Fifth Business

Fifth Business

 I. Basics:
   Author: Robertson Davies
   Setting: Mainly Deptford, Canada but also in the battlegrounds of World War I, Europe and Mexico.

II.) Characters:
Dunstan: The main character of the story yet ironically, Dunstan considers himself to be fifth business a character who is not the hero but nonetheless important.
Mrs. Ramsay:  Mrs. Ramsey takes on the archetype of the ill-tempered mother. Her efforts to mold her son often have the reverse effect and she feels constant frustration with him.
Mary Dempster: She takes on the Jungian archetype of the fool saint, the mother and the sacred feminine. Although Dunstan regards her as divine, the town of Deptford wholly rejects her, fitting the archetype of the fool saint and also the sacred feminine. Dunstan also speaks of Mary more tenderly than his own mother and regards her as a source of wisdom and advice.
Paul Demster: While Dunstan is wholly preoccupied in shaping his life’s story  around Boy, he fails to realize that a more powerful story is underway. Paul, fitting the Jungian archetype of the magician also carries many allusions to Jesus. This suggests an interesting theme of the importance of perspective.
Boy Staunton: The original snowball thrower, since that moment Boy and Dunstan have led inseparable lives. Although Dunstan shapes his story around Boy, he fails to realize a greater story is happening around Paul.
Padre Blazon: Dunstan’s confidante, he encourages Dunstan along his path to self-realization.
Lisel: Representing the high priestess, a manifestation of the devil, or the watchmaker god, Lisel acts to help Dunstan realize what he believes is his purpose and to make Paul’s magic sparkle. She is forever behind the scenes acting as god the watch-maker for the Jesus-like Paul.

III.)Plot
The story starts with the the snowball that hits Mary Dempster and leads to Paul’s birth. Guilt-ridden, Dunstan acts as a caretaker for Mary who has slipped into insanity after Paul’s premature birth and a friend to Paul, teaching him magic tricks and reading him stories. One day, Mary goes missing, only to be found consensually have sex with a tramp. This scandal pushes the Dempsters into social disgrace and they become ostracized by all of Deptford except Dunstan. Dunstan continues to visit, and when his brother dies, Mary performs and brings him back to life. Shocked by his continued association with Mary, Dunstan’s homelife deteriorates until eventually he decides to enlist in the army. In the army he performs well and wins a medal called a VP although he is wounded. While recovering he meets a woman named Diana who convinces him to change his name, and thus he is born again. Eventually he returns to Canada where he learns that Paul ran off to join the circus and Mary slipped further into insanity and now lives with her aunt. Dunstan takes a job as a teacher and during his breaks studies saints. During the war, Dunstan caught sight of a Madonna figure and finding that statute has compelled Dunstan on a mission to traverse Europe for it. While in Europe Dunstan runs into Paul who is now a brilliant magician, though his talents go unappreciated. Dunstan continues to maintain his relationship with Boy and watches as Boy’s homelife collapses. Meanwhile, Dunstan continues his obsession with saints and his search for the Madonna and along the way meets Padre Blazon who acts as his confidante. Paul’s travels next lead him to Mexico where he again finds Paul as a magician but this time his show is filled with wonder and mystery. The reasoning behind this is the support of Lisel who counsels Dunstan on his own life. With her help, Dunstan begins to realize his place in the world. Dunstan then returns to Canada and follows as Boy makes more destructive moves for his family.  Then he flashes to Boy’s mysterious death that suggests to be the work of Paul.

IV.)    Narrative Voice/Author’s Style

POV: Dunstan, the main character, tells the story from his perspective. The novel is written in first person, and although Dunstan intends for the memoir to be objective and to contain no bias, it inevitably does.

Tone: The tone is light, comedic and a bit bitter. Dunstan intends to prove that his life was worthwhile, but this does not go without a tinge of self-importance and bitterness.

Symbolism: Jungian archetypes, the blending of reality and the mystical, magic, synchronicity

V.)    Quotes:

"This is one of the cruelties of the theatre of life; we all think of ourselves as stars and rarely recognize it when we are indeed mere supporting characters or even supernumeraries."

We have often discussed that in order for a book to have a satisfying ending, it must come full circle, and this quote in the beginning sets up Fifth Business to do so. This quote relates entirely to the theme of perspective. Sure, we might all be fifth business in someone else’s story, but aren’t we all the main characters of our own? Regardless of which story is greater, I think that Dunstan neglects this point though his readers don’t.
“The inevitable fifth, who was the keeper of his conscience and the keeper of the stone.”
This quote, stated by Lisel at the end of the novel, reinforces the importance of Dunstan’s position in both the stories of Paul and Boy. Through these words, Davies reiterates his theme of the power of even the most unseeming.

