Archetype Of The American Dream

Improved Essays
The American Dream tries to make an attempt to present a cynical expression of repulsion against false American optimism. Albee has taken over the responsibility to write a play that throws away the false virtues and vices of the American culture and at the same time familiar with the fall of that culture. The play can be seen as a close inspection of the circumstances of the modern man on both sides of the Atlantic. The archetype of the American family is criticized by exposing the materialistic values that replaced the original ones. An observance made in the play is the stock names used in it, Daddy, Mommy and Grandma. It makes one feel universal, being attached to these names; everyone has a Daddy, Mommy and Grandma. Moreover, these names …show more content…
Discarded and abandoned by his real parents, he was adopted by Reed and Francis Albee, inheritors of the multi- million dollar fortune of the American Theater. Frances was Reed’s third wife who was twenty three years younger than him. Albee lived an extremely comfortable life. He started writing poetry at six and began attending theatre at the same age. At the age of twelve he wrote a three act sex farce. By the time he was teenager he had written two novels. Many critics believed that the tense family conflicts in his plays are a product from his childhood experiences. He enrolled at Trinity College in Connecticut for a brief time and attended several private and military colleges. Unfortunately he attained limited accomplishment as an author of poetry and fiction before turning towards drama. Though he remained connected with Broadway theatre till the production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1962); his primary earning of critical and popular acclaim for his one act dramas, provoked comparisons with Eugene Ionesco and Tennessee Williams. Albee is a winner of three Pullitzer prizes, and numerous other prominent awards, for his dramatic works. Even though initially illustrated either as a realist or an absurdist, Albee merges elements both from the American tradition of social criticism, practiced by playwrights such as Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and …show more content…
The portrayal of such a condition is the main concern of any playwright who belongs to Samuel Beckett’s realm. Hence, criticism of a particular society is not the aim of any Absurdist whereas in a play like The American Dream the audience is already set to watch an American drama; the dramatist attacks a society in its very basic unit, the family. Many critics considered the play as a representative of the Absurd Drama; Nicholas Canaday in Albee’s American Dream and Existential Vacuum labeled , “ The American Dream as America’s best example of what has come to be known as ‘the theatre of the absurd’”(28) Damien Jaques in A Discussion of Modern American Drama: Edward Albee refers to the play as the starting point of the Absurd Theatre in America, he writes saying that, “Don’t let The American Dream as the beginning of the American absurdist theatre movement frighten you.”

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    In Our Town by Thornton Wilder, the tale of Emily Webb and George Gibbs in the ordinary town of Grover’s Corners, the American Dream is outlined as one of love and acceptance. “Wilder 's version of the American dream, as well as a parable about how to attain it, lives in Our Town… In Wilder 's interpretation, the American dream represents that need for acceptance; in achieving the American dream, one is appreciated, valued, and respected, even loved” (“Our Town” Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream 428). Through this new definition of the American Dream, ordinary people in an ordinary town under ordinary circumstances are able to achieve this national aspiration, whereas with the typical definition that stresses monetary wealth there were many more disappointments.…

    • 2198 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Dream Summary

    • 1013 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The immigrants experiences in the reading were overall very positive. The lithuanian and italian bootback bothers stories started off rocky due to the lithuanian listening to his fellow countrymen about how he must “ look rich even if you are not rich” using the little bit money he brought with him to America to buy a a expensive suit and to bribe to the police officer to help secure a job in the slaughterhouse. The bootblack brothers were taken advantage of as soon they stepped off the boat. Even though Bartolo saved the brothers from being sent back to italy he took advantage of the brothers and other men to help line his pockets with money.…

    • 1013 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    James Truslow Adams is responsible for coining the term “American Dream” in his book The Epic of America (Source E). Some may find it surprising that the book was published in 1931 because the idea of America’s unique, opportunist culture had been prominent since the country’s founding. However, several creators utilized this idea for central themes in their literary works long before it had a name. One of these people was F. Scott Fitzgerald, who published The Great Gatsby in 1925. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald exposes the irrational and unattainable nature of the now infamous American Dream.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Dream has inspired many people to improve their lives, by striving for money and power. It is considered a constructive idea, contributing the greatness of the United States as a nation. However, The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and Fences by August Wilson paint a darker picture of this dream. Jay Gatsby died never quite achieving his image of the American Dream, Willy gave up on the American Dream and Cory hasn’t lost his hope for a bright future, and still lives to hopefully achieve the American Dream. America has a society which strives for success in every situation.…

