jennifer price s perspective on american culture
In the dissertation “The Plastic material Pink Flamingo: A Natural History”, Jennifer Selling price explores the intriguing figure of red flamingo in the united states. She delves into the flamingo’s enigmatic significance and illustrates aspects of the country’s tradition. Through her utilization of phrase choice and a sarcastic tone, Price provides examination on American culture and conveys her distaste because of its values in the 1950s.
Value begins her essay by simply explaining the origin of the flamingo’s popularity. Your woman points out the fact that flamingo’s reputation rose around the premise that it was simply “a flamingo”. Her use of italics while stating the obvious mocks the illogical mindset of yankee culture- performing foolishly to exhibit one’s prosperity to the world- that resulted in the bird’s popularity. Value finds the problem comical and conveys the irony of American manoeuvres. She refers to the previous in which People in the usa hunted Florida’s flamingos to extinction to get it’s methods, yet it was no matter- a hundred years later, flamingos would “inscribe one’s garden emphatically” as a sign of leisure and extravagance. Conspicuously, individuals furnished their grass with a plastic flamingo to associate themselves with the successful individuals of society- regardless of the bird being taking with no consideration and killed in the past. You understands the correlation of the flamingo with extravagance and luxury in the country, and understands the ignorant desire of Americans to express all their status in society. Ultimately, the bird was a symbol of American’s desire to display their wealth and the lack of knowledge of American lifestyle.
Selling price continues by asserting the fact that flamingo’s conspicuous color was appealing to Us citizens in the 1950s. The girl describes the extravagant wide variety of colors that plastic industrial sectors favored including “tangerine, broiling magenta, inch and warm pink, which in turn remained the dominant color of the decade. Her specificity emphasizes the fact that coloring of products in the country was unnecessary. Definitely at the time, People in america wanted to enjoy and communicate their take great pride in in a new era of prosperity following a Great Depression- even if this meant the availability of magnificent items and opposing classic decorum. Additionally , Price gives examples of superstars who carried pink recreation such as Elvis (umgangssprachlich) who “bought a red Cadillac” following getting authorized on his first recording contract. Her association of pink with fame provides that acceptance was a respected aspect of American society. As a result, the working class also purchased pink items that renowned individuals possessed. Evidently, American culture was also designed by silly desires of fame and to fit in with world.
Jennifer Price likewise compares and contrasts the symbolism with the pink flamingo in America with other countries worldwide. She promises that the flamingo had ethnical importance in numerous countries which includes Ancient Egypt where it “symbolized direct sunlight god Ra” and remains a “major motif” in Mexico as well as the Caribbean pertaining to art- therefore it is not a speculate why it stood out to America. As other countries rendered the flamingo as a figure worth addressing, Americans latched onto it is image and started employing the red flamingo in to the country’s culture. Individuals coveted attention or be seen by others, which was indicated by their home. It is noticeable that the nation wanted to continue to be of value and relevance to the rest of the world. Prominently, Price delivers that American culture during the time had become shallow.
A history of the pink flamingo in American traditions offers an amazing perception for the country’s principles at the time. Undeniably, the plastic-type flamingo reflected values from the American lifestyle and was a symbol of its flamboyant and, perhaps, foolish way of life in the 1950s.
- Category: literature
- Words: 649
- Pages: 3
- Project Type: Essay