The American Dream - Analysis

Meaning: America has polluted its original dream and killed its current dream leading to confusion.

·         Mommy and Daddy represent Americans, and they constantly reject Grandma, the past dream, and killed their child, the new dream.

·         Mommy, Daddy, and Mrs. Barker are constantly unaware of reality, which is constantly being twisted.  Grandma, the old dream, is most aware of reality, actually stepping out of the play and into our world.

Narrative Voice:  Being a play, The American Dream, doesn’t have a narrator until Grandma steps out at the very end.  Grandma is a strong character, and putting her in charge makes it clear that she is the superior American Dream.  She is very real, and aware that if the country follows its current course, it will just kill its dream again.

Quote 1: “People think they can get away with anything these days…and of course they can” (Albee 9).  Mommy says this in the first page of the play, and as the audience acquaints themselves with the show it seems to have little significance.  But after reading the play, it is very important.  Mommy gets away with killing her child and we leave the play before there are any consequences.

Quote 2: “I called it Uncle Henry’s Day Old Cake” (Albee 35).  Grandma mentions winning a cake contest many times.  In this quote we realize that the cake was a day old.  This means that people appreciate old dreams, but only when they don’t realize that it’s old.  But also that quality doesn’t matter if one thinks it is okay.