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Analysis Of The Gentleman From San Francisco By Ivan Bunin

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Analysis Of The Gentleman From San Francisco By Ivan Bunin
The "Gentleman" in Ivan Bunin’s, "The Gentleman from San Francisco", believes that he deserves his happiness because “…first he was rich, and second, despite his fifty-eight years, he was just about to enter the stream of life's pleasures” (Bunin, pg. 447). This man represents the archetype of a Western Capitalist and leads a shallow life investing his entire life into accumulating a comfortable wealth and establishing a family. The gentleman feels this entitlement because he has followed this ‘poshlost’ pursuit of the ‘American Dream’ for a majority of his lifetime, and “until now he had not really lived, but simply existed…”, rendering this trip well deserved, since it will contribute towards his happiness (Bunin, pg. 447). Moreover, this
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