VI.)    Themes:

Perspective determines whether you are the main character or not in your own story.

As aforementioned, Dunstan writes his letter on the premise that he is Fifth Business. However, his story is still his story, and thus he is its main character. Although he might be a different character in someone else’s story, his still stands. Furthermore, even though Dunstan frames his memoir around Boy, biblical allusions involving Paul suggests that an even greater story revolves around him.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

 I. Basics:
   Author: Jane Austen
   Setting: Hertfordshire, England  end of the 1700’s

II.) Characters:
Elizabeth: Witty and charming, Elizabeth dances the line between accepting societal standards and rebelling against them. She seems to stand for feminism and the ideals of good marriages.
Jane/Mr. Bingley: Flat characters, their chief attributes seem to be that they’re too nice not bother anyone.
Mr. WicKham: The classic charming bad-boy, Wickham acts as a temptation for Elizabeth although she wisely refuses.
Mrs. Bennet: The eager matchmaker, Mrs. Bennet strains herself to find marriages for the girls. Although she is often ridiculed by both the narrator and Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet shows an understanding for a very real reality in which her family could become threatened.
Lydia: Wild and flirtatious, Lydia drives much of the action in Pride and Prejudice allowing herself to be swept up by Mr. Wickham in an attempt to outshine her sisters. She is arrogant, and it is suggested that her marriage with Wickham fails.
Mr. Darcy: Rich and handsome, Darcy possesses a pride which he must overcome in order to win Elizabeth.

III.)Plot
Pride and Prejudice revolves around Mrs. Bennet’s quest to marry off her five daughters. The announcement of a new, rich bachelor to the neighborhood motivates the Bennet’s to meet Mr. Bingley and his party which includes Mr. Darcy, Mr. Hurst, Mrs. Hurst, and Ms. Bingley. Aside from Bingley, the party is haughty and aloof from the society they are immersed in. Here, Darcy snubs Elizabeth, and this first encounter sets up the action for the rest of the novel. The rest of the book follows as Elizabeth faces various trials and tribulations on her quest for true love. Eventually, both she and Darcy must conquer their own personal faults before they can love each other.
IV.)    Narrative Voice/Author’s Style

POV: Third person, biased narrator

Tone: Clever and sarcastic. From the opening line of her book to Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet’s witty lines, Austen slyly displays her wit.

Symbolism: Pemberley

V.)    Quotes:
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possesion of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

This opening line sets the tone for the work. Austen’s narrator paints a critical image of society of the time, poking fun but suggesting change at the same time. The entire plot of the book is here outlined and also the idea of women forced to desperation for a well-off husband is suggested.

“He spoke well, but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority—of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.”

This quote, stated by the narrator is in description of Darcy. Darcy has just proposed to Elizabeth however the proposal, and the quote above, suggests that Darcy cares more for his pride than Elizabeth. This sets up the remainder of the book to focus on both Darcy and Elizabeth’s attempt to change themselves before they can love one another.

VI.)    Themes:

First impressions aren’t always true.

This theme is prevalent throughout almost all of the relationships in the book. Darcy and Elizabeth, though they initially repelled each other end up being perfect matches for each other. Wickham and Lydia, instantly attracted to each other, have the most trouble trying to make their relationship succeed. Even Charlotte, married to a fool, is comfortable in the end because she went into her marriage with her eyes wide open.

Ceremony

Ceremony

 I. Basics:
   Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
   Setting: Laguna-Pueblo reservation in New Mexico, after World War II

II.) Characters:
Tayo: The main character of the novel, Tayo struggles to reckon with his dark past.
Harley: One of Tayo’s war buddies, Harley also has powerful memories of the war, but his method of coping is alcohol- the white way.
Emo: Tayo’s main antagonist, Emo seems to represent evil incarnate. He collects his followers, tells them his poisonous stories and even performs a ceremony himself. All of this evidence suggests that Emo is himself a witch.

Betonie: A radical medicine man who teaches Tayo that the power of ceremonies is in their ability to change.

Tseh: The Earth incarnate, Tseh helps Tayo to find peace.
Rocky: Tayo’s brother, Rocky contrasts with Tayo in his skills and attitudes towards American society in general.

