Summary of the American Dream

Author:

Edward Albee was born in Virginia in 1928 and was soon later adopted by wealthy family in New York. He is known for helping to gain popularity of the Theatre of the Absurd. He is most known for his two plays, The American Dream and The Zoo Story, both being extremely controversial works of satire.

Setting:

This setting is an extremely ambiguous apartment building that is never really described but just said to be a building that looked like it had work, as said by the young man. Ambiguous setting is a main component of absurdism so this is probably why the setting was never developed.

Main Characters:

Grandma: Often labeled as the “old American” dream, Grandma is known for being a resourceful woman that does not fit in with the “new generation”. Near the end of the play she is able to join the audience and act as a commentator for the rest of the act, this also shows that she is not part of the “new” and meaningless generation. Grandma is also known for her wit and intelligence.

Mommy: Having an extremely dominating nature, Mommy tends to control everyone that is around her especially Daddy. In addition she is known as being the typical “bad mother” of the generation and this is exaggerated through Albee’s use of the Theatre of the Absurd when talking of how she cut up pieces of her “bumble”. Mommy also states that satisfaction is impossible to find these days, so she uses consumerism to buy her needs.

Daddy: Known for being extremely child-like and unsure of what to do, Daddy is easily ruled over by Mommy and is known for being emasculated by her. This emasculation shows his lost of individuality, referring back to how the “new” American dream also causes people to lose a sense of them.

Mrs. Barker: Known for being chair of the Woman’s Club and volunteering at the Bye-Bye Adoption Agency, Mrs. Barker is an exaggeration of the typical “perfect” house-wife. Even though she was called over by Mommy and Daddy to get satisfaction, she acts as if she does not know why she is at their apartment. Lastly, she often refers to herself as “us” or  “ours”, causing the reader to believe that she is actually part of a group of people but is the only one speaking.

Young Man: Known as the “type”, the Young Man represents the “new” American dream. He is an identical twin with the child that was previously lived in Mommy and Daddy’s household. As his twin was physically abused he was internally abused, leaving him to be physically perfect but mentally instable. He is also said to have no skills and therefore will do anything for money.

Narrative Voice: N/A because a play

Plot:

-         The play opens of Mommy and Daddy sitting in the living room and complaining how their visitors are late. Mommy is upset and says that these days it is impossible to get satisfaction. Mommy begins to tell Daddy her purchase of a hat the day before: The chairwoman of the woman’s club told her that her that her hat was wheat but it was actually beige so Mommy goes and exchanges it for a new beige one. During this story Mommy get mad at Daddy because he is not listening, and after Daddy says that it was probably the same color hat (Mommy agrees). While waiting for the visitors Daddy goes on to say that he has been trying to get the toilet fixed mostly for Grandma. After this Grandma walks in while a load of boxes and dumps them in the living room. Grandma agrees that they toilet needs to be fixed and Daddy goes on to say that he can hear her whimpering in the bathroom (both Mommy and Grandma scold him for saying this). Grandma then changes topics and say that as you become old people begin feeling sorry for you and this gives her a sense of dignity. Mommy and Daddy scold grandma for reading Mommy’s book club selection and grandma goes on to say that the old have to do something.

When Grandma leaves Mommy recalls how Grandma has always wrapped boxes very neatly, since Mommy was a little girl. Mommy say that Grandma used to do this for her lunches and Daddy says that it was because it had no food in it. Mommy quickly says that it did, but she instead ate everyone else’s lunches. Daddy scolds Mommy for being such a deceitful person but she says that she did it because they were poor.

The topic then shifts to money. Grandma feels rich because she can live with Mommy and Daddy but she doesn’t know that Daddy actually wants her in a nursing home (he claims that this is not true). Mommy says that she has a right to his money because he allowed him to have sex with her.

Grandma reenters and Daddy compliments her on her box wrapping but she scolds him for saying that she whimpers in the bathroom. She goes on to say that all old people whimper. Grandma also says that Mommy schemed to marry a rich man and asks Daddy why he would ever want to marry a woman like Mommy. Mommy complains that Grandma is her mom and should not be taking Daddy’s side.

Grandma says that they only reason that she was kept in this household was to protect Mommy when Daddy got “fresh”. Mommy says that Daddy has been sick and that he does not want anyone.

The bell rings and Daddy has doubts opening the door. Mommy must reassure Daddy that it is a good idea to open the door for the people. Mrs. Barker enters and Mommy says that she has been here once before. Grandma says that she cannot see Mrs. Barker. Mommy and Daddy offer Mrs. Barker to sit down and have a drink or cigarrete. Mrs. Barker nicely comments on their unattractive apartment and says that she known of their maintenance problems.

