Synthesis of Course Material: Literature

Literature

“The American Dream”: Especially being the first work we read, this plot and symbolism in the play was a bit of a shock.  The play focuses on the life of a mid to lower class family, consisting of Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma.  The Young Man and Mrs. Barker enter the play later on.  The relationship between Mommy and Daddy is strained and lacks passion.  Mommy is presented as childish and materialistic (part of Albee’s comment on American culture).  Grandma is somewhat of a spitfire, and the only character who realizes the absurdity of her surroundings.  She represents rural values and the “old” America.  The Young Man represents the “new” America, which is attractive on the outside but hollow on the inside.

“Death of a Salesman”: This play, like “The American Dream”, makes a statement about American culture.  Willy Loman unsuccessfully attempts to achieve the American dream (money and popularity) only to drive himself further from it.  His sons, Biff and Happy, who originally looked up to him, have become jaded, especially Biff.  Willy has an affair, and upon discovering this, Biff loses all respect for his father and their relationship becomes strained.  Linda tries desperately to hold the family together, but her efforts are futile.  According to Miller, this is the definition of a tragedy.

Ceremony: Tayo is returning to his reservation, Laguna, after a damaging time spent in the war.  He is caught in between American culture and Pueblo culture, and tries desperately not to end up like his fellow veterans, who have turned to alcohol and women to ease the pain.  Tayo has frequent flashbacks to times of when his cousin and uncle were alive.  After seeing a medicine man, Tayo begins the track toward completing the ceremony that will ease him of the pain.  One of the more significant steps in his ceremony is meeting T’seh the female character who is representative of nature.   

Pride and Prejudice: Austen’s novel focuses on the Bennett family, which consists of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and their five daughters.  Mrs. Bennett is focused on marrying off all of them to wealthy men, and when Mr. Bingley moves into town, she is ecstatic.  The eldest daughter, Jane, begins a relationship with him despite the warnings of his sister.  Elizabeth is slighted by Mr. Bingley’s friend, Mr. Darcy, but their relationship quickly changes from one of hatred to one of attraction.  The novel dissects the relationship between sisters and the societal expectations of the time. 

“Hamlet”: In this famous play, King Hamlet has recently died, and his brother married his wife, to the dismay of young Hamlet.  Hamlet has a secret relationship with Ophelia, although she is a commoner and this is frowned upon by Ophelia’s father.  Most characters in this play die in the end; Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, his mother, Gertrude, mistakenly drinks a poison, and the new king, Claudius, Hamlet, and Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, are killed by a poisoned blade meant for a duel between Hamlet and Laertes.