Post by melissas2 on Apr 4, 2008 18:48:08 GMT -5
August Wilson’s Fences, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, and Tennessee William’s Glass Menagerie, each reflect American society’s experiences within family life. Each work takes place around great times of change in the nation, either during the post WWII era or during the Civil Rights movement. In both situations, a rift occurs between generations resulting from subtle transformations that alter the mindset of the young. A deep void comes to separate parents from their children in terms of their individual expectations in life, and these three authors portray how the differences in views affect families of the time. These three works reveal a family dynamic of the 20th century in which the preceding generation has a different understanding of the American Dream, and attempts to impose their own concept of progress on to their children.
The parents of these works, through their own life experiences, feel they have learned what is needed to succeed, and they try to have their sons excel by following their wisdom. In Fences, Troy has been raised in the early 1900’s and has come to believe that as a black man, he is limited in his ability to rise in society. Troy was a baseball star in his youth, but he encountered racism that stifled his career and he struggled through tough circumstances. He stole, went to jail, and came out believing that a black man should not have high expectations because he will always be kept down by white men. Troy tries to pass on this belief to his son Cory, making him give up his dream of being a successful football star in college, and instead bag groceries for a living so that by aiming low, he won’t be hurt by the white man. Similarly, Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman feels he knows that the key to success is to be well-liked and have a good personality. He’s learned this from his observations of wealthy business men like Dave Singleman, and has followed this belief his whole life. Willy blindly chases after what he considers the American Dream, and stays on a miserable path of a poor paying white collar job. His only hope is that his son, Biff, who is well-liked, will rise to success by following in his footsteps and learning the trade like he did. Willy instills ideas in Biff, telling him that education is not important and that being popular is valuable. Likewise, in Glass Menagerie, Amanda tells her son Tom that he should work hard in a factory job so that his family can reach material success. She has been raised as a rich southern belle with expectations of wealth signifying happiness. She tries to place this same value in Tom, and asks him to work like a dog so that he can be happy by having money. Ultimately, each parent wants to pass on their beliefs and knowledge so that their children can succeed where they didn’t.
As a result of the changes that occur in society, the sons grow up with different expectations of themselves, and they struggle to make their ideal selves match their parents’ hope for them. Cory grew up in a society on the verge of the Civil Rights movement and therefore believes that his race, although a factor, will not keep him down like it did for his father. Cory understands that by getting a football scholarship and going to college, he can succeed by being educated and possibly wealthy. However, Troy who still thinks the world is governed by harsh racism, does not want Cory suffer, and can’t understand his ambitions. Cory cannot find a way to please his father and himself, and so he lies about having a job, and instead goes to football practice. Biff also has a deviating understanding of his role in society. He feels differently about his nation while in the post WWII time, and is disillusioned by people like his father who constantly strive for unobtainable goals. Biff wants to please his father and take a job as a salesman in Brooklyn, but also is driven by his own desire to explore the West and be happy as a simple farmhand. His ambivalence creates great turmoil as he is torn between his father’s idea of happiness and his own. Tom suffers the same struggle, trying to support his mother and her expectations by working in a factory, but he is drawn to adventures and poetry. He, too, is trapped in the post WWII disillusionment and wants to pursue dreams that appeal to him, and not the dream that his mother has. His only way to slightly please his own wishes is to escape in movie theatres and ignore his terrible situation. All the sons wish respect their parents but can’t feel self-satisfaction at the same time.
The generational conflict eventually reaches a climax and results in a break in the relationship as the sons chose to pursue their own dreams and abandon their parents’ hope. When Troy finds out that Cory lied to him, a fight erupts and Cory makes the decision to leave his father and his jaded outlook. Cory joins the army and alters the course of his life to fit his own view of the world. A similar situation occurs in the Loman household, when Biff finally cracks under the pressure and realizes he must confront his father. Biff tries to reveal the flaws in Willy’s thinking, but Willy will not listen. Biff finally understands that he cannot follow his father’s narrow path, and presumably will chase his own dreams. Tom also leaves his family in pursuit of adventure and poetry, but it comes at the cost of constant remorse and sadness for leaving those he loved. The sons ultimately had a different perspective on happiness and developed a separate idea of the American Dream. These new ideas were reactionary, spawning from the deep societal changes brought on by the Civil Rights movement and world-weariness after WWII. The sons’ individual understanding of the American Dream inevitably caused discord within the family.
