1973
Battles are won and lost on discipline and strategy, not numbers or brute force alone. In Edward Albee’s, The American Dream, he displays how the old american dream is apparently being beaten down and forced out, but turns out to have been aware and in control the whole time. The ending of the American Dream is satisfactory because it reveals that grandma was in control the whole time, and that the true american dream cannot be usurped.
The first major example of grandma’s power in the conclusion, is that of her being able to talk to the audience. Breaking the fourth wall is a uncharacteristic aspect in plays, but Albee uses it masterfully. Unlike the rest of the characters, Grandma is actually able to talk to the audience, she is able to connect with those watching on a level that those prescribing to the new american dream cannot. Regardless of the apparent support the new american dream has the old american dream cannot be truly stamped out as it still resonates with with the general population.
Secondly the actual words that Grandma says to the audience serve to reinforce her position. The comments “Shhhhhh! I want to watch this” and “Well, I guess that just about wraps it up” show that she had manipulated her part to get them exactly where they were, and she knew exactly how it was going to end. Grandma’s actions show how the old american dream possesses the answers while the new american dream lacks much of any foresight.
The act of Grandma being able to speak to the audience and the actual words she says make the ending to the play very satisfactory because it reinforces the idea that the old american dream is superior to the new one. The late 1950s and much of the 1960s were a time of great change in american culture, there was mass backlash brewing against the consumerist mentality, but it shifted away from the classic idea of the american dream. Albee’s play appears to be a demonstration of what the true values that we should uphold are.
Your body paragraphs are great. I feel like you really anilysed the idea of the fourth wall well. You also did a great job with providing textual evidence to support your claim that the old american dream and the new american dream are different.
ReplyDeleteSomething I feel you should work on in this essay is your introduction. I feel like the final statement does not really sum up what you primarily talked about in the essay. I think something that would benefit you is to reread your body paragraphs and find something to add to your intro thesis.
"The ending of the American Dream is satisfactory because it reveals that grandma was in control the whole time, and that the true american dream cannot be usurped." ---This is really great! But maybe mention the aspect of the "new american dream" and the "old american dream" that you discuss in the second body paragraph.
2nd Body Paragraph issues...the final statement. I guess it just leaves me a little confused!
3rd Body Paragraph confuses me because of the first sentence.
Answer this question:
What are the differences between the new and old American Dream?
And then:
Revise your thesis a little to fit what you actually are trying to say. Other than that though, I have a great idea about what you were trying to get across! It could just be a little more clear.
Your intro is interesting and it fits nicely with the body paragraphs, but it doesn't seem to fit the thesis as well as it could. Your point about how Grandma's breaking the fourth wall shows us that she is in control is really good. It makes a lot of sense and fits in with the evidence. The second point in your thesis, however, doesn't seem to ever return in the essay. Make sure that the things in your thesis are expanded on throughout the rest of the essay. Really good analysis!
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