Failure of American Dream in Scoot Kalvert's Film The Basketball Diaries

Abstract

Detrimental impact of culture industry on the youth of American society during 1960s’ is the main issue of this research. The research examines The Basketball Diaries (1995) by taking theoretical support from Neo-Marxists mainly of Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer and George Lukacs. This research explores that the rise of culture industry in America has paradoxically annihilated the American youth by pushing them towards drug addiction and other deformities for the sake of making money. The protagonist, Jim and his friends Pedro and Mickey indulge in drug addiction and lose their way to success and lead their life in vain. They escape from reality in the search of happiness and drive their life to nightmare. Where they only experience pain, despair, agony and animosity. Society takes them as a social evil. But the society never can understand it is the result of culture industry. There is dichotomy between socio-economic and political scenario and reality of the common people. Researcher finds that the American Dream is slack ideals as it fails to fulfill its promises of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. After being independent the USA practice culture industry to fulfill dream of individuals and there was emergence of capitalism and it is the capitalist’s society which exploits human moral and ethical value and relation. Hence, the researcher has gone to underlying level of the then society in light of Neo-Marxism that postulates different speculation from that of given society.