In Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion, the Stamper family illustrates how America's idealistic culture - and the equally idealistic individuals who live and work within that culture - become corrupted by the dark of the American dream. The Stamper family pursues an unthreatened life, unregulated freedom, and an unlimited pursuit of happiness, which leads them to that search's inevitable end. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe theory that every man has the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is often distorted and instead perceived as every man's right to his fullest capacity of these inalienable rights, resulting in the harms it can inflict to his neighbors. This dark side is further defined as the pursuit of financial success and personal power, both at the expense of others. Stampers' determination to freely pursue their own life, liberty, and happiness on their own terms brings them into conflict with others who are trying to do exactly the same thing. The family runs a Gyppo logging business in Wakonda, Oregon, which has struck a deal with a logging union called Wakonda Pacific. The gravity of their decision soon becomes apparent when the city's lumber industry finds itself on strike. The Stampers' agreement with Wakonda Pacific places them with the responsibility of covering the contracts of these striking workers with a very limited number of family members. Although the contract is described as unworkable, even the city admits that “half as many men can cut down twice as many trees” (Kesey 46), and the Stampers are confident that they can meet the deadline. While the city is left in a disoriented state, wondering “who [do they] think they are, anyway? These Stampers? To go on this bad strike?”, the family worries about a large workload and ignores the potential corollaries of its decision. This manifestation of Stamper's American dream is deeply rooted in the intrinsic idea of ​​“Never Give An Inch” – a family motto resting on a plaque in Hank Stamper's room. This plaque was originally a picture of Jesus, but was painted with gaudy yellow paint and embossed with the motto and now represents how the values ​​of determination and stubbornness of the Stamper family depict several universal values ​​throughout the novel. This willpower not only causes the Stampers to ignore widespread values, but also directs them towards a goal that can only be achieved at the expense of others this strike, Hank Stamper is confronted by the union negotiator, Jonathan Bailey Draeger, who reminds Hank that "a lot of people in town are depending on that factory reopening" (Kesey 360). Hank Stamper is offended by Draeger's attempt to instill self-reproach and convince him to sell the operation and dismisses any human concern for the city by exposing his ambitious, self-fulfilling personality: If we were to come into conflict with Russia, I would fight for us until finish line, and if Oregon were to conflict with California, I would fight for Oregon. But if anyone - Biggy Newton or the carpenters' union or whoever - gets in trouble with me, then they're on my side! When things go wrong, I am my own patriot. I don't give a damn, the other guy is my brother waving the American flag and singing the damn Star Spangled Banner! (Kesey 363) Kesey portrays Hank Stamper as a protagonist who embodies not only honesty, integrity, and commitment, but also ruthlessness, aggression, and callousness. These negative traitsemerge when it comes to acting on his determination. When Hank deliberately tells Draeger, "[Y]ou can tell my good friends and neighbors that Hank Stamper is heartless as a stone if you want" (Kesey 363), it becomes clear that he is not concerned with the greater good, but with the immediate good . of himself and his inner circle. Hank, unlike many characters, does not undergo any transformation over the course of the novel and remains generally fixed in terms of attitudes and beliefs. His character's perseverance further highlights the persistence of his motivations and family interests. His father, Henry, and his brother, Lee, display similar tendencies and attitudes, but become handicapped over the course of the novel, both literally and figuratively. Henry loses his arm in a logging accident, and Lee becomes involved in an affair with Hank's wife, distracting both characters from the family's initial pursuit of this modified American dream. The conflicts within the family only hide the exponential growth of the obsession, allowing Hank Stamper to pursue an ambition that ultimately benefits only himself and leaves the family in chaos. His invulnerability causes him to ignore key morals and embody a callous and callous lifestyle. By the end of the novel, Hank Stamper's faith in the license plate is stronger than his faith in his family. He constantly pursues his corrupt idea of ​​the American dream, which was initially supposed to bring down everyone around the Stamper family, but is camouflaged until it is destroyed. he goes beyond his limits and beats family members. The philosophy ultimately comes to reflect Hank Stamper's best interests, as distinct from those of the family as a whole. His intentions become malicious towards those he considers close, even his wife Viv, who can no longer bear the loneliness caused by his intentions and commits adultery. This obsession not only causes internal conflict in the Stampers, but also forces the family to deal with the town's external resentment: "The citizens weren't really allowed to get comfortable blaming the rain... when it was so damn obvious that the city's worries and misfortunes were caused by... that damned hard nose on the river!" (Kesey 400). As Hank finds himself constantly impervious to the city's cries and Draeger's pressures, the burden falls on the rest of his family. The consequences of the family's wild pursuit are experienced by Viv, who is snubbed by the town and eventually "stops answering the phone during the day (she had already stopped going to Wakonda to shop, and even got cold looks when she got there to there). as far away as Florence)” (Kesey 444). The unregulated freedom that Hank Stamper believes he possesses even begins to limit the freedom of his extended family. Insisting that the company be sold, Orland complains to Hank that “you have to worry about the neighbors! You don't have a teenage daughter coming home crying because the kids at school don't vote her among the Y-teens” (Kesey 418). A family member is eventually killed in a logging accident, and the adultery between Lee and Viv is no longer hidden by the end of the novel. The family's deterioration is evident to all but is consistently overlooked by Hank Stamper, who makes the logging operation his top priority and declares that "I'm going to put an end to that last boom... it doesn't matter if I take the influence from every country in the world" (Kesey 449). However, Hank's pursuit of a so-called life not in danger ultimately jeopardizes his ability to even fulfill his contract with Wakonda Pacific. Despite his concern that, 1964.