Well, it feels like I've already done these, but here goes...
We are introduced into the highly satirized America comprised of Mommy and Daddy. As immature as their names, they are unable to derive any kind of satisfaction from their lives, be it sexual, spiritual, or material. They live with the slightly cantankerous, witty, and resourceful Grandma who does not hide her disdain for her daughter and son-in-law. All three are joined by Mrs. Baker, the neighborhood authority figure and government symbol. She is able to turn Mommy's opinion on anything, and Daddy finds her authority arousing. While this triangle attempts to get to the root of Mommy and Daddy's lack of satisfaction, The American Dream is welcomed into the apartment by Grandma. We find him to be hollow, despite his outward appearance of beauty and completeness. He is found to be the twin of the child Mommy and Daddy adopted before, but mutilated when it couldn't conform to their desires. Grandma leaves the apartment, but Mommy and Daddy find The American Dream to be the perfect addition to their family.
What Albee's getting at within the absurdity:
Grandma is the old American Dream, the dream America was founded on. She is resourceful, independent, and "comes from pioneer stock". She is rather androgynous, saying that at this point in her life she "looks just about as much as an old man as an old woman", in addition to taking the pseudonym "Uncle Henry" to win a baking contest (hinging on the American public being unable to tell good from bad when packaged). The Young Man is the new American Dream; empty, superficial, and glossy. Although he comes from "out west", it is not the plains of the Dakotas or rugged Rocky Mountains. He is from Hollywood, the phoniest place in America.
Through Mommy and Daddy's rejection of Grandma and adoption of the Young Man, they show that the values America was founded on no longer apply. Instead of striving with dirt, sweat, and ingenuity to lead a satisfying life, Mommy will debate beige hats with a sycophantic Daddy. The true irony is that they have what they want (the hollow Young Man), instead of what they so desperately need.
Meaning:
We are on a path of destruction with our current materialist values, but it's not too late to look back to the values of old America and reclaim our individualism.
Your summary and analysis are complete, and you have quite a few quotes that you explained. I don't see your meaning statement. Perhaps you weren't sure to write before our discussion. Now that we've talked in class, I'm sure you can add the statement easily.
ReplyDelete