Mommy and Daddy ask what she does and she says that she is chair of the woman’s club. Mommy remembers her and recognizes that Mrs. Barker is wearing the same hat as Mommy bought yesterday.  Mommy then tells her to remove her dress and Mrs. Barker does so. Daddy gets aroused and excited. Mrs. Barkers says that she will have a smoke if that will help the situation but Mommy says no. Mommy asks Mrs. Barker why she ahs come which seems to be very confusing because no one knows why she is here.

Grandma warns Mommy to not step over the boxes and Daddy thinks that, that is why Mrs. Barker is here. Grandma is not sure if that is what she thought she meant.

Daddy thinks that it would help to tell about his operation where the doctors removed the tracts and now has tubes.

Grandma tries to speak but Mommy silences her insisting that old people have nothing to say. Grandma says that Mommy is middle aged and they think that they can do anything but they cant.

Finally Grandma says that the boxes have nothing to do with the visit but no one wants to listen to what they are for.  Daddy can’t remember Mrs. Barkers name when asking what her purpose of being here is.

Mommy says that she also wants Grandma taken away. Mommy says that Grandma watches too much television and tells Daddy to shake Grandma’s television tubes loose. Eventually Mommy tells Daddy to break Grandma’s t.v.

Mrs. Barker says that she is a busy woman with many committees and Mommy and Daddy mock her by saying that they haven to invite her to offer her help.

Mrs. Barker says that she is feeling faint so Mommy goes and gets her some water. When Mrs. Barker and Grandma are alone, Mrs. Barker asks what her purpose of being here is. Grandma tells the story of how people “very much like” Daddy, Mommy, and Grandma adopted a young “bumble” form Mrs. Barker. Eventually they mutilated this bumble until it died. Wanting satisfaction, Mommy and Daddy called the adoption agency for a refund and this is why Mrs. Barker is here.

Daddy can’t find the television and Mommy can’t find the water: Grandma has hidden everything. Grandma does not care. Mrs. Barker can’t understand what Grandma has just said.

The Young Man enters. He is handsome and young. Grandma thinks that he is the van man; he isn’t. Grandma calls him the “American Dream”. The young man says that he will do anything for money. Grandma thinks that this household could give him some work. She says that he looks familiar but does not know where he is from, and then asks why he is so desperate for money. He says that he has good looks but something about him is incomplete so he most compensate. He says that when he has a twin and that his counterpart suffered a lot of mutilations and he suffered from this too.  Grandma comes up with a plan to help him.

Mrs. Barker comes back into the living room. Grandma introduces the young mas as the van man. Grandma commands the young man to go put away her bags and when he leaves she whispers the solution to Mommy and Daddy’s problem. Mrs. Barker leaves and Grandma says goodbye. She tells the young man to stay. Mommy, Daddy, and Mrs. Barker arrive back into the scene. They are all happy with the resolution and deicide to celebrate.

Grandma ends up on the outside of the play as the narrator and end saying, “It’s better to end it here while “everybody’s got what he wants...or everybody’s got what he thinks he wants.”

Important Quotes:

Grandma: “You don’t have any feelings, that’s what’s wrong with you (68).”

Here grandma draws an excellent contrast between the “old” generation and the “new” generation. The old generation have a more sympathetic personality and do not mind talking to people when they are need whereas the new generation is quick to judge and seems to very apathetic.

Daddy: “I think we should talk about it some more. Maybe we’ve been hasty…a little hast, perhaps (73).”

This quote is an excellent indicator of how Daddy has been emasculated. He cannot make decisions for his own so Mommy has to help him make them.

Mommy: “…I could have a husband who was poor, or argumentative, or a husband who sat in a wheel chair all day…OOOOHHHH! What have I said? What have I said”?

On the surface this quote may seem like Mommy actually feels bad about insulting Mrs. Barker’s husband but in reality Mommy has said this on purpose. Mommy does not like when people are better than her and always wants to be in control. By saying this Mommy is demeaning Mrs. Barker and also putting her in her place.

Theme:

The main theme of this play is that the American scene has been misplaced. Mommy and Daddy’s household shows what is left of the American Dream. The young man who is a perfect Midwest man with blonde hair and blue eyes represents the “new” American Dream. Even though he looks perfect from the outside he is incomplete on the outside due to what happened to his twin brother. Mommy and Daddy wanted satisfaction from the young man’s twin but did not get this so tortured him until he died. Mommy and Daddy relate to the young man because he is perfect on the outside but in reality has no purpose and will sell themselves as a commodity.