III.)Plot:
Tayo is haunted by memories of his childhood, his uncle and the war. However, finding that both traditional Laguna and American ways of coping to be inadequate, he sets forth to find a new way to confront his problems. Together with Betonie, Tayo creates a new ceremony that incorporates the old world with the new and by doing so he reinforces his people’s customs and brings peace to himself.

IV.)    Narrative Voice/Author’s Style

POV: Third person, biased narrator

Tone: Bitter and disassembled

Symbolism: Circles, ceremonies, eyes, the donkeys

V.)    Quotes:
“The word he chose to express ‘fragile’ was filled with the intricacies of a continuing process, and with a strength inherent in spider webs woven across paths through sand hills where early in the morning the sun becomes entangled in each filament of web. It took a long time to explain the fragility and intricacy because no word exists alone, and the reason for choosing each word had to be explained with a story about why it must be said this certain way. “

This quote refers to the first medicine man Tayo encounters, Ku’oosh. Tayo has returned home after being psychologically damaged by the war. This is Tayo’s first attempt to heal himself using Laguna methods. Although the ceremony is wholly ineffective, it represents Tayo’s regained interest in connecting with his roots. The quote above outlines the principle behind Pueblo-Laguna culture and though he has yet to understand it, this world will soon become clear.

“She sighed, and laid her head back on the chair. ‘It seems like I already heard these stories before—only thing is, the names sound different.’”

The closing line of the book, this quote by Grandma reinforces the cyclical theme that is present in the book.  Throughout Ceremony, the traditional Pueblo stories which are sprinkled in with Tayo’s, are also the same stories with different names. For the Laguna, time is a never ending circle that connects all people regardless of time or place.

VI.)    Themes:

Traditions and rituals rest at the crux of cultures. When the traditions become obsolete, society loses its sense of pride and unity.

The whole purpose of Tayo’s ceremony operates under this theme. The old customs of the Laguna have come obsolete, evidenced by Tayo and Betonie themselves, and the white culture surrounding them. In order to regain strength for himself and his people, Tayo must embark on a new ceremony which will allow him to reconnect with the Earth and his roots.

Hamlet

Hamlet

 I. Basics:

Author: William Shakespeare

Setting: Denmark, mostly Elsinore

II.) Characters:
Prince Hamlet: The main character of Hamlet, often given to monologue digressions and emotional fits, Hamlet struggles to reveal the mystery of his father’s death and to summon the courage to act.
Old Hamlet: The old King of Denmark. Murdered by his brother, he demands revenge from Hamlet.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: Two of Hamelt’s school-mates, the two are indistinguishable throughout the play and serve only as pawns to the King and Queen. Their betrayal of Hamlet eventually leads to their demise.
Gertrude: The queen and wife of Old Hamlet and Claudius. These marriages stir up quite a bit of controversy forcing Hamlet to have mixed feelings regarding his mother.
Claudius: The new king of Denmark. Although much can be said to villainize Claudius, his monologue in Act 3 serves to humanize him and bring him down to life a bit.

Ophelia: Daughter of Polonius and lover of Hamlet, Ophelia seems to struggle with balancing her position as faithful daughter and the secret lover to Hamlet. Like Gertrude, she indirectly causes much of the action of the play although she herself is powerless as the events unfold.

Polonius: The hand of the King, in my mind Polonius is best described as a Shakespearian Nixon. His advice to Laertes upon leaving for France sheds light on many of his qualities as well as his constant spying.
Laertes: A foil to Hamlet, upon hearing of Polonius death, Laertes immediately demands revenge. His eagerness for justice however brings about his downfall. Laertes makes a deal with Claudius in the heat of the moment and his deceit of Hamlet backfires.
Fortinbras: Another foil to Hamlet who also seeks to revenge his father, Fortinbras differs from Laertes and Hamlet in that through his failure to get revenge he succeeds.
Horatio: Hamlet’s trusted confidante, Horatio stands as Hamlet’s one true friend. Amidst Hamlet’s betrayers, Horatio alone stands out and for this reason Hamlet asks Horatio to tell his story.

