The American dream
The American dream appeals and reinforces work ethics and protects the system of government. It also perpetuates the prevailing class structure while offering hope to the Americans. It gives all the citizens irrespective of their origin an opportunity to achieve success. Americans believe that individual effort leads to success and therefore class structure has insignificant influence in one’s success. The American dream is protected by the Declaration of Independence that recognizes equality, ability and rights. Different authors and creators have illustrated the American dream since the 20 th century and showcase how class ascendency is in the American psyche with individuals in different generations moving from rags to riches (Wyatt-Nichol, 2011) The American dream, therefore, gives the citizens hope that they can achieve their desired goal by pursuing their dreams. This paper examines two examples of theatre to show how the search for the American dream has been portrayed.
The American Dream (1960) by Edward Albee is a one-act play that premiered in 1961. The play is a satire of the life of an American married couple and an elderly mother. The opening of the play shows the three discussing how the day for mommy was before Mrs. Barker joins them. As the conversation continues, grandma interjects, and later daddy and mommy exit leaving the grandmother and Mrs. Barker. The two discuss the adoption of a son by the couple before Mrs. Barker exit. Shortly after, a man in search of a job appears at the door. The grandmother listens to the man and nicknames him the American dream. The man then joins the family and mommy and daddy celebrate the arrival of the man.
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Albee explores the status of an American family and the American dream and its fallacies. The American dream gives hope to all that external factors cannot stop them from realizing their dream. However, the play shows a contrasting scenario with the citizens falling short of their expectations. Despite the promises of the American dream, the play shows the challenges undergone by the citizens. The American dream fallacy assumes that the citizens can be what they want and therefore the play is of a contrary view showing the challenges that the majority of people undergo.
Albee shows the fallacy in the American dream using the first child as an example. The child was mutilated and suffered from the pain undergone by many young people in America who end up giving up and resulting in drugs. Citizens can pursue many opportunities in America throughout theory life (Callahan, 2017). Citizens can realize their dreams by exploring such possibilities. However, not all citizens realize their dreams. Some recognize that the American dream is just a dream and they result in armed crime, the use of drugs and other forms of crime once they understand that their aspirations cannot be met.
The search for the American dream in the play can also be seen from the young man who is in search of work. The man was determined to find meaningful employment to meet his life expectations and better his future. The play shows how the family accepts the man with daddy and mommy celebrating since they have found a replacement for the first child. The celebration shows the happiness that the Americans get once their desires are met (Callahan, 2017). It shows that opportunities can come in different forms and not only through high paying jobs. The young man in the play, for example, becomes the object of satisfaction to the family.
The play, however, shows how happiness can be achieved through deceit. Mommy, for example, buys a beige hat from a store, but the chair lady of the woman club tells her that the hat is wheat. Mommy is then forced to return the cap and order a beige one even though the one she gets is similar to the previous one. Daddy in the play alleges that mommy was given the same hat although she was satisfied that she got the preferred hat. Grandmother wrapping of the lunchbox is also another form of deceit in the play. Mommy enjoyed food at school from other generous children who thought that the lunchbox was empty. Albee uses such examples to show how the American dream deceives people to believe that they are superior and can achieve everything they want even though the situation on the ground was different. The play uses the wrapping to portray how Americans consider the visible items as more important than the content which can be useless. Albee successfully manages to show how outside appearance provides satisfaction to the society.
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
The play tells a story of the experience a black family undergoes in their effort to improve their life. The family uses proceeds from an insurance payout following the demise of the father. The family expects to receive $10,000 from the insurance company, but the family is divided with the mother objecting to the demands of Walter. The mother puts up a new house in an all-white neighbourhood since it’s much cheaper. The mother later gives Walter the money she is left with. Walter was to reserves $3000 for Beneatha, but he gives the entire amount to Bob who after that transfers the same to Willy. Willy declines to give back the money; thus he deprives the rightful beneficiaries their dream. A white representative offers to buy the family out to avoid any tension in the neighbourhood but the family was hesitant, and the offer was not accepted.
Hansberry portrays a powerful family with big dreams and frustration just like the American dream where individuals have high expectations, yet some setbacks deny them the opportunity to realize true happiness. The family in the play dreams of a happy future with the son longing for riches while the daughter tries to search for her identity and race. The white neighbour threatens the esteem of the family and their security but later appreciates their commitment. Dreams motivate the young family. The mother desires a house in an all whites neighbourhood while the son would like to invest in the business to get the family out of poverty. The daughter wants a good education that will propel her dream of being a doctor in the future.
Hansberry shows through the family the different views of the American dream. Mama, for example, tells the son that the liquor store is against Christianity and therefore he should not pursue the dream but instead spend the money in a new house. In the first scene, the mother is shown as convincing when she carries a bible to the room. Mama also seeks spiritual intervention throughout the play.
Hansberry uses dreams to drive and motivate the family to achieve their unique goals. The dreams positively uplift the mental status of the family by encouraging them to strive for a better life and happiness. The young family is determined to overcome the harsh life they are undergoing and the hard work that they engage in to overcome poverty and other challenges that they encounter including discrimination, access to quality healthcare and education. However, the dreams lead to the dissatisfaction of the family since they are not contented with their current situation. Materialistic goals throughout the play lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
The play portrays the American Dream as something that can be achieved by any citizen irrespective of their background and ethnicity. The play confronts the attitudes of the American citizen towards racism where the desires and ambitions of the minority groups should be resisted. The blacks in America have dreams just like the rest of the citizens and such ideas drive the American dream where individuals believe that they are equal and that they can also achieve happiness by pursuing their desires.
The above
Edward Albee, for example, showed how the Americans are deceived to believe that they have achieved their desired goals. The play, however, shows the desires of the American citizens to live a fulfilling life. Lorraine Hansberry shows how individual dreams can encourage people to strive towards their goals. It shows how people can achieve their desires despite the challenges that can prevent them from realizing their ambitions.
References
A Raisin in the Sun (1961). (2019). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055353/
Albee. (20). The American Dream | play by Albee. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-American-Dream
Callahan, W. (2017). Dreaming as a critical discourse of national belonging: China Dream, American Dream and world dream. Nations and Nationalism , 23 (2), 248-270. doi: 10.1111/nana.12296
Wyatt-Nichol, H. (2011). The enduring myth of the American dream: mobility, marginalization, and hope. International Journal Of Organization Theory & Behavior , 14 (2), 258-279. doi: 10.1108/ijotb-14-02-2011-b006
