Tay-Jeng Chu 11F 06.05.08
Implications of the Roses in “American Beauty”
The rose has long been used as an archetype in literature and films. This flower is the manifestation of absolute beauty for artist in different genres and cultures but also symbolizes love and romance presented in the most primitive way of human nature. In the film “American Beauty”, the symbol of rose is weaved in throughout the movie and is used not only to manifest the aspects of beauty but also reveals each unique character and their role in society.
The rose is first seen in the beginning of the film with the accompaniment of Lester’s narration about his life and family relations. Alan Ball employs the roses in the beginning scene as a symbol for power and success which she tries to pursuit in her career and family. We see Carolyn taking care of the roses in the garden and with the absence of Lester while she is socializing with the neighbors; the audience realizes that she is the dominant figure in the family. The fact that the neighbor is praising the beauty of the roses indicates that Carolyn is the iconic figure in the Burnham family and that she is recognized as an important and successful person in society. The success Carolyn has in her life, portrayed by the beauty of the roses, further highlights Lester’s lack of masculinity in both society and family, establishing the two contrasting characters right at the beginning of the film.
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Peer Reviews
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Quality of writing
The writing style is clear, precise and intelligent; the writer uses vocabulary that directly and sharply encompasses his/her thoughts on the subject, which immediately makes the essay very coherent. Sometimes, however, more attention should be paid to grammatical detail, e.g. here: “rose pedals fly from Angela's chest when she opened her shirtâ€Â. Firstly, the tenses don't agree (we have present and past in the context of the same temporal reference) and secondly, “pedals†is a misspelling, which doesn't appear anywhere else in the essay. Again, “despite his dead†in the 4th paragraph doesn't make much sense – clearly, the writer should check the essay after having written it. On the other hand, there are many verbs conducive to creating a good literary analysis – such as “manifestâ€Â, “underscore†or “implicateâ€Â. Moreover, we see a wide and appropriate usage of linking words such as “furthermoreâ€Â, “thus†– this, along with a linguistically well-constructed flow, renders the piece coherent and well-rounded stylistically.
Level of analysis
The main body of the essay is well-constructed using a systematic scheme of example and analysis. Each paragraph attempts to discover a new layer of symbolism behind roses and illustrates this through appropriate examples, then an in-depth insight (although this insight could have been elaborated upon). The connection between the colour red, roses and Carolyn's clothes in 5th paragraph is very well-spotted, and the attempt at interpretation is original and imaginative, but perhaps too far-fetched. The writer should give more attention to connecting all the points in the paragraph in a logical sequence – for now, there seems to be a lot of jumping around, the writer seems to have too much to say but seems unsure of how to link his/her points together. Furthermore, as this is a drama essay, it's good that that the writer included a point on the camera-work and focus; but still, there should be more analysis of the theatrical effects or film techniques implemented and how they affect the symbolism. The conclusion is apt and concise, but it could be used to make a less general point – for the moment, it seems somewhat rushed.
Response to question
This is an example of a solid, thoughtful and creative essay, which answers the question in a comprehensive manner by providing a wealth of ideas, examples and insights. The introduction is well-structured, as it explains the concept of rose symbolism in general and then focuses on its presence in the film itself; the last sentence concisely anticipates the argument of the essay. Overall, the question is given a well-rounded answer from the perspectives of different characters and situations. The writer is clearly aware that a single symbol might convey a wealth of meanings and implications.