III.)Plot
The play begins on a dark, mysterious note. The night watch is confronted by what is the third appearance of Old Hamlet’s ghost and the watch makes plans to inform Hamlet. Meanwhile, Hamlet is present at the coronation of his new step-father/uncle. Clearly, this pulls at some heartstrings especially considering its only been two months since Old Halmet’s death. Despite this, the royal couple keeps their appearances up and encourages Hamlet to do the same although he does not comply. After the ceremony, Horatio tells Hamlet of his ghost sighting, and Hamlet immediately agrees to see the ghost for himself. At midnight the ghost reappears and beckons Hamlet to join him. Hamlet agrees against the better judgement of his friends, and is told that his father was murdered by Claudius. He swears revenge to the ghost and forces his companions to swear  that they will not reveal what they have seen and will not disclose the reason for Hamlet’s change in behavior. Despite his initial promise, Hamlet falters to make a decisive move. With many eyes on Hamlet, Claudius quickly notes the change in behavior and enlists Polonius to help him discover the cause. Polonius believes the cause to be his daughter Ophelia and forces her to set a trap for Hamlet. Unfortunately, Hamlet recognizes Ophelia’s deceit, although he fails to see it is not her own, and breaks her heart. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and then enlisted to help discover the reason for Hamlet’s madness, but Hamlet also recognizes their betrayal and eludes them. Meanwhile, Hamlet himself schemes to catch the king’s guilty consciousness and so he has a company of actors perform a play that traces through Claudius’ murder of Hamlet. Astounded, Claudius rises and Hamlet feels that he has won. Claudius plans to send Hamlet to England straight away, but first he attempts to guilt him with his mother. However, Hamlet and Gertrude’s meeting, Hamlet hears someone behind the curtain spying and stabs them, hoping its Claudius. In fact, the spy is Polonius and his murder is a bad move for Hamlet. Hamlet is sent to England leaving Claudius angrier than ever and forced to deal with damage control. On the way to England, Hamlet admires Fortinbras, is captured by pirates, and recognizes the deceit of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern just in time to betray them. Meanwhile, Claudius contends with a rebellion caused by Laertes and Ophelia driven into frenzy. To Ophelia, Claudius offers no comfort and she eventually commits suicide. To Laertes, however Claudius promises him the chance to revenge his father’s death. Hamlet returns and after Ophelia’s funeral, he duels with Laertes. The plan Laertes and Claudius devised in order to kill only Hamlet winds up killing the entire royal court and all die except Horatio. Horatio then is left to welcome the new king of Denmark, Fortinbras who came to Elsinore requesting safe passage.

IV.)    Narrative Voice/Author’s Style

POV: As a play, the work does not contain a narrator. Although the focus is mainly on Hamlet, the play also shifts from Polonius, to Claudius and even to Ophelia.

Tone: The tone of Hamlet is dark and mysterious.

 Symbolism: Opehlia’s flowers, the skull at the graveyard, ghosts, revenge

V.)    “To be or not to be. That is the question.”
This quote, stated in one of Hamlet’s first monologues represents Hamlet’s uncertainty to act. Through this line, Hamlet shows his disconnect between thought and action which prevails throughout the entire play.

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

This quote is stated by Marcellus as he attempts to follow Hamlet and the ghost. The presence of the ghost suggests to Marcellus that the entire kingdom is unwell. This is one of many references to the the synecdoche between the king and the state.

VI.)    Theme:

In all human endeavours, we must try  to strike a balance between thought and action, although ultimately our courses are already charted.

This theme is especially apparent when comparing Hamlet’s fate to that of  his two foils, Laertes and Fortinbras. Hamlet’s story is a tragedy- he puts too much thought into considering whether to act or not until he finally realizes that “there is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow”. Laertes acts to quickly, and rushes into a duel with Hamlet and to his death. Fortinbras on the other hand, decides not to act, yet his revenge is granted to him in the end.

Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman

 I. Basics:

Author: Arthur Miller

Setting: Willy’s home in an unnamed city. The home carries signs of age and “an air of the dream hangs on the place, a dream rising out of reality.”

II.) Characters:
Willy: Willy Loman, the main character of Death of a Salesman, put his full faith into the American Dream when he launched his career. However, as his age climbs and his sales skills begin to waver, Willy loses his job as well as his mind. The intimate relationship between Willy’s career and his mental well-being intensifies the nature of the story and allows readers to understand that the power of the mythical dream.

Biff: Biff is the first in the family to become disillusioned with the American dream. Willy, putting his full faith into the American way, embraces a businessman’s morality. Convinced that what he’s doing helps his family, Willy cheats, lies, and even has an affair with an unnamed woman. When Biff discovers Willy’s affair, he simultaneously discovers the reality of the American dream. He leaves the society of his father and the dream until he is called back by Linda. The tension between Biff’s love for his father and his disillusionment for the American Dream propels the action of the novel.

