The American Dream

In Edward Albee's The American Dream, Albee comments on society’s obsession with consumerism and materialism that leads in a superficiality within a typical American family. The setting throughout the play is centered around an upper-middle class American home that composed of three basic characters, Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma. In addition to the family there are two other characters, Mrs. Barker and the Young Man who serves as a representation of what the new American Dream is all about.

The plot itself is not very complicated. Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma first sit around in the living room waiting for a character to appear who later turns out to be Mrs. Barker. While Mrs. Barker eventually shows up, no one other than Grandma seems to know why she is there. While Mommy and Daddy are distracted, Grandma explains the situation to Mrs. Barker how Mommy and Daddy mutilated and killed their "bumble". However, Mrs. Barker still fails to understand why she is there and leaves the room. While only Grandma remains, the Young Man shows up looking for a job. While talking to him, Grandma realizes who the Young Man really is and also realizes he is the one "perfect son" who can bring satisfaction to Mommy and Daddy. Grandma successfully gets the Young Man integrated in the household and leaves the play only to stop it while everyone is still happy but with an ominous note about their future.

The characters in the play all have a distinctive voice. Grandma represents the old American Dream. She also serves as a director of the play seeming to know what will happen and is able to shape the story at her will and most drastically, breaking the fourth wall and interacting with the audience directly. She serves to directly contrast with the new American Dream’s superficiality as laid out by Mommy and Daddy’s characters. Mommy is the matriarchal head of the family and a slave to American materialism, illuminating the new American Dream that is valued for consumerism. Daddy is constantly emasculated by Mommy and seems to represent the pressures of feminism. Mrs. Barker represents society as a whole. At various points of the play she seems to everyone else in society and be in charge but at the same time have no idea what is going on in the family household. The Young Man is critical as he represents the new American Dream. He is introduced as the twin brother of the "bumble" Mommy and Daddy killed but is essentially the same character. He is strong and attractive but void of emotions which shows the superficiality of the new American Dream. 

The theme in The American Dream, are the various interactions between the characters that show how the old American Dream that values the unity of the family and deeper insight has been metamorphisized into the new American Dream that rests on a materialistic hunger and superficial conduct, degenerating society to a mere showcase for the world.

   At the beginning of the play, the distance between the two chairs in which Mommy and Daddy are seated is symbolic of the distance between them and the rift in family unity. The discussion of the hat bought by Mommy shows the consumerism in American society and Mommy’s strong desire to be a part of the higher social class. Grandma’s boxes further shed light on the distinction between the new and old American dream, where Mommy and Daddy solely focus on the nice outer wrappings and ignore what is on the inside, things that are attached to the old American Dream. This fact is later reinforced by the character of the Young Man.

Quotes:
"I no longer have the capacity to feel anything" - The Young Man
"You're the American Dream that's what you are" - Grandma to the Young Man

"I'll do almost anything for money" - The Young Man