1. Unit Four Business and American Dream
Film Focus: The Pursuit of Happyness

2. Business and American Dream
Introduction (P62)
What is American dream?
American Dream, is a belief that everyone, regardless of gender, age, color, nationalities, can succeed as long as he/she works hard enough in the United States of America.
How to realize American dream?
Business is considered as the easiest way for individual to become rich (American dream)
“The business of America is business”, how to understand it?

3. Business and American Dream
Introduction (P62)
What can American business lead to?
How to understand competition in business?
Protecting American values: individual freedom, equality of opportunity, hard work
Competition in business and American values

4. Competition in business and American value
freedom
Core
value A B
hard work D
equality C

5. Group Discussion: Chinese Value
What are the core values in China?
Can you find the differences and similarities about them in the two countries?

6. China's Values
Harmony
Morality
Cooperation
Diligence

7. Group discussion: Chinese Dream
What is the greatest dream in our country?
Can you find the differences and similarities between the American Dream and Chinese dream?

9. Film Focus

10. About the film
A good motivational movie(励志影片), inspired by a true story. Protagonist of the story is an African American named Chris Gardner. The movie is based on his autobiography (自传) and about how he has turned into a successful investment expert (stockbroker) from an impoverished (穷困潦倒的) salesman.

11. Plot summary of the film
Chris Gardner earns his living by selling portable bone-density scanner, he should sell at least two scanners a month for rent and daycare for his son. But he often doesn’t sell any for a while. He meets a stockbroker by accident, he knows that to be a stockbroker you just have to be good with numbers and good with people rather than going to college. Then he decides to try, he gets the Witter Resource head Jay’s approval with the help of a puzzle measuring. He becomes one of 20 competitors in the broker trainee program, only one can get the job in the end. During the six months’ internship, there is no salary. Because of the difficult conditions, his wife leaves, he stays with his son. On account of poverty, he can’t afford the rent, he and his son move to the motel, get in line at Glide Memorial for shelter and even sleep in the toilet of subway station. But he never gives up and in the end he passes the examination and wins the full-time position and becomes a stockbroker.

12. Question: The word Happyness is deliberately misspelt? Why?
There is an I in “happiness”. There is no Y in “happiness”. It's an I.
幸福里面没有为什么，只有我
HAPP NESS Y I

13. Why is the film named The pursuit of Happiness ?
Chris Gardner:
It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson, who had drawn up the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
我们认为这些真理是不言而喻的:人生来平等，造物主赋予他们某些不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命、自由和追求幸福。
I remember thinking, how did he know to put the “pursuit” part in there. That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue, and maybe we can actually never have it, no matter what, how did we know that.

14. Survey: Are you happy? Group A Group B No, I’m not. Yes, I’m. Because…

15. The Pursuit of Happyness
Film Clips
Film Clip 1 (Interview)
Film Clip 2 (Father-and-son talk)
Film Clip 3 (Internship)
Film Clip 4 (This part of life is called “happiness”)))

16. The Pursuit of Happyness
Questions and Review
The Pursuit of Happyness

17. Questions and Review
Chris Gardner comes from the bottom of the ladder, but he becomes the winner in the end. What accounts for his success?
We often say diligence and opportunity are equally important for job hunting. Is there any opportunity for Chris Gardner in seeking job? How does he seize the opportunity?
Job hunting is also a problem for today’s graduates. Does Chris Experience in hunting job give our job-seekers some implications?

18. Questions and Review
As to what part of life Chris Gardner has experienced all through the film, he calls “his part of life” riding the bus, being stupid, internship, paying taxes, running and finally happiness. How do you interpret his six parts of life?

19. Questions and Review
Chris Gardner once said to his son, “Don’t let somebody tell you, you can’t do something, not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves. They want to tell you that you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it.” What information does father want to convey to his son?

20. Thank You !
Pursue
your own
Happiness