Linda: Willy’s rock, Linda acts as emotional and spiritual support for the struggling family. She does her best to keep the family together, yet despite her actions their fates seems sealed. In many ways, Linda is a martyr and also possible a masochist.

Happy: Willy and Linda’s second son, Happy lacks Biff’s common sense. He embraces Willy’s idea of the American dream, fabricating a different world with his words. Happy’s naive pursuit of Willy’s path reveals many contradictions of the American dream.

Bernard: Biff’s neighbor and the local nerd, Bernard tries to help tutor Biff in math. Although he is undervalued in childhood, in adulthood Bernard thrives. He becomes a brilliant lawyer and even shows mercy for Willy and his family. Bernard illustrates the imbalance of values in the American society and that achieving success requires a sense of reality that none of the Loman’s possess.

Uncle Ben: Willy’s mystical brother, Uncle Ben is said to have to either Africa of Alaska and when he returned, he was rich. This get rich quick story symbolizes the American dream which Willy pursues.

III.)Plot: To begin the play, Willy returns home from a business trip exhausted. Although Linda attempts to comfort him, he seems to deflect her efforts. Their talk rouses Biff and Willy from sleep and provokes a conversation between the two brothers in which they talk about dreams and their experiences. Downstairs, Willy lets himself slip into daydreams. He remembers when the boys were teenagers and Biff was a star football player and he himself had a great job. Then Willy is pushed back into reality, and his neighbor Charlie arrives at the Loman house, awakened too by Willy. Charlie and Willy begin to play cards, but they eventually stop because of Willy’s cheating. Willy also begins to envision his Uncle Ben. In another room, Linda, Happy and Biff discuss the severity of Willy’s slipping mental state. Linda reveals Willy’s suicide attempt and guilts Biff into attempting to find a job to please his father. The night ends on a hopeful note as all the Loman’s seem unified into making their dream a reality. The boys leave to attend to their business and Willy goes to visit his boss in the hopes of securing a better position in the job. Instead however, Willy ends up getting fired. Rejected, Willy’s only hope lies in Biff and Happy’s meeting with Bill Oliver. The three meet at dinner and Biff begins to lie to Willy about the meeting at Willy’s encouragement. He then realizes however that lying only perpetuates Willy’s problems and is reveals that Bill Oliver did not even recognize him. Upset with this slap of reality, Willy recalls his affair with the unnamed woman and the moment when Biff lost his faith in him and the American Dream. When Willy returns home, he finds his house in disarray and gets into a conflict with Biff. Biff cannot stand to live in Willy’s world of lies and disillusionment anymore and the tension of the play reaches its climax here. After the fight, Willy reasons that he might still be able to have the American dream, in death and thus commits suicide. The scene then changes to Willy’s funeral. Instead of the thousands of people he imagined, only his intimate family and Charlie attends, illustrating a final disparity between Willy’s dreams and his reality.

IV.)    Narrative Voice/Author’s Style
POV: The play’s narrator is 3rd person, objective and omniscient.

Tone: Heavy and heartbreaking.

Symbolism: Seeds, Willy’s car, the house, Howard’s recorder, math, football, stockings, geography and diamonds.

V.)    Quotes

“A man is not an orange. You can't eat the fruit and throw the peel away.”

This quote is said by Willy to Howard. Upon getting fired, Willy uses this quote to sum up the injustice of his situation. The quote represents a major part of the American society-- a culture known for using and abusing its own workers.

“Nobody dast blame this man. You don’t understand: Willy was a salesman, there is no rock bottom to the life. He don’t put a bolt to a nut, he don’t tell you the law or give you medicine. He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine.”

This quote is said by Charlie at Willy’s funeral. Here, Charlie’s speech takes on an almost preaching quality. This allows his words to seem more significant and to reverberate beyond just Willy.

VI.)    Themes and explain:
The fallacy of the American Dream.
The entire premise of Death of a Salesman rests on the Willy’s conflict between reality and the illusion of the American dream. The more he buys into the idea of “getting rich quick” and that schemes and cheats are the way to go, the farther he falls into a system which he cannot escape from.

The American Dream

The American Dream

 I. Basics:

Author: Edward Albie

Setting: Purposefully ambiguous. Located in Mommy and Daddy’s plain apartment which is designed so that it might belong to anyone on the social ladder.

