Was there any significance to the joke about the drowning man in The Pursuit of Happyness?
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner's son tells him a joke (this re-telling isn't verbatim).
There was once a drowning man. A boat came by and tried to save him, but he said "no thank you, God will save me." Another boat tried to save him but he said "no thank you, God will save me" and he drowned. When he got to heaven he said "why didn't you save me God?" and God said "I sent you two boats you big dummy!"
Was there any special significance to this joke? I'm guessing that the drowning man represents Gardner, but other than that I'm not sure.
Best Answer
Although I don't quite remember the exact scene where it is told, I remember the joke rather well and always liked it. It relates to the film's general themes quite nicely.
The film is primarily about Chris Gardner fighting the odds and working himself literally from rags to riches. This is also reflected in the film's very title, relating to the classic American right to "pursue your own happiness" and the idea of the "American Dream" that you (or anyone) can make it if only you work hard and fight for your dreams.
And along these lines the joke is to be interpreted too, I think. It tells the story of a man who blindly relies on others (or rather God) to save him, without recognizing the chances he got offered to save himself. It emphasizes that you have to look out for yourself and that it is on you to work for your dreams (or save your life). Yet notice that the joke still doesn't deny God (or anyone) looking out for you and offering help. But even while God/fate/life may give you chances, you still need to recognize them yourself and grasp them, it isn't done with just waiting for success to happen. So the man maybe isn't representing Gardner himself rather than someone antithetical to him. The moral of the joke, according to the film, would be to not be that man.
And although it's a joke and we don't have to take God literal rather than as a metaphor for the forces of life in general, it also fits quite well into the Puritanical work ethics of believing in God while working hard that the American Dream was ultimately founded on.
Pictures about "Was there any significance to the joke about the drowning man in The Pursuit of Happyness?"
Why is happiness misspelled in the pursuit of happiness?
What are the songs in the trailers? Why is "happiness" spelled wrong in the title? The title is intentionally misspelled, as it also appears as graffiti in a scene in the film. The misspelled phrase is actually taken from an essay written in 1776 that argued that whites and blacks were created equal.What did Chris learn about himself in the pursuit of happiness?
Before becoming a multimillionaire, Garner learned how to be a stockbroker from scratch while overcoming the challenges of fatherhood amidst having to hop over the sky-high hurdle of homelessness.Why does Chris struggle with homelessness?
Chris joins the rank of homelessness after the IRS has taken cash out of his bank account enforced Chris to live out in the streets of San Francisco with his committed son staying in a bathroom at a train station and carrying his suitcase to work was one of the social problems that occur in Chris life which impact his ...Why did the mom leave in pursuit of happiness?
Later, Christopher asks his dad, \u201cDid mom leave because of me?\u201d Chris responds, \u201cMom left because of mom. And you didn't have anything to do with that.\u201d Actively concerned about his son's education and mental development, Chris gets upset when he learns that Christopher's day care provider, Mrs.Pursuit of Happiness - Drowning Man Joke
More answers regarding was there any significance to the joke about the drowning man in The Pursuit of Happyness?
Answer 2
The significance of the joke is an old one. It means that God has already answered your prayers and prepared your salvation. He has already given you the tools and means to save yourself. You just have to recognize and take advantage of it.
Gardner looked for and recognized opportunity. He then seized the opportunity. He did not wait for the opportunity to seize him.
Answer 3
As per me, I feel this meant, that you had to take action and just praying and hoping that things will work out or that someone will help out (God), won't work.
Chris Gardner had the same attitude throughout, he was always trying to make it, and not wallowing in self-pity or giving up.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Enoch Patro, Mariana Montrazi, Christian Diokno, SHVETS production