CU Abroad – Marisel Salazar

“Both my wife and my daughter think I am this gigantic loser. And they’re right. I’ve lost something very important. I’m not exactly sure what it is, but I know I did not always feel this…sedated. But you know what? It’s never too late to get it back.”

 -Lester Burnham, American Beauty

…

My translation class involves translating American film scripts into colloquial Spanish, such as American Beauty. However, during our many segways where we find ourselves not necessarily translating the script, we “translate” cultural norms from one country to another.

 There is one American value that American Beauty demonstrates very well, that Cristina, my Spanish native translation professor, says is very hard for Spaniards to grasp: the power of change.

 American Beauty shows an exaggeration of an American family. The main character, forty-something Lester Burnham appears to have the American Dream. In reality, Lester is recently fired, in a loveless marriage, has a non-existent relationship with his teenage daughter Janie, and an obsession with her friend, Angela.

 Lester decides to take hold of his life again. He stands up for himself to his wife, buys his dream car, begins jogging to impress Angela, smokes marijuana and works at a hamburger joint flipping patties. He decides to change.

 Other changes occur within the movie as well. The Burnhams get new next-door neighbors. If they can help it, many Spaniards prefer not to move away from the city they were born in. Our country’s very beginnings are based upon change: the Pilgrims sailed away from England to the east coast of America in search of a new life, in search of change.

 Eighteen-year old, college aged Ricky is the boy next door. He purposely antagonizes his father, with the intent to be thrown out of his house. Most young American look forward to embarking upon one of the most fun phases in their lives: college. And for some us, that means packing up and moving as far as we can from Mom and Dad. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for Spanish sons and daughters to live with their parents until their late 20’s, and choose a college within their home city.

 Carolyn, Lester’s wife, is an ambitious realtor. Like many Americans, she takes her career very seriously and looks towards success and progress-even if that means moving to a different part of the country, or world. According to Cristina, a Spaniard must be offered a very large pay raise and benefits to even consider changing locations. We see this type of change as a new adventure. It seems the Spanish consider it a hassle.

 Perhaps that is the beauty of America, that is, our power to change. “Change” was the glorified monosyllable campaign motto of our newest president. And it was glorified because we sincerely believe in it. Professor Cristina says that our ability to change is one of our greatest attributes- that in order to get what we want, we will change something. Maybe that is why she moved from Madrid to Boston.