples from the film, reading, or current events (or the time the movie was made, which this alludes to) that can help you to address and critique these ideas in more depth?

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