After World War II ended in 1945, many significant changes to American society began
to occur. Some of these major changes helped shape what the U.S. is today and include the Baby
boom, mass suburbanization, and mass consumerism. The Post-World War II era is defined by
these changes in U.S history and culture. In this Post-World War II era, social conformity
became the most ideal way of life. Every citizen wanted the same thing, this is known as the
American Dream. The American Dream consist of the working husband while the stay-at- home
mother would take care of their cookie-cutter suburban house with a son or daughter. Also, part
of the American Dream was a car that was usually bought with credit. With mass media
becoming more
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doll is actually alive and ends up killing the father in the end. This is a common middle-class
situation in the 1950’s, except for the living doll, and it’s because everyone was trying to be
normal and act like they belong in the same class with everyone else. Packard’s The Status
Seekers describes social conformity and how class and status are becoming more rigid, unlike
most people who think the nation is becoming one class. Packard writes, “In terms of his
productive role in our society-class lines in America are becoming more rigid, rather than
withering away” (Packard 8). With status and class being so important to most American citizens
in the 1950’s, class became more rigid and act like barriers to citizens who want to move up in
status.
In the “Living Doll” episode of The Twilight Zone, the first thing you see is the classic
automobile car and their white suburban house. You can probably assume that the house and car
are almost exactly the same as the rest of the housing track. This is because there was such an
emphasis on social conformity and being normal during the 1950’s. A nice suburban home and
an automobile is what people bought in the 1950’s to show your class and you were just like
everybody else. The more elegant the house, the higher the class you are in. During the 1950’s,
many families will move to a nicer house in a nicer area just to show that they have a higher
status than others. In chapter six
During the Cold War security was never guaranteed, and as a result during the 1950s people grasped at the idea of knowing their position in life and having no competition. Levitt homes were a prime example; they offered the public a peace of mind due to the fact that they were all built similarly and you knew what you getting (Doc 7). In addition, the historical context of Doc 4 shows social advancement through the rising abolition of segregation through Brown v. Board of
The ’50s boasted the archetype for the model family. As document H exemplifies, suburban families, coined the nuclear family, resided in ideal neighborhoods for raising the family, were
On 126th episode of The Twilight Zone called the, “Living Doll” is about a middle income family made up of Erich the stepfather, Annabelle, wife of Erich and mother of Christie, the young daughter and her doll named Talky Tina. Christi being the only child, has a difficulty making friends, therefore, the mother buys Christi and doll named, “Talky Tina” without the approval of Erich. Talky Tina eventually threatens Erich resulting in Annabelle suggesting a psychiatrist due to paranormal activity conducted by the doll. He attempted many tactics in order to get rid of the doll such as: throwing the doll away, blow torching and using a table saw, but the doll overthrown Erich’s abilities to be conquered. As a result, the Talky Tina manages to appear underneath Erich’s step on the staircase and falls to
Post World War II America was a society full of anxiety. In the late 1950s Americans were deeply troubled by so many social shifts. Major changes were occurring both internally and externally. They were in the midst of the Cold War, and were vastly approaching the atomic age. There was a communist scare and fear of Russian expansion. Joseph McCarthy was hunting down major celebrities for their communist involvement and the 'Red Influence' seemed to be everywhere. The move toward suburbia and the growth of multinational corporations were flourishing. People seemed to be pulled in every direction. Another change that would have a major impact on society for years to come was the
As mentioned earlier, during the 1950s people were more likely to compare themselves to their neighbors and community. There was limited forms of media that everyone saw on a mass scale so most class groups would read or watch the same movies, books, etc. People would look out their
After World War II the next threat was the Soviet Union and the growing amount of communism. The fear of communism breed the conformist 1950’s, which created suburbs, consumerism, “organization men”, domesticated women, car culture, and explicit gender rules (I&J, 43-58). Communism engulfed everyone so much that people were afraid to be different. The culture of the 1950’s was not only seen in their everyday lives but shown through advertisements.
