Synthesis of Course Material Part One: Things We've Read

The American Dream- Edward Albee

It helps to understand a piece of literature with a bit of background on the author. In the video we watched of Edward Albee, he explained that the purpose of this work, what he hoped it would do, was teach people to reexamine their values and not live like the people in the play. Already in the title, “The American Dream” feelings and preconceived notions about the “dream” are evoked in readers. The play presents the typical “American dream” that many Americans held sacred in the 1950’s and 1960’s. By writing this play, Albee tried to expose the shallowness and superficiality of this dream and recognize the departure of traditional “agrarian” values of the old America. The old values are represented by Grandma in the play, which seems to be the only sane character, the only one with any dignity and individualism. The corruptness of the dream is represented with the character of Mommy. Mommy is the essence of consumerist values; she is always seeking some kind of material “satisfaction” and is able to mutilate her own child (with Daddy’s help) because it wasn’t up to standards. The “new” America is represented through the character of the Young Man, who himself states that he is only the beauty of his appearance, and there is nothing inside him. This represents the shallow values of the new America.

Death of a Salesman- Arthur Miller

“Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller is another literary work criticizing the new values of America and abandonment of the old. Willy, the main character, possesses all the characteristics that would have made him successful in the old America: hard work, perseverance, and a hunger to provide for his family. Despite these characteristics, Willy fails in the new America. This new America values the younger, more attractive employees, people who are “well liked.” Willy struggles with this because, although he recognizes these values, he can’t let go of his belief that traditional values will get you far and that he is no longer “liked” by society. Willy’s boss, Howard, represents the new America; he’s harsh and uncaring toward Willy and doesn’t care about their family connections. Willy also has great conflict with his son, Biff, who was destined to be a great football player. When Biff catches his father cheating on his mother, he loses all hope and belief in the values that his father represented. He refuses to go to summer school and really goes nowhere in life. Throughout the play, Willy not only struggles to accept his lowly place in society, but also with the failure of his son, refusing to blame himself. The play expresses Miller’s ideas about the harsh, materialistic, and shallow new America, and how irrelevant traditional values are in modern times.

Ceremony- Leslie Marmon Silko

Leslie Marmon Silko comes from a Native American reservation, Laguna, so this novel was quite different than the others. In her community, story-telling is an essential part of life. It is not just idle gossip, but bring the community together, allows them to laugh together, and learn from other people. The stories keep individuals in touch with the past, and create a time continuum. Time is not linear in this culture, but instead like a circle, where everything has happened before, just differently. This circular sense of time is a huge part of “Ceremony.” Tayo is a war veteran, who has come back extremely mentally damaged from the war after losing those most sacred to him. The novel is not the least bit linear, but instead has frequent flash backs to Tayo’s life before the war and then back to the present. The flash backs represent the non-linear time continuum. Tayo goes through healing with the help of a medicine man, who helps him realize this web of time and understand it better. Tayo also regains his relationship with the land through his relationship with Ts’eh. Tayo learns to see things in terms of the original witchery that started all the evil in the world, and avoid a complete downfall like many other veterans.

Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen

“Pride and Prejudice” was written by Jane Austen, a feminist who chose to never get married and was rather well-off living with her father. The novel is essentially a love story with two extremely unlikely lovers. Elizabeth, the main character, is not of extremely high class in English society, but her mother hopes to marry her off with a rich man to ensure her lifetime security. Her mother’s obsession with marrying off her daughters is important in that it shows that this time did not value marrying for love, but for money. When Elizabeth meets Darcy she thinks he is stuck up and rude, and Darcy does not think much of her either. However, Darcy begins to realize Elizabeth is quite attractive in that she is much unlike other women; she is intelligent, independent, and very real with her feelings. Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth and proposes, however Elizabeth has already heard quite terrible lies about Darcy from the spiteful Wickham. Elizabeth denies the proposal until she finds out the truth about Darcy from people who actually know him. The two fall in love and eventually get married, leaving readers with a “happily ever-after” ending. The title is explained throughout the book with Elizabeth’s prejudice toward Darcy, basing her opinions solely off first impressions and rumors, and Darcy’s pride; he was raised to feel better than those around him, especially those of lower classes. Once the characters overcome these flaws, they are able to shock society and live together happily.

Hamlet- Shakespeare

Hamlet is a Shakespearean revenge tragedy in which Hamlet seeks revenge against his uncle, Claudius, for the murder of his father. His father’s ghost is the one who plants the idea of revenge in Hamlet’s mind, and from then on the play continues with the downfall of nearly all the characters. “Incest” is a major part of the play because Hamlet’s mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle was considered incest in this time. Hamlet is disgusted with his mother. Hamlet’s lover, Ophelia, is ordered by her father Polonius to never speak to Hamlet again, which she agrees to readily. This makes us question how feeble a character Ophelia is, because she seems to be at the whims of others the entire play. Hamlet acts crazy the entire play in order to diffuse any ideas of his seeking revenge against his uncle. The result is that he murders Polonius, his mother drinks poison meant for himself, Claudius, Laertes, and Hamlet are all killed by the same poisoned blade, and Ophelia, mad with grief and pregnancy drowns herself in the river. The end accords with the revenge tragedy, with the blood bath at the end. This play reveals the corruptness of the “state” which is represented by the King and the subsequent betrayals and murders.