Introduction
The American dream holds that every American citizen should have equal chances to achieve success through determination, initiative, and hard work with minimal barriers. Re Jane novel is about Jane, an American Korean young lady trying to make it in life. However, as opposed to having a smooth transition from poverty to success in the American dream, Jane experiences many obstacles during her pursuit of excellence. Unlike other characters such as Sang, Ed, Nina, and Beth, who are positively living the American dream to some point, Jane is struggling to begin the success journey. Thus, living the American dream is almost impossible for most characters who are drawn back by economic or social factors.
Character Representation of the American Dream
Jane is a visionary and educated woman but, unfortunately, is not living the American dream. When Jane completed her college education, she expected to get employed by the Lowood Capital Partners, but following insider trading accusations to the CEO, the company froze the hiring chances. Jane was stuck to work with her uncle Sang in his grocery store, FOOD. Jane never envisioned life turning from graduating to working in a grocery store. Her dream was to work in a financial firm and shape her success accordingly.
Jane’s struggles to achieve success begin immediately after her graduation, and the obstacles follow her throughout her life in the story. Jane works in Sang’s store while hoping to land a better job but later becomes a nanny to Devon (Park 43). Jane still does not find her dream job but later goes to Seoul for her grandfather’s funeral. Upon returning to New York, Jane finds a real-estate job and settles for it. In other words, Jane never experienced the American dream or the life she expected after graduating. Her social life is also troubled because apart from having problematic romantic relationships, Jane is also struggling between having good nunchi and living her life on her terms.
A few characters, including Sang, Devon, and Jane’s grandfather, are living the American dream or are on the right path to achieving it. Sang is happily married, has a positive social life, and is a successful food store owner (Park 4). Although Jane does not find FOOD life fancy, it is soul-fulfilling for her uncle, Sang. Devon, Mazer-Farleys’s adopted Chinese daughter, is living the American dream. Devon, whose parents are professors, attends a good school, is loved by her parents and her nanny, Jane, and lives in an adorable home. Thus, even though Devon has not yet made it in life, she is on the right path to making it.
Jane’s grandfather also is illustrated to have lived the American dream. After opening a store with the financial help of Sang, the grandfather had a successful store and managed to give his family some money. Upon his death, Jane mentions that the grandfather left her $100 000 and more money to his children, including sang. Nina has also struggled to live her dream but has finally located a real-estate job which, unlike Jane, meets her job dream. Nina is a supportive young woman to her friend Jane and lives a positive social life.
The Mazer-Farleys are halfway towards achieving the American dream. Beth and Ed are Brooklyn English professors, have an adopted daughter, can afford to hire a nanny, and live in Ed’s parents’ inherited house (Park 46). However, the couple has romance issues and ends up getting divorced. Ed starts dating Jane, but the relationship does not live long either. In other words, the social part of the Mazer-Farleys prevents them from achieving their social goals.
Justification for Characters’ Actions
It is possible to justify the actions of the various characters depending on their desire to achieve the American dream. Jane’s desire to become a financial firm employee in the World Trade Center was doomed when the region was attacked by the 9/11 terrorist event (Park 128). Jane has to find a way to live and grow her way up to a successful life. She, therefore, has no choice but to take the available job, including being a nanny. When a better job opportunity presents itself, Jane grabs it without a second thought. She becomes a real-estate employee even though it is not her dream job.
Nina understands the tussle involved with job searching in New York. She encourages Jane when she settles for a lesser job, “The economy’s total crap. It wasn’t anything like when we started college. You kind of feel lucky to have a job at all” (Park 248). Nina is also struggling to find a job in the deteriorating economy and understands that finding a job is luck. From the same perspective, Sang and his father had to begin businesses that, according to their visions, helped them to live their dreams. The Mazer-Farleys may be well up and enjoy their dream success but had to romantically separate to protect their peace. From their perspective, the true American dream is only achieved when one has freedom and peace in life. That way, they will live happily and help Devon’s dream to come to reality.
Jane’s Life in New York and Seoul
Jane spent a significant part of her life in New York and Seoul during the story. A major similarity in Jane’s life in both regions is that she was troubled to find her self-identity. When Jane started working for her uncle Sang, she was taught the strict culture of nunchi, which was expected to define her, but she wanted the freedom to self-identify (Park 3). Equally, Jane found it difficult to self-identify in Seoul, where she had to learn Korean culture, which also never allowed her to live up to her expectations. In both areas, Jane was pressured by life because she never lived up to her personal and societal expectations.
The main difference is that Jane had a chance to live her dreams in New York than in Seoul. In New York, Jane was realizing her abilities and interests and living a better life on her terms compared to when in Seoul. To her, Seoul felt more like a school in which she had to learn everything about her roots (Park 132). New York life is better for Jane because she has a high chance of becoming whom she visions. After all, there are many job opportunities and free social life compared to Seoul. When she is in New York, Jane is more focused on achieving success no matter which job, even when it is not her dream job. Unlike her Seoul friends, who barely understand her dream, Jane has the most supportive friend in New York who pushes her to achieve her goals. Nina is an example of Jane’s friends who want her to succeed and understand the flaws in her social life.
Conclusion
Jane’s life conditions, especially economic, political, and social factors, make it difficult for her to live the American dream. She crawls between being a store employee to a nanny and finally a real-estate worker. Jane, like other characters’ thirsts for a better life, but she has accepted the chance of never achieving it. The economic conditions in New York and Seoul justify the kind of choices the characters have to make to achieve the American dream. Jane’s life in New York and Seoul helps her self-identify, and as she accepts to balance both cultures, she is better in New York.
Work Cited
Park, Patricia. Re Jane. Penguin Books, 2015.