Materialism in Clifford Odets' Golden Boy and Edward Albee's The American Dream

Ali Akbar, Nadia

	Materialism in Clifford Odets' Golden Boy and Edward Albee's The American Dream
Journal of University of Babylon
Article 1, Volume 25, Issue 4, 2017, Pages 1881-1897
Author
Nadia Ali Akbar
Abstract
The degration in the modern pattern of heroism during the 20th century America started with the advent of science and materialistic look of life. Modern scientific studies proposed that "man is alone, absolutely alone in a universe in which his very appearance is a cosmic accident" tending, at his best, towards an animal ancestor. Man was not cared for by spiritual or moral providence. The over soul, which the American hero was supposed to melt in, was replaced by the machine which ironically metamorphosed his significance. Modern American's pursuit of worldly gains was ultimately made at the expense of his essential spiritual and moral priorities as any material gain must be balanced against a spiritual loss. This fact is made concrete in the dehumanized character of Joe, the protagonist of Clifford Odets's Golden Boy (1937), through his aggressive anti-social behaviour. He is characterized by a lack of community. Golden Boy shows how the Americans are increasingly enervated by economic strains, racist tensions and political intimidation. Almost everywhere was the lost sense of community, a sense of inner defeat and lost self-esteem. The lost sense of community was very harmful as the Americans started looking for survival at the expense of society itself; social and economic injustices arose. Odets introduces such a motif in the character of Joe. Edward Albee (1928) is one of the significant American dramatists of the 20th century, uses the dramatic forms that were prominent on the postwar European stage to articulate an unsetting vision of the United States. He wrote about the emptiness of American cultures and the uncertainties of human existence. His work castigated what he sees as a blindly materialistic society devoid of any real sense of values and national purpose. He is against the materialism in the society which goes along with consumerism. The characters in The American Dream (1961) are materialistic. Mommy represents women's addiction to shopping. She assesses her marriage in a materialistic way.
Keywords
materialism; Clifford Odets Golden Boy; Edward Albee The American Dream

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