1972. In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.
Analyzing the dynamics at the beginning of a play is one of the most important ways to ensure an adequate understanding of the central theme. In The American Dream, Edward Albee utilizes the first scene in his one-act play to hint at the major themes that are further explored in his work. In the first scene of The American Dream, Albee lays out the concepts of feminism and materialism to introduce the larger theme of how the passage of time has altered the perception of the old American Dream.
Starting with the first scene with only Mommy and Daddy present on stage, Albee utilizes the setting to portray the gender division in society, separating the chairs in which the characters are sitting by a considerable distance and even going as far as to place them almost back to back. This set-up creates a very distanced atmosphere in the play and arouses a skeptical view in the eyes of the audience for the relationship between Mommy and Daddy. The on-going conversation between the two characters sheds further light on the gender division and implies how Mommy is dominating Daddy by constantly berating him and reminding him to pay attention to what she is saying. At a deeper level, Albee is trying to portray the new, more liberal American values of granting greater freedom to women and allowing them to play a more pronounced role in the world.
The content of the conversation between the two main characters furthers the central theme of the play. Mommy is endlessly elaborating on the subject of how she was deeply engrossed in buying a hat, debating between a more avant-garde beige and a common wheat color. The use of repetition by Mommy, constantly emphasizing her eagerness to be involved in consumerism, points to the change in the old American values to a more materialistic inclination towards consumer satisfaction. This conversation in the first scene also refers to the class division that greater consumerism has brought about in America and led to a more unsatisfied populace.
Through the use of various literary techniques, including repetition and setting, Albee attempts to display the metamorphosis of the old American Dream to incline more towards feminism and materialism in order to create a community where each member only strives to be at the top of the societal hierarchy rather than to find a unique level of satisfaction within oneself. Time has introduced change into American society, making it more susceptible to the effects of liberalism and the unrestrained ability to make choices. Eventually, Albee's purpose is to allow Americans to acknowledge the transformation in American values and reflect on the actions that entail.
Your thesis was very good, but the beginning sentence felt like to me you were just repeating what the prompt had asked of you. Your body paragraphs went with your thesis perfectly, and you id s really good job at explaining it. I'm a little surprised that Grandma wasn't mentioned or any other characters, if I hadn't read The American Dream, I still really wouldn't understand the story as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assertion that Albee uses the opening scene to establish important themes of his play. However, like Laura, I'm surprised that you don't mention Grandma at all-- one could argue that she is in fact the embodiment of much of what Albee is trying to say with his play, especially the new vs old American dream. You go into good detail on the topics of consumerism and materialism, but I think you could have looked deeper into Albee's motives, and broadened out a little from the relatively obvious themes that this essay is concerning.
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