1975. Although literary critics have tended to praise the unique
in literary characterizations, many authors have employed the stereotyped
character successfully. Select one work of acknowledged literary merit and in a
well-written essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character or
characters function to achieve the author's purpose.
The
American Dream, a play written by Edward Albee, characterizes the “new
american” dream as a misplaced and lost “old american dream.” Albee does not
merely tell the reader who is the new american dream and why they do not
exhibit hardworking, persevering values but instead uses names such as “Mommy”
and “Daddy” to connote the opposite of what he means so that the reader
themselves can understand what has happened to the American Dream. By
using these stereotypes, Albee creates expectations in order to destroy them
and universalizes the breakdown of the American Dream.
The
stereotypical characterization of a “mommy” is one that is loving, nurturing,
and has children. Albee uses this stereotype to exaggerate that Mommy in The American Dream is actually the
opposite. She is a controlling, self-absorbed woman who only cares about
herself. She has emasculated Daddy and prides herself in her ability to control
him. She is known to be the “typical” bad mother, which is exhibited when Albee
talks of her cutting up her “bumble”. She tells Daddy that it is impossible to
find satisfaction these days so she must spend useless amounts of time buying
objects, such as the beige hat, until her needs are satisfied. In addition she
tells Daddy that he must give her all his money when he dies because she
allowed him to “bump his uglies” on her. This characteristic shows how the new
dream has made the human being into a commodity. By naming his main character
the opposite of what she really his, Albee better conveys his feelings towards
the new American Dream. Through amplifying Mommy’s characteristics of wanting
every object that passes through her hands and that she is only interested with
what people think of her the reader is able to interpret what Albee’s means of
the “new american dream.” Mommy is shown to have lost her way in what is
important in life, which portrays Albee’s opinion of how the American dream has
been falsified and only cares
Albee
does the same with the character of Daddy, my naming him “Daddy” Albee sets up
the reader to think that he is going to be one that works hard and bring home
the money, directs the household, and influences the decision of his wife but
when one find that this is not true it is more of a surprise. Daddy is
portrayed to be an extremely childlike character that never knows what to do
and is frequently emasculated by Mommy. This is shown when Daddy is hesitant of
opening the door for Mrs. Barker. He needs Mommy’s approval and assurance to
perform this easy task and once he does he thinks extremely highly of himself
when in reality he has just opened the door. The revelation that Daddy is actually
not anything like a “Daddy”, allows the reader to interpret that Albee believes
that the American dram had been emasculated in the fact that people have a lost
a sense of themselves.
Through the use of stereotypes, Albee effectively contrasts the values of the old and new American dreams. The old American dream values hard work and independence whereas the new American dream only cares about materialistic objects and do not work hard at their goals.
