The Disintegration of the American Dream and the Decay of Family Ties

Modern American plays have generally delved into problems facing American society, such as sexual abuse, violence, and the decay of family connections. Some critics contend that these problems stem from a 20th century American style of life based on materialism and the quest for wealth as a way to attain happiness embodied in the American Dream. However, other scholars question whether these issues, particularly the decay of family relationships, mirror the demise of the American Dream. This book addresses the problematic issue of the disintegration of the American Dream and its direct influence on the decay of family relationships. The study examines how American playwrights incorporate Freudian psychology into their dramas; how characters psychologically experience the American Dream and its dissolution in the 20th century; and how such perception influences family life. This psychoanalytic analysis explicates the psychological problems of family members and the characters’ emotional realities, which are intertwined with the characters’ psychological views of the disintegration of the American Dream.