Themes Of Rebel Without A Cause

As World War II ended and the start of the Cold War began, the 1950s was a time that our country was feeling the victory that it had just achieved and the prosperity that had resulted. Industry production was booming, consumer goods had found a new popularity, suburbs were emerging, and the growth of growth of the southwest was visible. In Rebel Without a Cause, the themes of the 1950s were shown greatly throughout. Rebel Without a Cause is about a troubled teen, Jim Stark, who’s family moves constantly because of his rebellious actions. The movie begins with Jim in a police station drunk and his parents arguing about his drinking. This is where we see the first theme of the 1950s is introduced, the changing role of women. When Jim’s parents …show more content…
We are first introduced to this when the teens are dropped off by their parents at the school. The brand of cars that the parents were driving showed the expense of what they paid for the vehicles and how the brands were also related to the class of each of the families. This is demonstrated by the “princess” of the group of teens, Claire. Claire’s father drops her off at the school in a BMW, compared to the Chrysler that Brian’s mom drives. The difference between the two cars shows how class during the time was being based off of the material things that people had. Also, Claire’s economic status is shown by the clothing that she wore. For example, the “criminal/ bully” of the group asks if her “Daddy” bought her earrings for her. She gets embarrassed because she knows that it’s the truth and doesn’t want the others to think that she is spoiled because of the prestigious status that her family shows. Problems associated with teen relationships with their parents are also told by all members of the “club.” Claire talks about how her parents constantly fight and how she has to take sides. Again John, the bully, says that she only sides with him because of the money that he has. The “basket case,” Allison also experiences trouble at home. She says that she wants to run away because her parents ignore her when she’s home. We see how alone she is when she admits why she’s in detention, she came because she had nothing better to do. John describes his family life as a nightmare, his father beats him and has even burned him with a cigar to show him a lesson. Also, compared to the gifts that Claire receives, the box of cigarettes that John gets for Christmas makes Claire look like an actual princess. The differences between John and Claire show that social status was starting to take place based on how much money families had and it relates to the way social class is determined today,