An Analysis on the Poor and the Rich in US Drama Shameless

Abstract：The essay introduces the method of comparison to make a contrast and analyses the lines and plots to find out the reasons behind the facts. Finally it refers to the main idea of the drama： By analyzing two different kinds of people， it discusses conflicts of morality and subsistence， redefines the understanding of the beauty and ugliness.

Key words： The poor；the rich；contrast

I Contrast between the rich and the poor

1.1 differences in living condition

The living condition is rather poor in Gallagher family. There is only a small pool in the courtyard for childrens relaxation. They are always short of daily necessities and try every means to get them. What impressed the author most is a scene in the second episode. Fiona picked up a large wallet and the family finally decided to have a big dinner. “Call it a world-famous salad bar. Have this one， King Henry.” Fiona said. In fact， the food they had is equal to a meal in Pizza Hut in China. A medium price dinner just made them contented and surprised， which sounds ironic.

1.2 differences in lifestyle

The family is synonymous with “shameless”， because no one will feel ashamed for their bad behaviors. The children smoke outrageously and earn money in an illegal way. In contrast with the Gallaghers， Fionas boyfriend Steve is rich. Steve was a handsome man driving a luxurious car （He explained that he had stolen it） and fell in love with Fiona at the first sight. But such quiet life was stopped by a Brazilian drug trafficker. It turned out that Steve was born in a rich and noble family. The gap between the rich and the poor is a permanent fact， but the Gallaghers always face challenges and move on.

II Reasons of the differences

2.1 Economic condition

There is no doubt that the economic depression exacerbated the gap between the rich and the poor. During the depression， American was in a dilemma. Moreover， the economic policy is another cause to deepen the wealth gap. The main strategy was globalization， which intended to make half of the world become Americas market， and thereby stimulated domestic demand as well as expanded employment. But in the real world， free competition will lead to a monopoly and the monopoly will distort market competition mechanism， resulting in an incomplete and unfair competition. Therefore， it will accelerate the polarization of wealth distribution and threaten the social justice and democracy.endprint

2.2 Social background

There are two main reasons for the wealth gap. First， racial discrimination is a leading cause. In the past， the United States implemented apartheid policy for a long time which made the black receive less education than the white. “In the neighborhood where the working class gathers， the chargers such as theft， burglary， are referred to “theft from the construction site or breaking into an empty house.” However， in the middle-class， neighborhood， these actions just are childrens mischief. In the drama， the smallest child in the family named Liam was treated unfairly. When he touched an item in the supermarket， he is prohibited by the cashier. He was suspected of stealing the item and his sister was scolded for not watching over him.

III Implications of the contrast

Although there are some plots which arent acceptable to many people， the drama inspires audiences to think about the conflict of morality and subsistence. “Material determines consciousness. We must proceed for reality in all things.”The great ideologist Marx pointed the truth. Talking about morality and humanity to a group of naked and hungry people is meaningless， just like castles in the air， because of the lack of food and clothing as a basis.

Inner beauty and external beauty have always been a thought-provoking topic. A philosopher once said， “God gives human a pair of eyes to observe and identify the beauty and ugliness of the world.” In daily life， people tend to be attracted by the beauty of the appearance. Inner beauty isnt easy to be found at first sight， but it will leave a deep impression on people. In this drama， the working classes living in poor district in Chicago wear plain clothes， and they dont know how to dress up. But the most distinctive character of these people is their uncompromising spirit.

Conclusion

The essay focuses on the drama Shameless to analyze because the theme of the drama is close to life and reveals reality. The drama represents the life of a working class family， and deeply evoked peoples thinking of American ideal of freedom and equality. This essay makes a contrast between two different social classes and analyzes the reasons. The gap between the rich and the poor is a long-existence topic， especially in western countries. “The pathetic truth of democracy is that freedom is equaled with unlimited individual activities in capitalist financial system， which means that equality couldnt be achieved.”

Reference

[1]“The most classic lines in US drama Shameless”.

http：//yingyu.xdf.cn/201307/9567404_6.html. July 22th， 2013. / April 8th， 2016.

[2]Adam Smith. “The Wealth of Nations”. [M]. London： Penguin Classics， 1997.

[3]Alice Munro. “Deep-Holes”. http：//www.newyorker.com /magazine/2008/06/30/deep-holes. June 30th， 2008. / April 8th， 2016.

[4]尼克松.角斗場上[M]. 北京：新华出版社，1990-08.

[5]胡克.自由的矛盾情况[M]. 上海：上海人民出版社，1964.

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作者简介：杨汐，1993年7月3日出生，女，汉族，河北省石家庄市人，现就读于陕西师范大学外国语学院2016级学科教学英语专业。主要研究方向：英语教学。endprint