II.) Characters:
Mommy: Mommy’s role in the play provides both humor and horror for the play. Childish, she constantly demands attention from Daddy, throws temper tantrums when things don’t go her way, and is in a constant search for short-term satisfaction. Mommy’s dark side is revealed however when Mrs. Barker and Grandma discuss “the bumble”. Grandma reveals how Mommy disfigured her son, presumably the American Dream’s twin,  because the infant did not satisfy her as she expected.

Daddy: Throughout the play, Daddy is bullied by Mommy. Although he too is on a search for satisfaction,  Mommy has so crippled Daddy that he cannot even summon the courage to open a door let alone begin his quest for satisfaction. Daddy is a weak character at the whims of the stronger female roles in the play.

Grandma: The most sensible of the characters in the American Dream, Grandma represents the old American Dream.  Frequent references are made to her “rural” and outdated ways illustrating a shift in values in the American people. Grandma also acts as a director for the play guiding the action as she sees fit. Towards the end of the play she breaks the fourth wall and is the character who ends the show.

Mrs. Barker: Mrs. Barker represents the nameless athority who dictates the values of the American people. Mommy and Daddy constantly seek attention from her and she extremely involved with clubs and socials illustrating her social power.

The American Dream: A young man who appears glamorous on the inside but hollow on the outside. He is willing to “do anything for a price” and associates himself with Hollywood. Instantly, Mommy attempts to buy him, hoping for yet again satisfaction. The irony of this is that Mommy destroyed anything meaningful in the American Dream when she destroyed his twin and thus is left with emptiness.

III.)Plot
1. Mommy and Daddy are situated on two chairs. They discuss their impatience with an ambiguous “they” who was supposed to meet them at their apartment. To pass the time, Mommy tells an anecdote about a conflict revolving around the color of a hat. This triviality is interrupted however by Grandma’s appearance. She appears to be carrying a tower of boxes and Mommy and Daddy’s conversation switches to Grandma. This talk is then interrupted by the ring of the doorbell. Daddy, timid to answer the door, approaches it at Mommy’s encouragement. There is some sexual tension that builds up throughout the scene that is broken by Grandma. Eventually Daddy’s opens the door and Mrs. Barker greets the family. Mrs. Barker speaks about her various public positions and more trivialities. The quality of ellison is displayed throughout the scene as the family frequently forgets Mrs. Barker’s name and her purpose for being there. Eventually, Mrs. Barker requests some water leaving Grandma and Mrs. Barker to discuss the case of the bumble and what Grandma believes is the purpose behind Mrs. Barker’s invitation to the apartment. Mommy’s atrocity of destroying her adopted son is revealed, and suddenly the doorbell rings, heralding in the American Dream. Mrs. Barker goes off stage leaving Grandma to talk with the American Dream. The apartment is in disarray because the family cannot seem to find anything, even their very home, signaling a lack of substance in the American society. The family eventually finds their way back to the stage, catches sight of the American Dream, and Mommy determines she can now be satisfied. Grandma decides to cut the play short here leaving the audience with the idea that “everyone is happy or at least thinks they are.”


IV.)    Narrative Voice/Author’s Style

POV: Although the play doesn’t really seem to have a clear narrator, Grandma definitely acts as the play’s director. She speaks frankly and sensibly and tells the American Dream that she must “put on her act when the rest of the characters return to the stage. Finally, she breaks down the fourth wall in the final moments of the play and directly addresses the audience.

Tone: The tone of the American Dream is light and comical. This contrasts starkly with its content.

Symbolism: The American Dream (and his twin), the apartment itself, Mrs. Barker, Grandma, Grandma’s boxes and Mommy’s hat.

V.)    Quotes:
“I have no talent at all except what you you see... in every other way I am incomplete, and I must therefore compensate.”
This is said by the American Dream to Grandma. Here, The American Dream attempts to explain how he has been rendered meaningless due to the disfiguration of his brother. This quote cements the themes that have been suggested throughout the play.

“I went to buy a new hat yesterday. I said, I went to buy a new hat yesterday.”
This quote occurs when Mommy and Daddy impatiently wait for Mrs. Barker’s arrival. Impatient as usual, Mommy demands that Daddy listen to her trivial story. This illustrates the fickle nature of Mommy and furthermore in the American people.

VI.)    Theme:

The decay of the American Dream.

The American people, impatient and careless, destroyed the American Dream before it had a chance to grow and to prove that it could satisfy the people. Now all that’s left is an empty promise and the shell of what once was.