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Rude Awakening: The Collapse of the American Dream in the Death of a Salesman and Streetcar Named Desire
Šáralová, Karolína ; Wallace, Clare (advisor) ; Ulmanová, Hana (referee)
The American Dream is a fundamental aspect of the American cultural paradigm, and its forms can be found in many essential literary works of American authors. The objective of this thesis is to examine this phenomenon in the context of the American theatre of the middle of the twentieth century, specifically in the plays Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. These plays share a tragic ending for the protagonists who fail to achieve their own American Dreams. This thesis examines the evolution and significance of the American Dream in American history and distinguishes three forms of the concept: the Dream of Independence, the Dream of Ownership, and the Dream of Personality. These forms are subsequently described and put into context of the discussed plays. This creates a concise survey of the American Dream as a social concept and identifies its significance in the plays. These forms of the American Dream are explored further in A Streetcar Named Desire and Death of a Salesman. The motivations of the protagonists are connected to the American Dream through character analysis. This thesis demonstrates that their collapse is caused by their loss of faith in the ideals of the American Dream which provided identity, hope, and security. Without these...
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