“This study holds that the coherence of the [American] nation owes much to the potency of its communal ‘stories’, those myths given prominence in cultural consciousness.” (Wade 3). According to Wade, the American culture is based on certain myths, on complex systems of attitudes, beliefs, and values that are characteristic for a specific society or group (cf. Collins Dictionary 1077). The history of the nation and the experience of westward expansion resulted in certain myths that are still present in the American imagination (cf. Companion Drama 286). U.S. playwright Sam Shepard is known for his interest in national myths, which he defines as mysteries that speak to the emotions and feelings of people, and in the prominence of such myths in modern society (cf. Graham 112). Thus, Shepard sees his plays as tools for cultural conversation by which he questions American myths (cf. Companion Drama 291). One of Shepard´s most popular plays is the family drama Buried Child, which unfolds the dark secret of a family living in a farm house in Midwestern Illinois (cf. BC ).
This term paper will focus on two myths which are dominant in Buried Child: The myth of the generic middle-class family in the U.S. and the myth of the American Midwest. How does Sam Shepard reveal these myths in his family drama, and how does he demonstrate their hollowness? The first chapter will be based on the myth of the generic American family, on its definition, its appearance in the play, and on the question how this myth is criticized. The second chapter will focus on the myth of the American Midwest in the same line.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Hollowness of American Myths in Buried Child
2.1 The Myth of the Generic Middle-Class Family in the U.S.
2.2 The Myth of the American Midwest
3. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines how playwright Sam Shepard exposes the hollowness of foundational American myths within his family drama Buried Child, specifically focusing on the idealized nuclear family and the cultural construct of the American Midwest.
- The deconstruction of the American nuclear family myth.
- The symbolic representation of the American Midwest in drama.
- The role of domestic setting and character archetypes in creating cultural critique.
- The correlation between national myths and suppressed historical trauma.
- The analysis of dysfunction, violence, and nihilism as manifestations of hollowed ideals.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 The Myth of the American Midwest
The second myth which is dominant in the play is the myth of the American Midwest. From the early days of settlement, Midwestern inhabitants portrayed their region as idealized place of rural life, where the individual could start afresh with optimism and hard work (cf. American Midwest 58). In the American imagination, the Midwest has always been and still is associated with the Corn Belt – the “heartland of agriculture” (American Midwest 60), which Illinois is part of – and with farm life (cf. American Midwest 60-61). Images of independent families that are dedicated to farming and typical Midwestern values such as self-reliance, honesty, morality, and competition still play a dominant role in the American mindset (cf. American Midwest 9-61). According to the encyclopedia The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia, the Midwest is “a vision of what we´d like to think we are as a[n] [American] nation, a symbolic realm where our national heart still beats undisturbed by the onslaught of the here and now” (69). Thus, the region of the Midwest is viewed as a role-model for the U.S. society and is considered to be uniquely American (cf. American Midwest 69). Its image is based on typical American values such as family and work, and it is associated with the allegory of the young, vigorous man, who starts afresh and who builds up his own existence (cf. American Midwest 58-71).
The family farm in Buried Child is located in Illinois, a typical farming country in the middle of America´s Midwest (cf. Cambridge Companion 180). As a suggestion of the myth of the U.S. Midwest, Shepard uses not only this concrete rural setting but also certain characteristics of the family members together with stage properties and “visual imagery” (Cambridge Companion 119). Agricultural production is visualized by the pictures in Halie´s room that show a big farm with wheat fields and a bull (cf. BC 111).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the theoretical framework regarding American myths and introduces Sam Shepard's Buried Child as a primary tool for cultural critique.
2. The Hollowness of American Myths in Buried Child: This section investigates how the play deconstructs idealized versions of family life and regional identity through character decay and internal dysfunction.
2.1 The Myth of the Generic Middle-Class Family in the U.S.: This chapter explores how the play presents and subsequently dismantles the nuclear family unit through the failure of the patriarch and the underlying darkness of the household.
2.2 The Myth of the American Midwest: This chapter analyzes how Midwestern agricultural ideals are ironically mirrored in the play's setting, exposing the gap between romanticized agrarian history and the reality of the characters.
3. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, noting the ambiguity of Shepard's critique and the persistent influence of myth on American life.
Keywords
Sam Shepard, Buried Child, American Myth, Nuclear Family, Midwest, Agrarian Life, Patriarchy, Dysfunction, Cultural Critique, Frontier Experience, Identity, Symbolism, Nihilism, Domesticity, National Memory
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on two dominant American myths—the generic middle-class family and the American Midwest—and how Sam Shepard challenges their validity in his play Buried Child.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The research explores themes of family dysfunction, the failure of the American patriarchal structure, the critique of regional identity, and the influence of national historical memory on drama.
What is the ultimate research objective?
The objective is to demonstrate how Shepard uses the characters, setting, and plot of Buried Child to reveal the "hollowness" of these pervasive American ideals.
What scientific or academic methods are applied?
The author employs a literary analysis approach, utilizing secondary sources from theatre studies and cultural encyclopedias to interpret the play's symbolism and thematic depth.
Which specific aspects of the play are analyzed in the main body?
The main body examines the domestic setting, character archetypes (like the farmer patriarch and the returning son), and specific symbols such as the buried child to evaluate the play's critical stance.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include American Myth, Nuclear Family, Midwest, Patriarchy, Dysfunction, and Cultural Critique.
How does the play represent the failure of the patriarchal structure?
The play depicts the patriarch, Dodge, not as a strong leader, but as an immobilized, alcoholic, and sick figure, stripping him of his traditional authoritative role.
What is the significance of the "buried child" in the play's title?
The buried child represents the dark, incestuous secret of the family, serving as a powerful metaphor for the national guilt and trauma that the family (and by extension, the nation) attempts to hide.
- Quote paper
- Simone Leisentritt (Author), 2010, The Hollowness of American Myths in Sam Shepard´s "Buried Child", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/166958
