Edward Albee, The American Dream Essays - The American Dream

Edward Albee, The American Dream Edward Albees, The American Dream Edward Albee is considered by many to be one of the most influential playwrights of the seventeenth century. Albee wrote his plays around the typical themes associated with the American drama. They were not just plays about family life; instead, they frequently focused on family dysfunctions and the underlying motives of family structure. In his works, Albee portrays many of the concepts of the absurdism movement that had begun in Europe after World War II. This movement was a reaction to the many injustices brought along with the war itself. One of the major motifs present is the idea that the playwright possessed little or no concern for traditional play structure and form. A second prominent trait of the absurdism movement is the lack of effective communication between the plays major characters. Albees play, The American Dream, is an accurate depiction of the popular trends associated with the movements establishment in America. As Albee quotes, The play is an examination of the American Scene, an attack on the substitution of artificial for real values in out society, a condemnation of complacency, cruelty, emasculation and vacuity. The first conclusion that Albee makes in reference to The American Dream is that it is a portrayal of how artificial values have replaced real values in the American society. This theme is apparent in the study of how the family replaces Grandma with the Young Man. To Albee, Grandma represents the way life used to be, a time when real values and self-worth mattered. Grandma is an overall depiction of how Americans have not learned from their past. Instead, they talk past it and ignore its existence. Albee teaches that the past holds the truth to our future when he gives Grandma the ability to reveal the truth for Mrs. Bakers visit, and the knowledge that the Young Man is the identical twin of the familys first son. The familys ignorance of Grandma is obvious in analyzing her comment to Mrs. Baker; Oh my; that feels good. Its been so long since anybody had implored me. Do it again. Implore me some more. Mommy and Daddy have become accustomed to ignoring the old ways and looking for a new set of values. Throughout the course of the play, Mommy and Daddy are looking for satisfaction. Daddy says to Mommy, Thats the way things are today; you just cant get satisfaction; you just try. They are not happy with the way things are, representing the real values, and are trying to find satisfaction, or an artificial set of values. Mommy constantly threatens Grandma with being sent away to a nursing home, however, she explains to Mrs. Baker, Theres no such thing as the van man. There is no van man. Wewe made him up. However, when Grandma leaves, Mommy is deeply upset until she is surprised with the presence of the Young Man. The sole purpose for the parents keeping Grandma around is found in the fact that she represented the old set of values. They could not send her away until she had been replaced, replaced with a new, artificial set of values. Albees ideas toward the new set of values is present when the Young Man replies to Grandma, I have no talents at all, except what you seemy person; my body, my face. In every other way I am incomplete, and I must thereforecompensate. This new set of standards revolves around the artificial qualities of looks, money, and power. Albee also extends to comment that the American citizens have become complacent and self-satisfied. In the opening French scene, Mommy and Daddy are perfectly content sitting around waiting on the guest to arrive. To Albee this is not seen as a sign of laziness, but as a warning of the smugness to come. Also, throughout the play, Albee allows his characters the ability to relay such harsh realities, with no fervent emotion. As seen when Grandma explains the murder of the first son to Mrs. Baker, What did they do? Well, for the last straw, it finally up and died; and you can imagine how that made them feel, their having paid for it and all. Mommy also