American Dream summary

The American Dream:

Author: Edward Albee 

Significant Characters:

Grandma: She is old, and is often the voice of reason in the house but it often does not show on the surface. Her role is to display the old American dream, and the affects new lifestyles have on it.

Daddy: He symbolizes indecisiveness, and that aspect of not being able to achieve satisfaction. He is whipped by Mommy and is hinted to not be able to satisfy her sexually.

Mommy: She symbolizes conformity gone wrong, having to have the agreed upon view of the American dream. This makes her unable to properly interact with other people, due to her inability to achieve this goal. She is generally mean spirited.

Mrs. Barker: She is an upper-class woman, who is generally perceived to not really care about the whole event and looks down upon mommy. She is what Mommy wants to be.

Young Man: He is hollow, he is the new American dream, he symbolizes how there is no true meaning behind the new American dream and that it is all flash and no substance.

Setting: Mommy and Daddy’s apartment, it serves as a middle class microcosm, and provides for the absurdity of much of what occurs.

Plot: The basic plot of the story is how Mommy and Daddy cannot achieve satisfaction. They often forget things and are ignorant and cold hearted. They are waiting for Mrs. Barker to arrive, but when she does they do not realize the real reason she is there and it is not revealed until the end. This reasons turns out to be bringing a new child for Mommy and Daddy to adopt, but Grandma and Mrs. Barker convince them and the Young man for the Young man to be the child instead. The story ends with Grandma leaving and breaking the fourth wall to make a few key points.

The style of the play is that of the Theatre of the Absurd, much of the play is ridiculous and seems unnecessary, the tone of most of the characters ridiculing one another. It is told in 3rd person with the only thing close to being a narrator is Grandma. The goal of this is to show how ridiculous those conforming are.

Quotes: 

“I no longer have the Capacity to feel anything” This quote from the Young Man represents how empty the new American dream is, and how the process that one goes through to get it can destroy one’s self.

“Why, any self-respecting woman would have gouged those eyes right out of its head” This statement from Mrs. Barker helps show Mommy’s cruelty, and willingness to do anything to get what she wants.

The theme of the play is how the new view of the American dream is causing those who would otherwise follow a different path an immense amount of displeasure and lack of satisfaction.