The American Dream by Edward Albee is a play that explores the lives of the two main characters, Mommy and Daddy, and their struggles to meet the so called "American Dream", as well as a seemingly crazy Grandma. Throughout the entire play, Mommy emasculates Daddy while Grandma criticizes the both of them, creating a tense setting. The play is set in the present, but often references events that happened in the past, such as the baby boy Mommy and Daddy adopted and mutilated. Near the end of the play, the Young Man appears, a hallow but superficially "perfect" character that is in search for a job. After much realization, he is the twin of the baby boy that Mommy and Daddy had adopted. Dubbed the "American Dream" by Grandma, the Young Man becomes Mommy and Daddy's replacement for the baby boy, and is their way of living out the American Dream.
About the Play
The American Dream was written by Edward Albee, first staged in 1961. It takes place in Mommy and Daddy's apartment during an unspecified time period. Some significant figures include:
~ Mommy and Daddy, a married couple who live with Grandma. Mommy is a stubborn character who often doesn't listen to her husband. Daddy is often emasculated by the other characters, and hardly shows any sense of strong will.
~Grandma, who is Mommy's mother and is very witty and thoughtful, although Mommy and Daddy often chose to ignore her comments.
~Mrs. Barker, an omnipresent member of society who is acquainted with Mommy, and seems to have bad memory.
~ The Young Man, the twin of the baby that Mommy and Daddy mutilated a while back. He is superficially perfect but has a hallow life.
Narrative Voice:
Albee uses simple sentences for the most part. They range from one word lines to a few words, but it is written in a way that makes the characters' tone seem childish and uneducated. The entire play is in third person, so it is a bit more difficult to see inside each character. There is not much imagery used in this, as it is a play and not a novel. The imagery that is given is through the stage directions, which give a specific setting to the play (ie. "A living room. Two armchairs, one toward either side of the stage, facing each other diagonally out toward the audience...."(11). ) The symbolism in The American Dream includes many things, including but not limited to the hat, the Young Man, and Grandma's boxes. Through this, it is seen that Albee is a writer who favors a simplistic outward appearance while having a deep and meaningful truth.
Memorable Quotes:
Grandma: "Well, I got satisfaction" (16).
This quote may be simple, but it can be used to justify and explain many different motifs and themes, such as materialism vs. true satisfaction.
Grandma: "...So let's leave things as they are right now... while everybody's happy... while everybody's got what he wants... or everybody's got what he thinks he wants..." (93).
This quote is a great example to sum up the entire play. Mommy and Daddy think they know what they want in the end, but is it truly what they wanted? Grandma also brings out that this situation could apply to just about anyone.
Theme:
The American Dream is an unobtainable, unreachable, and far-off hope that many families have, and while they may think they have obtained it, they are often far off from the dream reality.
The plot centers around this theme, and the character of Grandma helps to propel it. Grandma makes many remarks that seem senile and strange, but digging into the deeper meaning, Grandma is actually the most logical character, and she points this theme out to the other characters. However, they rarely listen to her, so it proves that people (Mommy and Daddy) believe that their dream is achieved, although in reality, it has not.
I think you could do more in depth character summaries, you barely scratch the surface. You should include the Young Man's story. Also there is no narrative voice in a typical sense. The play is not told in third person, no play is. The narrative voice, Albee's voice, is expressed through Grandma in her commentary on everything. You also should include some of the symbolism seen in this play. The artificial light, Grandma as the old dream, and Young Man as the new. I think you were a little off in your theme. It is not so much about obtaining it, but the shift in the dream and how to obtain it.
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