    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Corruption of the American Dream The American Dream represents the outcome of American ideals, where everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their goals. During the 1920s, when The Great Gatsby was written, the American Dream appeared at its highest, with entrepreneurs creating massive fortunes for themselves. However, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s eyes, the American Dream became corrupted and destroyed during a time of great prosperity but also of great indulgence. Fitzgerald employs symbolism, motifs, and character development to define the American Dream in terms of his novel, The Great Gatsby, while also condemning its bastardization during the Roaring Twenties and depicting its demise.…

    • 1490 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Untraditional American Dream “Hallo, danke, bitte,” (hello, please, thank you) are just a few words that Jim Crawford (the author’s father) had to learn when he was deployed to an American Army base in Germany, Neureut Kaserne, in 1986. During this time, the Cold War was beginning to end. The Cold War was started to help protect Iran from the Soviet Union, aka communism. The American people and their leaders desired to help spread democracy; they viewed communism as a threat.…

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Many immigrants all over the world come to U.S every year to seek their American Dream, which is a national ethos of the United States. Moreover, the American Dream is used in a lot of ways but it essentially is a set of ideas that suggest that all people in the USA can succeed through hard work. Moreover, anyone has potential to lead a happy, successful life. A lot of people believe that rising social mobility and success is possible in the U.S for everyone due to the American economic and political system. James Truslow Adams in 1931 defined the American dream as: "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.”…

    • 1927 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    America has taken great pride in the myth of the “American Dream”. People from all over the world come to our country for great opportunities and the freedom they desire but do they do not know the underlining problems that Americans face. If only those people could walk a week in our shoes to understand the overwhelming conflict we face in our day to day lives before making the decision to move to the United States of America. The hostility that the country has created for Americans has corrupted our society due to the lack of education, the experience of inequality and financial crisis. Education has always been a key structural item to build up the United States to have a better future but unfortunately when adults who are examples to these…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    American dream refers to a dream of someone who starting low in the social and economic level, then he or she working hard towards wealth, fame and success. This dream can be described as a materialism pursuit of pleasure as it is only achieved when a person successfully having a fancy car, a lot of money, luxurious house, happy wealthy family, fame and nice clothes. However, in order to achieve this dream, most of the character in The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald has turns to be someone who is selfish and materialistic. American Dream in the 1920’s, in this novel has caused destruction that can be seen through Daisy, Myrtle and Gatsby which then makes American dream as the significant theme of this novel.…

    • 1528 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The American Dream is a characteristic spirit of an era that manifested its attitudes and aspiration meaning since the idea of the American Dream was constructed the dream to achieve the American dream never died, it just moved from one generations to generations evolving and adapting. As shown in ‘Of Mice and Men’ (1937) and ‘Death of a salesman’ (1949) the dreams they have is to own a property both Willy, Lennie and George and making money. Furthermore the novella and the play were written during 1930s and 50s the dream was different back then but these days the dream is personal freedom soon this will change as the dream evolves with the era. The American Dream has principles of freedom, equality and opportunity regardless of social class…

    • 1729 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Compare and contrast the ways in which the American Dream is presented through Walter Younger in Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘ A Raisin in the Sun’ and Willy Lehman in Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of the Salesman’…

    • 1699 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The American dream also resembles the theme in the play. Each character has their own American dream they are fighting for. A character that fights for the “complete American dream” is Walter. (Alder). Walter is determined to become wealthy and pursue his mother into letting him have his father’s insurance check to buy a liquor store.…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This novel is still relevant and quoted to this day—although the era has changed, people 's views and values have not. The American Dream is an idea many people coming to America hope for—the fame, the riches, and the notoriety. However, what people may not realize is that there will always be a price to pay. For that, take into consideration Jay Gatsby, a foolish, dead man with a near-empty funeral solely because he chased his dream and it swallowed him whole as he lost sight of his true morals. Ask yourself: is The American Dream a dream worth…

    • 1357 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    David Mamet

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages

    He also found St. Nicolas Theater Company. His first successful play was American Buffalo. It has been seen that, “the principle of dramatist of a ruthless modern world in which individuals struggle for survival and dominance.” is a key theme not only in American Buffalo but also in Glengarry Glen Ross. His writing style is unique and has been tried…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Changes affect people every day, and people react to changes in many ways. In Long Day’s Journey into Night, the characters experience many trials and obstacles in their lives that induced a change. In physics, there is the principle known as the Coriolis Effect or Force, which is the effect a rotating object has on the motion of another object. The trials experienced in the lives of the characters are the Coriolis Force in their lives that induced the change in their behavior or lifestyle. The Coriolis Effect is an inertial force that causes an object moving perpendicular to a rotating body to veer off of its intended course.…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays