The American Dream

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey is an example of someone who has experienced the 'American Dream'. I chose to write about Jim's personal experience as some of his early life mirrors Richard's lifestyle in Ragged Dick. Jim grew up in poverty similarly to Dick so he had to work in a factory after school to provide for his family who at the time lived out of a Volkswagen camper.

Carrey's success came when he performed a gig at The Comedy Store and a comic signed him as an opening act for the season. This led to a film career as he grew confidence in the performing industry.
Jim Carrey now has a net worth of $150 million which is extremely impressive after you learn about his poor childhood.

It is obvious to see the comparisons of childhood poverty between Jim Carrey and Dick in Ragged Dick however, Carrey had a family that he had to provide for whereas Dick had no relatives so he had to completely fend for himself. The other main difference between the actor and the character is the professions they both went into. Jim entered the entertainment profession whereas Dick tried to be as practical as possible and go for a stable counting room job. Although it can be argued that the job was given to him rather than him going out and searching for it so this profession could have been different under other circumstances.

Both Jim Carrey and the character of Dick prove that anyone can be successful with hard work. Jim Carrey is also an example that the 'American dream' is still accomplished today and that it is not just an idea of the past.


Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000120/bio
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/14/rags-to-riches-stories_n_2458994.html