The authors of Fences, Death of a Salesman, and Glass Menagerie portray the troubled dynamic of families within the 20th century. The differences between generations reflect the changes and movements of the times, and show the strain on families when there is a shift in values and understanding. The sons grew up in an altered society than that of their parents, and therefore gained their own expectations of themselves. The families living in 20th century America were broken by the strain of desire for different goals, and these three works reflect the pain caused by the family rifts.
The parents of these works, through their own life experiences, feel they have learned what is needed to succeed, and they try to have their sons excel by following their wisdom. In Fences, Troy has been raised in the early 1900’s and has come to believe that as a black man, he is limited in his ability to rise in society. Troy was a baseball star in his youth, but he encountered racism that stifled his career and he struggled through tough circumstances. He stole, went to jail, and came out believing that a black man should not have high expectations because he will always be kept down by white men. Troy tries to pass on this belief to his son Cory, making him give up his dream of being a successful football star in college, and instead bag groceries for a living so that by aiming low, he won’t be hurt by the white man. Similarly, Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman feels he knows that the key to success is to be well-liked and have a good personality. He’s learned this from his observations of wealthy business men like Dave Singleman, and has followed this belief his whole life. Willy blindly chases after what he considers the American Dream, and stays on a miserable path of a poor paying white collar job. His only hope is that his son, Biff, who is well-liked, will rise to success by following in his footsteps and learning the trade like he did. Willy instills ideas in Biff, telling him that education is not important and that being popular is valuable. Likewise, in Glass Menagerie, Amanda tells her son Tom that he should work hard in a factory job so that his family can reach material success. She has been raised as a rich southern belle with expectations of wealth signifying happiness. She tries to place this same value in Tom, and asks him to work like a dog so that he can be happy by having money. Ultimately, each parent wants to pass on their beliefs and knowledge so that their children can succeed where they didn’t.
As a result of the changes that occur in society, the sons grow up with different expectations of themselves, and they struggle to make their ideal selves match their parents’ hope for them. Cory grew up in a society on the verge of the Civil Rights movement and therefore believes that his race, although a factor, will not keep him down like it did for his father. Cory understands that by getting a football scholarship and going to college, he can succeed by being educated and possibly wealthy. However, Troy who still thinks the world is governed by harsh racism, does not want Cory suffer, and can’t understand his ambitions. Cory cannot find a way to please his father and himself, and so he lies about having a job, and instead goes to football practice. Biff also has a deviating understanding of his role in society. He feels differently about his nation while in the post WWII time, and is disillusioned by people like his father who constantly strive for unobtainable goals. Biff wants to please his father and take a job as a salesman in Brooklyn, but also is driven by his own desire to explore the West and be happy as a simple farmhand. His ambivalence creates great turmoil as he is torn between his father’s idea of happiness and his own. Tom suffers the same struggle, trying to support his mother and her expectations by working in a factory, but he is drawn to adventures and poetry. He, too, is trapped in the post WWII disillusionment and wants to pursue dreams that appeal to him, and not the dream that his mother has. His only way to slightly please his own wishes is to escape in movie theatres and ignore his terrible situation. All the sons wish respect their parents but can’t feel self-satisfaction at the same time.
The generational conflict eventually reaches a climax and results in a break in the relationship as the sons chose to pursue their own dreams and abandon their parents’ hope. When Troy finds out that Cory lied to him, a fight erupts and Cory makes the decision to leave his father and his jaded outlook. Cory joins the army and alters the course of his life to fit his own view of the world. A similar situation occurs in the Loman household, when Biff finally cracks under the pressure and realizes he must confront his father. Biff tries to reveal the flaws in Willy’s thinking, but Willy will not listen. Biff finally understands that he cannot follow his father’s narrow path, and presumably will chase his own dreams. Tom also leaves his family in pursuit of adventure and poetry, but it comes at the cost of constant remorse and sadness for leaving those he loved. The sons ultimately had a different perspective on happiness and developed a separate idea of the American Dream. These new ideas were reactionary, spawning from the deep societal changes brought on by the Civil Rights movement and world-weariness after WWII. The sons’ individual understanding of the American Dream inevitably caused discord within the family.
The authors of Fences, Death of a Salesman, and Glass Menagerie portray the troubled dynamic of families within the 20th century. The differences between generations reflect the changes and movements of the times, and show the strain on families when there is a shift in values and understanding. The sons grew up in an altered society than that of their parents, and therefore gained their own expectations of themselves. The families living in 20th century America were broken by the strain of desire for different goals, and these three works reflect the pain caused by the family rifts.