The Study on the Influence of Family Education and the Absence of Father’s love on Gardner in the book The Pursuit of Happyness

Abstract

Acted by Wale Smith and his son, the movie the Pursuit of Happiness has gained worldwide attention soon after it was carried on screen. People throughout the world are not only moved by his persistence and doughtiness when he suffered the cross which are even unbearable by any one, he never gave up and finally he made a miracle, from the mean street to the wall street out of his hardworking and strong faith, but think highly of his love to his son, because he never left his son alone even his was in his hardship, He did all the responsibilities of a father. A man’s personality and faith is much link to the circumstances under which he was grown up and education he got. What circumstances was he grown up? How was he influenced by the education he got? What image of father did he set up when his father is absent? Readers are all curious about these questions.

The thesis is based on Gardner’s autobiographical novel the Pursuit of Happiness and mainly focuses on the impact of family education and the absence of father’s love on Gardner. It adopts content analysis and case study as research methods. It first gives a brief introduction of the circumstances under which Gardner was grown up and many figures who have great impact on his growing up, his mother, uncle and aunt as well as his stepfather who are usually brutal to him. Then it lists some examples to analyze his family education methods and their influence. At last it will conclude whether his family education methods and the absence of father’s love do influence his growing up and his attitude towards life.

The result of this thesis will be a supplement to the literature on the analysis of family education and the absence of father’s love, and be able to offer a better understanding to the readers of Gardner’s autobiographical novel.

Key words: the pursuit of happiness  Gardner   family education  black motherhood 
the absence of father’s love