CARBALLO MIRIAN ALICIA
Artículos
Título:
The American Dream Revisited: Babbitt and American Beauty
Revista:
Bitácora
Editorial:
Comunicarte
Referencias:
Lugar: Córdoba; Año: 2006 vol. VII p. 163 - 163
ISSN:
1514-4801
Resumen:
n this research paper I explore two works, ´Babbitt´ and ´American Beauty´, which are set during two significant periods when Americans enjoyed an unusual prosperity, the 1920´s and the 1990´s. The protagonists in these works have achieved the material aspect of the American dream, yet they display a deep dissatisfaction because their economic success does not bring them stability or happiness in their affective and emotional lives. In this comparative analysis I will refer to irony as the main instrument of criticism of the characters´ exaggerated expectations of material success. Given the different media each artist uses to discuss the American dream (a fictional text and a film), I will then point out to the dissimilar resources exploited by the authors and will discuss the meanings they construct. Finally, I will analyze some of the differences in the resources in terms of the variations of taste, social conditions and the recipients of these two works.