open prompt oct 29

2009, Form B. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Choose a novel or play that focuses on a political or social issue. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author uses literary elements to explore this issue and explain how the issue contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

            American society’s consumerist attitudes have been under attack since their growth in the 1960’s.  Consumerism has pervaded nearly all aspects of American life, and no one criticizes this truth more than Edward Albee in his play “The American Dream”.  Albee’s use of theater of the absurd as a disguise for his criticisms when coupled with strong criticisms built through various literary techniques create a play that is effective in causing its readers to question the middle class consumer values that Albee attacks. 

            Albee’s play falls under the category of Theater of the Absurd, characterized by an absurd combination of character interactions, personalities and beliefs.  Theater of the Absurd is well known for having characters take seemingly insignificant occurrences to be significant, elaborating and expanding upon events that simply have no larger meaning than that which they artificially give to it.  This is something that happens repeatedly throughout “the American Dream”.  Events such as the purchasing of the beige hat, the multiple arguments over what color it truly is, and the act of exchanging the hat for the same exact hat show this perfectly.  This is one of many examples in this play where pointless events are given elevated importance by the characters, and through this show the meaninglessness of middle class values.  The character interactions of Mommy, Daddy and Grandma are equally absurd, with blatant sexual references to each other and extremely rude comments regarding personal aspects of people lives, such as countless references to Daddy’s surgery and Grandma’s bowel movements.  These are parts of society that are considered off limits in open conversation, yet are considered to be perfectly innocent and normal in Theater of The Absurd.

            Albee’s use of Theater of the Absurd allows for his criticisms of middle class consumerism to be better received by the audience.  The absurd subject matter and interactions in which Albee criticizes these values are much more blatantly obvious than the criticisms themselves.  Discomfort due to the somewhat disturbing subject matter of the play allows the criticisms to reach the reader without the reader reacting in a defensive manner.  By using a generic family, with generic names, yet with a absurd lifestyle, readers don’t react defensively to the criticisms.  It seems as if the criticisms are being put on this dysfunctional family, but in reality they are directed at the real American Middle class.  This is an effective way of ensuring the audience is receptive to the criticisms that are certainly discomforting.   

            Albee’s poignant criticisms of consumerist desires are built out of a combination of diction, details, and language.  The language of the characters, especially Mommy, is always extremely childish.  Mommy’s character represents the most consumer driven character, often speaking in a childish tone, begging or demanding that something should be done, then reacting with an immature statement. The childishness is also spread throughout in the use of malapropisms, an excellent example being bumble mistaken for bundle.  These are classic examples of children struggling with adult forms of communication, and they are prevalent among the characters of this novel, even Grandma.  The diction, though can’t be generalized, is often highly reflective of the character’s attitudes.  Mommy is often speaking with diction that shows her attempts at superiority over Daddy and Grandmother.  Daddy often uses diction that is reflective of his emasculated status in the household.  Grandma uses diction that reflects her ingenuity as a result of her being pioneer stock, severely senile one minute and a sharp force of criticism next.  The details of the play are what make up the strongest aspects of his criticism, and none more than his character Young Man embodying the American Dream.  This embodiment of the American Dream is characterized by no feelings, no emotion, no desire, simply a flawless exterior that exists only to please others.  This is exactly the criticism that Albee is making of middle class society.  Society is so caught up in its consumerist desires, it has lost all sense of meaning in life, and the American Dream has been reduced to making money and being an average person.  The Young Man displays all of this perfectly in his character, and by making his chief criticism hidden in the symbolism of a character, he is again making his criticism more receptive to the audience.