The American Dream -- Summary & Analysis

Edward Albee (1928-present): 

• American playwright, known for Zoo Story and other famous plays.
• According to Albee, his adoptive parents did not agree with his idea of becoming a writer
• believes that he is "a writer that happens to be gay, not a gay writer"
• wrote over 30 plays

Setting: 

• Living room of an apartment
• (daddy is rich according to mommy) probably not too small or ghetto in any way

Plot:
    As the play opens up, mommy and daddy are in the living room complaining about how their guest is late. While waiting, mommy talks about the terrible scene she made purchasing different hats. Grandma walks in with multiple boxes neatly wrapped, but no one cares what's inside them. Mommy neglects grandma and daddy remains submissive. Finally the Mrs. Barker arrives; grandma continues to act like a child, and nobody knows why she's here. Small conflicts arise between mommy and Mrs. Barker. Grandma makes fun of mommy while mommy continues to treat daddy and grandma as her possession  After much talking, mommy insists that she go and look for things that daddy obviously cannot find. Watching this, grandma decides to tell Mrs. Barker about the "bumble of joy" and why she's here. More about the past is revealed and soon, a Young Man appears at the doorstep. He has a perfect mid-western look and outward appearance. Young Man shares his story about his incompleteness, and grandma says he's the American Dream. Grandma leaves as the family meet the Young Man. The "bumble" that mommy and daddy mutilated is replaced with the Young Man. 

Characters: 

• Mommy
• controlling and manipulative
• masculine
• only cares about the appearance
• sees everything as her possession
• usually angry
• Daddy
• submissive towards mommy
• agrees to each character
• has feminine aspects
• Grandma
• witty (the only one who actually knows what's going on)
• acts childish in front of others
• "old America"
• mommy's mother
• avoids and fears the van man at first, but decides to leave at the end
• Mrs.Barker
• professional woman
• works for the adoption center
• doesn't remember the family, but grandma remembers her
• husband's status/illness is her weakness
• Young Man
• "new america"
• twin of the "bumble"
• emotionally incomplete
• perfect outward appearance
• only appears at the end of the play

Author's Style:

• SYMBOLISM
• neatly wrapped boxes- grandma's "old america" belongings. No one cares about the interior of the boxes and only see the outer appearance. 
• mommy's hat & mutilated baby- seen as possession and can be replaced at mommy's will-- consumerism/materialism
• POINT OF VIEW
• there is no narrative voice, but all characters are consumed of selfishness. They all care about what satisfies them at the moment. Women seem to be more controlling and masculine in this play. Everyone is lost and blind from reality; no one can find the obvious things in the small apartment and Mrs. Barker doesn't know why she's there.
• IMAGERY
• most vivid imagery is the setting and how mommy and daddy are sitting in the living room.
• the different colored hats between mommy and Mrs. Barker
• Baby mutilation
• TONE
• Albee uses sarcasm and witty remarks with grandma. 
• Hyperbole is shown between female characters' response.
• serious tone when Young Man talks about his emotional incompleteness 
• few shifts in tone

Theme:

• earning satisfaction at the moment - Albee's idea of the American Dream is much different from the past. People immigrated to America with hopes of better lives and knew their reasons. In this case, the American Dream is too materialistic and focused on satisfaction. No one knows what's going on and they see the covered up "best" of all things. Characters treat each other as possession and none of their emotion or logic is real.