La rueda de la maravilla y el deseo inalcanzable del Sueño Americano

Abstract

The American Dream is a central concept in the discourse of the identity of the American people, from its constitution as a country to the present day. In general terms, it consists of working hard and progressing to reach success, which can be achieved by all its inhabitants. For Chomsky (2017) we are witnessing the requiem of that dream, supposedly equalitarian and fair, due to the growing democratic degradation and the concentration of wealth, which grants greater political power to the rich. The objective of our work is to deal with this theme from the representations of The Wonder Wheel (Woody Allen, 2017), a film that combines drama and tragedy with a staging in which the cinematographic meets the theatrical. Set during the 1950s - when economic growth and consumerism seemed to ensure that social mobility for all citizens - and located in Coney Island, a tourist center located south of Brooklyn, symbol of a splendor already decaying in those years. The story centers on a couple who work at the amusement park, Humpty (James Beluschi) driving the carousel, and Ginny (Kate Winslet) a waitress at a clam restaurant. The action is narrated by the lifeguard of the beach, Mickey (Justin Timberlake) who maintains a loving relationship with Ginny, until he falls in love with Humpty’s daughter, Caroline (Juno Temple) who comes to Coney Island fleeing from the mafia. Through these emotionally dissatisfied characters, the filmic text condenses those Americans who have been left out of the American dream, making it clear that it is an inspiring myth rather than a reality.