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The Good Life - Coggle Diagram
The Good Life
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Works
Plays
Antigone 
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(Antigone) Antigone mainly desires the autonomy and freedom from the King to bury his brother in accordance with Greek religion.
(Antigone) The main thing that set back Antigone and creates the conflict in the first place is the power of the King/the State. Because legitimating (via burial) the act of rebellion will diminish the power of the King, the burial is not allowed. This pushes Antigone to go against the state to get what she wants.
A Raisin in the Sun
(Raisin) The Younger family firmly believes that if they had a big house, and money, that they would be able to get out of where they live.
(Raisin) Asagai firmly desires a Nigeria ruled by his own countryman. He wants autonomy and independence for his own state.
(A Raisin) Set during Jim Crow America, the racial apartheid in the United States prevents the Younger family from actually achieving anything they want. As seen in the ending of the play, a white man comes and tries to dissuade them from buying a house because it would mess up the demographics of the town.
Madame Bovary
(Bovary) Emma Bovary's version of the Good Life was a world in which she engaged in affairs, as she thoroughly enjoyed the passion and pursuit of her lovers.
Prose
A Small Place
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The Dispossessed
(Dispossessed) Shevek's work is not able to be completed due to Anarresti society. He has to go to Urras to finish his work.
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(The Dispossessed) The state on Anarres prevent Shevek from properly researching his theory, preventing him from living the life he wants.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
(Fundamentalist) Changez believes that the solution to his problems initially lies in him getting a high paid job at Underwood Samson.
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(Fundamentalist) Changez's race prevents him from fully being assimilated into American culture. Even though he fulfills his desire to become wealthy, his race prevents him from truly enjoying the benefits of said wealth.
(Fundamentalist) While playing a lesser role in the plot, Changez does desire romance in his new host country.
Movies
Parasite
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(Parasite) The Kim family try to get jobs at the Park family residence as to up their station in life.
Life and Debt
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(A Small Place + Life and Debt) Both of these countries want autonomy from their former colonial masters, but they are not able to do so.
The results
Mainly good ✅
None of the stories, expect arguably Antigone have an overtly good ending. Antigone's ending can be seen as positive as she set was succesful in what she wanted to do, but she takes her own life because of it.
What does it mean? I think it demonstrates how the pursuit of "the good life" does not always end up leading us to actually having one.
Mainly Bad ❌
Every other work has underlying tones that can demonstrate an unhappy ending.
- In Madame Bovary, this is seen through the fact we the audience see that at her death, none of her lovers mourn her.
- In A Raisin in the Sun, it is implied that the Younger family will experience racism or violence due to them moving into a white neighborhood.
- In A Small Place and Life and Debt, the desire for autonomy leaves Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago debt trapped by Western powers.
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