American Beauty Argumentative Essay Example

it's likely that Jane has had sexual experience but chooses not to mention it because she is portrayed as the opposite of Angela.

Carolyn, the wife of Lester, embodies superficial beauty and possesses a possessive demeanor that revels in power and possessions. The household seems to be under her dominion as she drives the lavish and gargantuan car, enjoys a superior profession as an estate agent over Lester, and indulges in luxurious items and furniture. While Carolyn maintains a pretense of peace and contentment in her marriage to Lester with the aid of their opulent car, residence, and furnishings, the reality is quite the opposite. Though she may recognize this, she appears to choose to overlook it and continue the facade of bliss.

Lester discusses the struggling marriage with Mr. Fitz towards the end of the movie. He states, "Our marriage is a representation of who we are not, despite what we typically display in public."

Their marriage is not going well and Carolyn's personality is also deteriorating. To try and improve herself, Carolyn listens to many self-help tapes. Once, when trying to sell a house, she gets herself into a confident mindset by repeatedly chanting "I will sell this house today!" She even cleans the entire house to make it more appealing, but no one buys it, causing Carolyn to break down in tears. She slaps herself and yells at herself for being weak. Mr. Fitz is a very organized man who lives in the same neighborhood as Lester and his family. He lives with his wife and son, Rikki.

Mr. Fitz is known for his strict introduction, "Colonel Fitz, U.S Marine Core!" and his

open disdain for the LGBTQ+ community. Although some may view his discipline as admirable, the portrayal of it in this film is negative. In one instance, Mr. Fitz even goes so far as to physically assault his own son, whom he suspects to be gay.

Mr. Fitz and Carolyn share a love for possessions, evident through Mr. Fitz's collection of military medals and wartime memorabilia kept in a locked glass cabinet. As for Rikki, although he may not directly exemplify traditional beauty, he possesses an appreciation for beauty in all its forms, whether internal or external, and makes his own judgments accordingly.

Lester's fascination with Jane leads to their relationship despite Angela's negative opinions of him as a "freak" and "weirdo". While neither Lester nor Rikki conform to societal ideas of beauty, they both learn to appreciate it through their experiences. Lester's interactions with Rikki influence his newfound contentment before his demise. Although Lester becomes interested in Angela after being introduced by Jane, his attraction toward her is purely physical. In his dreams of Angela, rose petals emphasize her innocence. Later, Angela admits her lack of sexual experience, exposing her deceitful behavior and shattering Lester's perception of her.

The film's message is that beauty comes in various forms and it portrays the repercussions of lacking it. The protagonist is hesitant to deprive the heroine of her innocence by deflowering her. Mr.

Fitz is depicted as a character leading an unhappy life due to his inability to express his true self and imposing this feeling on his family. The film also depicts the consequences of not conforming to societal beauty standards, particularly through the characters of Angela and

Carolyn, who struggle with insecurities and constantly put on a facade to conceal their imperfections, manifested in Angela's sex-related stories and Carolyn's relentless pursuit for perfection.

In my opinion, the most desirable form of beauty conveyed in the film is Jane's inner beauty. Although she may not be content with her physical appearance, she possesses an ideal balance of inner qualities that Rikki recognizes, as previously noted. Furthermore, I believe Rikki epitomizes the beauty of intelligence in the film, since he can draw insightful conclusions about individuals and perceive their true nature beyond their external appearance.