Abstract:Individualism is one of the most important parts of American cultural values. Most American people believe that it is the core of the American dream and it is the spirit that makes them go forward. The individualism is mainly reflected in several aspects: economic independence, social relationships and individual effort. In China, the studies of individualism were mainly focused on the exploration of its meaning. Therefore, this dissertation attempts to study individualism through one of the American films—The Pursuit of Happyness.

　　　In the film— The Pursuit of Happyness, the hero once said that there was no “y” in happiness, but an “i”. The importance of individual effort is stressed in the film. One needs to struggle for himself if he wants to gain happiness. 

　　　This study aims to find out the manifestation of the individualism in different aspects through the analysis of the film—The Pursuit of Happyness, hoping to shed new lights on the study of individualism.

Key words: individualism;  American culture;  The Pursuit of Happyness

摘要:个人主义是美国文化价值当中的重要组成部分之一。大多数的美国人相信，个人主义就是美国梦的核心内容，并且这就是使他们奋勇向前的精神源泉。个人主义主要体现在三个方面：经济独立，社会关系和个人努力。在中国，关于这一课题的研究大多关注于对个人主义的内涵的探索。因此，这篇论文就是尝试从《当幸福来敲门》这一部美国电影中去了解，探索个人主义。

　　在《当幸福来敲门》这部电影中，男主角曾经说过这么一句话，在幸福里面并没有为什么，有的只是靠个人的争取。这部电影强调了个人努力的重要性。一个人如果想要获得幸福，那么他就应该为自己努力奋斗。

　　　本论文旨在通过分析《当幸福来敲门》这部电影来找出个人主义在不同方面的表现形式。本论文的作者希望在个人主义的研究中能为人们提出新的观点。

关键字：个人主义；美国文化；《当幸福来敲门》