In developing a comprehensive understanding in the field of literature, history and culture have played an important role. Various characters and models were used in plays and films for portraying different aspects of understanding personal experiences in the real world. This has managed to widen the information gained, and to attribute it to these experiences. In the film featuring the characters of Mac and Devin, their different historical and cultural backgrounds create the illusion of satire. In that way, Mac, who is a joker, a ladies man, and a high life person, is contrasted to Devin, a valedictorian, who has an opposite role in the movie. At school, Devin is a top student who has acquired all needed knowledge and developed the skills required. Unfortunately, the young man has no social life with real life experiences.
The experiences and social life of Mac and Devin, two high school students, become the main theme of the film. The film uses examples of how the two gain basic knowledge through the real life experiences, which are the foundation of defining responsiveness for the personal development. Devin’s intention to gain more knowledge (however, without any real life experiences) forces him to seek inspiration in the opposite character of Mac Jonson, who was neither so bright nor so intelligent. According to Devin’s point of view, Mac Jonson has an admirable social life (Walton, 2010). Therefore, the role played by the historical background has pointed out the difference between the classes of the two characters. The culture developed and enhanced in the film shows the lives of two people in the ever changing and evolving world: one is a harsh critique that goes his own way while the other one is a perfect representative of a different class. Mac has already gained an admirable social life experience while Devin, on the other hand, is a boy who has excelled in the academic field. This opposition shows the satire between the two young men; it also reveals the necessary attributes that are shaped by the real world and that can be enhanced by the differences in culture, class, and perception on the personal and class levels.
To a certain extent, the culture, which is portrayed in the film, is present in both characters; this culture serves as a binder that helps in developing their friendship. On the other hand, it is also a source of satire in the film. In the moment when Devin meets Mac, he despises his life much enough. For the young man, Mac is a perfect example of a successful person that enjoys wide social popularity. Devin wishes to reach his level; he desires to gain social development and enjoy life in full. This intention makes him engage in friendship with Mac. However, even though the two young men have spent 15 years at school, they both face the need to learn how to develop their own perfect view on the real world, as well as shape their characters to gain maximum from the school, at which they are studying.
Satire is presented in different perspectives, which can be understood only in the light of developing the real friendship between the two different characters (Kinservik, 2002). This friendship and desire for new experiences lead them to sharing and smoking illegal drugs in school, a practice that Devin despises greatly.
The culture of the two characters in the film is multi-faceted. In different situations, the two men themselves try to create an illusion of the one being bright and the other being just good enough. Their friendship aims at improving their life experiences by all possible means. On the one hand, this unique complementarity makes them work together on a scientific project and gain required knowledge; on the other hand, however, it also makes them take up smoking. Satire has been used in the explanation of Devin’s being the valedictorian, who, unfortunately, is not able to prepare the graduation speech. Certainly, he is a bright high school student, but he cannot write a simple speech that is his key to the outside real life. This speech can help him enter a good college where he will receive a possibility to taste life and gain real experiences. Satire is in the fact that Devin, a bright student, struggles to write his graduation speech. On the other hand, it is also realism: the young man loses his concentration and skill as he has decided to develop in the world of lazy and unintelligent people, who have no idea of how to manage their own life-changing moments.
Even though the two students are bright, instead of focusing on the school activities, they decide to start smoking marijuana. This decision causes some complications, and the two young men should understand how to change their lives and give up drugs. This is the hardest thing for Mac Johnson since it has already become a part of his lifestyle. Therefore, it becomes clear that education and knowledge from the Devin’s world are the only things that can develop his culture and help in progressing in other life spheres.
Furthermore, Devin despises his girlfriend arguing that she is too uptight. This scene employs irony because Devin and his girlfriend are people of almost the same level: they both are extremely uptight in developing their responsible life and gaining real experiences. This is different from the social life of Mac, who has learned the hard way of developing his own pass by earning money from selling marijuana and other illegal drugs for money. In this light, Devin looks like a soft boy without any social life. His academic achievements and desire to succeed at school have left the young man with little real life experience. The desire to get such experience forces him to look for inspiration in Mac Johnson, the worst student on campus. This young ladies man becomes a kind of a role model for Devin. The film satire reveals in this turn of events.
As a rule, the usage of drugs in the western culture is attributed to several personal reasons; anything associated with illegal drugs usage is always considered an irresponsible decision or action. Drugs are able to decrease one’s motivation for being successful in today’s society. The United States society, in which the film characters were set, prohibits drugs and is against the use of marijuana by teens. People realize that it can be mentally addicting when used for a long time. This very society is ready and able to help anyone in such a trouble, as it provides people like Mac Johnson with numerous reasons as to why it is difficult to depend on drugs and manage the consequences.
Many scientists have studied the positive effects of drugs, for example, in treating patients with different illnesses in hospitals or at homes. These discoveries, however, have only encouraged the illegal use of drugs, to the extent of abusing them without thinking of the effects on the human health. Devin and Mac soon realize that the only way they can have a chance in life is through graduating from the high school and going beyond their cultures. However, due to the havoc created by smoking marijuana, the boys realize that each has a certain role to play. Devin has to write a speech while Mac has to work and learn hard.