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Assassins - Stephen Sondheim An Attack of American Ideals Through the Eyes of Assassins Ben Durocher Ms. James 12/28/06 ENG 4U An Attack of American Ideals through
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Sondheim - Biography Stephen Sondheim was born on 22 March 1930, the son of a wealthy New York dress manufacturer. But, when his parents
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An Attack of American Ideals
Through the Eyes of Assassins
Ben Durocher
Ms. James
12/28/06
ENG 4U
An Attack of American Ideals through the Eyes of Assassins
By Ben Durocher
Since the first settlers arrived, the United States of America have projected a picture of prosperity, success and happiness around the world. The notion that "the New World" was a land of great opportunity inspired thousands to migrate from their homelands to seek a brighter future for themselves and their families. The passage of time and new generations did not diminish the concept that in America any and all dreams come true. People lived their lives in search of affluence and successfulness. But most realized too late that the images of wealth and success were illusions and unreachable for the majority of those who spend their lives dreaming of such a reality.
Sondheim and Weidmen, through the stories presented in Assassins, explore the devastating reality that the American dream is just that: a dream. Americans are always told that they "live in the land of a million possibilities", that they have the right and the power to have success, if they can dream it. Through the stylistic choices and the characters in Assassins we see the destructive nature that the unreachable goal of the "American dream" brings upon people. The play satirizes the "American Dream" by presenting the audience with a world where each character believes very much in the American Dream, despite the fact that it is clear their dreams will never come true. When the assassins see the world they live in for what it truly is, they turn their anger on the most American of all figureheads: the President. This takes their reactions to an amplified level, and as a result, the audience is presented with a harsh reality that they live in a world where dreams don't always come true, a world where "any kid can grow up to be...
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