America still to this day holds on to the idea of the “American Dream”. This is rather surprising in today’s society and the ups and downs that the nation is facing. The dream in the past was more about freedom and equality. Moving through the decades, this dream has morphed into something quite different. Instead of what America means for all of its inhabitants, the nation has become more individualized. Society has moved to interpret the dream of what America can do for the one. Instead of the unified nation, America has been known for in the past, a shift has started creating an inconsistency in who can realize the dream. The myth of the “American Dream” has been hugely affected by increased materialism, the gap in economic status, and the fantasy of “rags to riches” idea.
Once working citizens had started to receive higher salaries, they could afford more and nicer items than they would have otherwise. According to Daily life… (Kaldin, 2000) the average working man could buy a split-level house on display. In one year, the overage woman bought nine dresses and suits and 14 pairs of shoes. New appliances had also been invented during the 1950s. These appliances were simple in design with basic designs that reflected a new style of European modernism. The 1950s brought a “populux age “to America- a time when every appliance had handles or was easy to lift. Because of this, most appliances and technology could be moved around the house. This was just one of the advances in
The 1950’s were a decade of great change in various ways. For example the American minorities, the women, and other outspoken ethnic and other groups of society, decided to stand up and fight for their rights. The Great War had ended, and men were coming back home. As this happened the demand for economic homes increased, and families began having children due to the economical stability and prosperity in which the United States of America was amidst. The nationwide home demand gave birth to one of the most comfortable and affordable ways of living: The suburban home. These neighborhoods were planned for young middle-upper class families who wanted to have, or already had children. These families were living the
In the very first vignette Esperanza discusses how her family moved around a lot and even though the house on Mango Street was not the house of their dreams, it was a great achievement to own it. Although Esperanza knew they were not moving anytime soon, she recognized one advantage; her family was free of landlord management. In my community home ownership is a constant battle and for many simply a dream. I learn the value of home ownership in a similar sequence as Esperanza. My little sister and I were moved to and from apartment to family member’s houses until our first small home. A home with no back yard and only four stairs and side walk out front. None the
Many believe that there is no more class separation. To many people it almost appears to be classless. In the article Shadowy Lines That still Divide it says “At a time when education matters more and more than ever, success in school remains linked tightly to class…. At a time of extraordinary advances in medicine, class difference in health and lifespan are wide and appear to be widening”. Even today education is more available for kids with money especially collage. Many colleges have very high cost and most good college is very costly. Like education, health care is also another factor that shows the division between the social classes. Many lower classes can not afford health care and can not pay for medicines. The lifespan of the lower class would be lower than that of a higher class due to the fact that higher class can afford better treatments. The American dream would be easier for the upper class to achieve because they can get a better education and better health care. In the Great Gatsby, the class separation is demonstrated through the two sides; West Egg and East Egg. Only wealthy people with a social class live in east Egg
During the 1950’ many public and social booms happened. For instance the Baby Boom was huge in the 1950’s. In 1957 it was estimated that 1 baby was born every 7 seconds. (Silverman 1) Also suburban living was expanding and becoming very common. Starting in
In the play, “A Doll House,” written in 1879, the main character is a doll for her husband and for her father. She realizes that when living with her father, she would develop the same opinions as him, and stifle her own opinion if it differed from his. Her father even called her his doll child. She, Nora, also becomes aware that he played with
Class is the relative location of a person or group within a larger society based on wealth power, prestige, or other valued resources. In other words, class can be defined as a socioeconomic status in which one’s capital defines their class position thus giving us a ranking of financial status. This categorization of class position is based on economic status that can be determined through income, profession, or inherited wealth. Blue collar (working class), white collar, and upper class (professional services) are the three class categories based on economic status. This class structure is society’s way of determining between the haves and have-nots. One’s ability to be aware of the class system and one’s place within it is known as class consciousness or class standing.
The Dolls House is a story where you can see the cruelty of children towards each other. This story is centered on the concept of three middle class girls who are given a beautiful doll's house as a present. They are thrilled about the new toy just how any child would feel when they receive a new doll or