Although this is an extremely graphic novel, Requiem for a Dream has many meanings to it other than the drug addicts it displays. The story follows four different drug addicts and their dark futures they each have. Three of the four are drug addicts trying to live what they feel is the American Dream, and the other is a widowed mother that has her dreams crushed and turns to diet pills until her mind degenerates.
Although the book isn't bright and happy, it really can bring you to grasp how some less fortunate people can fall into the abyss and never come out. The story behind each person is tragic, but each story does help to develop a sense of relation to each character, and the development of their flaws is, well, flawless. For my development as a writer, it brings to light the different characteristics to display in a character, and that a good ending is overrated. It also shows how to effectively connect the character to the reader, and crush that connection to help the reader understand the characters lost feeling.