The Myth of the American Dream
Many American writers have been successful in shattering what they consider to be the myth of “The American Dream”. Discuss this in relation to the texts you have studied.
“…It 's absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don 't like in order to go on doing things you don 't like…we 're bringing up children, and educating them to live the same sort of lives we 're living…that they may justify themselves and find satisfaction in life by bringing up their children to bring up their children to do the same thing…therefore it 's so important to consider this question...“What do I desire?”” (Tragedyandhopeproductions) This essay explores literary works that effectively shatter the myth of American Dream, whose message equates wealth with self-worth and raises dysfunctional values in society, resulting into a vain existence of a life. These texts are Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”, “All My Sons” and Edward Albee’s “The American Dream”. Critics have chided earlier productions of all Miller’s plays due to its “heartfelt condemnation of capitalist greed and its concomitant lack of moral responsibility” (Ben Brantley, NYTimes) as well as Albee’s “immorality, nihilism and defeatism”. (SparkNotes)
Both playwrights were born into a rich family – Miller’s father owned successful clothes manufacturing business and Albee was adopted by millionaires. Miller’s privileged early life diminishes during the Great Depression in 1929; he was compelled to work numerous menial jobs to pay his tuition for University, allowing him insight for his character Biff and Willy in “Death of a Salesman” and Joe Keller’s ruthless business instincts in “All my Sons” where the three-act drama is based on Greek tragedy focusing on “wilful blindness, loyalty and betrayal” (Helen Epstein, artsfuse.org) of a “self-deluding, guilt-crippled American family” (Ben Brantley, NYTimes). Albee however chose to lead a then-unconventional life by joining the world of artists and writers as he
“…It 's absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don 't like in order to go on doing things you don 't like…we 're bringing up children, and educating them to live the same sort of lives we 're living…that they may justify themselves and find satisfaction in life by bringing up their children to bring up their children to do the same thing…therefore it 's so important to consider this question...“What do I desire?”” (Tragedyandhopeproductions) This essay explores literary works that effectively shatter the myth of American Dream, whose message equates wealth with self-worth and raises dysfunctional values in society, resulting into a vain existence of a life. These texts are Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”, “All My Sons” and Edward Albee’s “The American Dream”. Critics have chided earlier productions of all Miller’s plays due to its “heartfelt condemnation of capitalist greed and its concomitant lack of moral responsibility” (Ben Brantley, NYTimes) as well as Albee’s “immorality, nihilism and defeatism”. (SparkNotes)
Both playwrights were born into a rich family – Miller’s father owned successful clothes manufacturing business and Albee was adopted by millionaires. Miller’s privileged early life diminishes during the Great Depression in 1929; he was compelled to work numerous menial jobs to pay his tuition for University, allowing him insight for his character Biff and Willy in “Death of a Salesman” and Joe Keller’s ruthless business instincts in “All my Sons” where the three-act drama is based on Greek tragedy focusing on “wilful blindness, loyalty and betrayal” (Helen Epstein, artsfuse.org) of a “self-deluding, guilt-crippled American family” (Ben Brantley, NYTimes). Albee however chose to lead a then-unconventional life by joining the world of artists and writers as he
Citations: TragedyandHopeProductions (tragedyandhopeproductions.org, “What if money were no object?”, 2013) Ben Brantley (Critic, “Death of a Salesman” Review, NYTimes, 2012) SparkNotes (sparknotes.com “The American Dream”) Val Randall (Heinemann edition “Death of a Salesman”, 1949) Helen Epstein (Critic, “Death of a Salesman”, artsfuse.org, 1996) TheFreeDictionary (thefreedictionary.com) SamuelFrench-London (Publisher of Edward Albee’s “The American Dream”, 1961) Wade Bradford (Critic, “Death of a Salesman” Review, 2013) Barack Obama (biography.com, “Biography of Barack Obama”, 2013)