Post by davep02 on Apr 4, 2008 18:58:50 GMT -5
Dave Pusar
English III Honors
Period 2
The Great Disappointment: An Analysis of the Effects of the American Dream on Families
Life in the 20th century was a dark time for American families. The events of the Great Depression and World War I left America devastated. Families struggled socially and economically. To compensate for the lack of flourishing families in the era, people strived to find meaning in life through the pursuit of the wondrous “American Dream.” However, the American Dream and the American capitalist system proved to be unsatisfying and destroyed the majority of American workers. The harsh realities of life for low and middle class workers proved that the American Dream was unsuccessful. Although the American Dream provided hope and motivation, its unrealistic nature and the working class’s failures led to disorder and the collapse of many American families during the 20th century.
The letdowns of the American Dream on men often led to their desire to escape from their lives. Men worked extremely long and strenuous hours in their struggle to provide for their family even though their own personal aspirations were compromised due to their workload. These men could not chase their dreams and thus were left with the longing to escape from reality. In Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, Tom desperately wants to check out from his life and escape. When Tom escapes to “go to the movies,” he is escaping reality and also abandoning his family and his absent leads to Laura’s delay of maturing into her own person. Also, when Tom states, “The warehouse is where I work, not where I know things about people,” Tom shows his inability to relate to others, including his family. Tom’s hatred of his job at the warehouse and his trips to the movies result in chaos and disorder in his family. Similar to The Glass Menagerie, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald demonstrates people trying to escape their realities. At Gatsby’s parties, everyone participates in drinking heavily. Fitzgerald shows through the characters drinking the impaired judgments and morals of people in the 20th century. Their drinking leads to distance between the couples at the parties and illustrates the general unhappiness of people. Tom and the people at Gatsby’s party show how human relations fail as people avoid facing reality and thus attempt to escape.
The grueling and long hours of work that the working class men had to endure in order to try and capture the American Dream in the twentieth century also led to conflicts with their relationships to their families. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Miller portrays Willy’s desire to achieve the American Dream as Willy’s hope and inspiration to get through life but it also destroys him and leaves Biff and Linda alone and unloved. Willy’s work constantly makes him work in other cities and he does not have a strong impact on socializing Biff and spending time with his family. Biff is influenced by his father to revert to chasing the dream Willy could not reach which was to become a rich and famous business man. However, Willy’s lack of involvement in Biff’s life as well as his intrusive influence on Biff’s dreams lead to Biff’s downfall and ultimate unhappiness. Furthermore, in Williams The Glass Menagerie, Williams shows the negative effects of Tom’s lengthy work hours and the American capitalist system. Tom’s long hours at the warehouse leaves Amanda to raise Laura alone. Amanda’s overprotective tendencies and the lack of a male influence in Laura’s life make Laura fragile and she cannot create an identity of her own.
Lastly, the disappointment of the inability to accomplish the American Dream caused many families to ultimately split and American families were in turmoil. In Miller’s The Death of a Salesman, Willy feels that the only way to accomplish part of his American Dream is by committing suicide. Although Willy believes that his suicide will be positive for his family by providing them with money, he is actually breaking up his family and alienating them. Willy’s inability to accomplish fame and success drives him to his death and destroys his relationship with his family. Like Willy, Tom in The Glass Menagerie deserts his family in quest of his ambitions and dream. The imprisoning work at the warehouse and his negative home environment enforced his yearning to leave his family like his father. Although Tom left to chase his dream he is another example of a family decompensate due to the pursuit of the American Dream.
These three works portray the improbable idealism of the American Dream that results in a viscous capitalist system. Not only are their insurmountable financial realities but there are devastating effects on human relationships. These same struggles exist in the deep divisions in our society today between the rich and poor. Often the poor still believe in the false ideal of the American myth of the American Dream. The American Dream still exists still exists today and thus these novels still relate to today’s society and American families.
English III Honors
Period 2
The Great Disappointment: An Analysis of the Effects of the American Dream on Families
Life in the 20th century was a dark time for American families. The events of the Great Depression and World War I left America devastated. Families struggled socially and economically. To compensate for the lack of flourishing families in the era, people strived to find meaning in life through the pursuit of the wondrous “American Dream.” However, the American Dream and the American capitalist system proved to be unsatisfying and destroyed the majority of American workers. The harsh realities of life for low and middle class workers proved that the American Dream was unsuccessful. Although the American Dream provided hope and motivation, its unrealistic nature and the working class’s failures led to disorder and the collapse of many American families during the 20th century.
The letdowns of the American Dream on men often led to their desire to escape from their lives. Men worked extremely long and strenuous hours in their struggle to provide for their family even though their own personal aspirations were compromised due to their workload. These men could not chase their dreams and thus were left with the longing to escape from reality. In Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie, Tom desperately wants to check out from his life and escape. When Tom escapes to “go to the movies,” he is escaping reality and also abandoning his family and his absent leads to Laura’s delay of maturing into her own person. Also, when Tom states, “The warehouse is where I work, not where I know things about people,” Tom shows his inability to relate to others, including his family. Tom’s hatred of his job at the warehouse and his trips to the movies result in chaos and disorder in his family. Similar to The Glass Menagerie, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald demonstrates people trying to escape their realities. At Gatsby’s parties, everyone participates in drinking heavily. Fitzgerald shows through the characters drinking the impaired judgments and morals of people in the 20th century. Their drinking leads to distance between the couples at the parties and illustrates the general unhappiness of people. Tom and the people at Gatsby’s party show how human relations fail as people avoid facing reality and thus attempt to escape.
The grueling and long hours of work that the working class men had to endure in order to try and capture the American Dream in the twentieth century also led to conflicts with their relationships to their families. In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Miller portrays Willy’s desire to achieve the American Dream as Willy’s hope and inspiration to get through life but it also destroys him and leaves Biff and Linda alone and unloved. Willy’s work constantly makes him work in other cities and he does not have a strong impact on socializing Biff and spending time with his family. Biff is influenced by his father to revert to chasing the dream Willy could not reach which was to become a rich and famous business man. However, Willy’s lack of involvement in Biff’s life as well as his intrusive influence on Biff’s dreams lead to Biff’s downfall and ultimate unhappiness. Furthermore, in Williams The Glass Menagerie, Williams shows the negative effects of Tom’s lengthy work hours and the American capitalist system. Tom’s long hours at the warehouse leaves Amanda to raise Laura alone. Amanda’s overprotective tendencies and the lack of a male influence in Laura’s life make Laura fragile and she cannot create an identity of her own.
Lastly, the disappointment of the inability to accomplish the American Dream caused many families to ultimately split and American families were in turmoil. In Miller’s The Death of a Salesman, Willy feels that the only way to accomplish part of his American Dream is by committing suicide. Although Willy believes that his suicide will be positive for his family by providing them with money, he is actually breaking up his family and alienating them. Willy’s inability to accomplish fame and success drives him to his death and destroys his relationship with his family. Like Willy, Tom in The Glass Menagerie deserts his family in quest of his ambitions and dream. The imprisoning work at the warehouse and his negative home environment enforced his yearning to leave his family like his father. Although Tom left to chase his dream he is another example of a family decompensate due to the pursuit of the American Dream.
These three works portray the improbable idealism of the American Dream that results in a viscous capitalist system. Not only are their insurmountable financial realities but there are devastating effects on human relationships. These same struggles exist in the deep divisions in our society today between the rich and poor. Often the poor still believe in the false ideal of the American myth of the American Dream. The American Dream still exists still exists today and thus these novels still relate to today’s society and American families.