The Meaningless Dream:

The final literary era, Post Modernism, comes to the conclusion that nothing can save us based on the experiences of the past five eras. It is believed that the American Dream is a lie, that there is no center, and that the human state is a constant deconstruction (Norton). This era teaches us that disintegration is necessary for true artistic expression, and that art can live in a state of expression without the need  of connection. The antihero becomes the default hero because it is no longer possible to truly believe in a real hero.  

John Updike’s short story “A & P” exemplifies Post Modern themes that deconstruct the American Dream. The three posh girls represent the American Dream in the story with their upper class sexualization. The narrator uses eloquent, artistic language to objectify the three girls. This juxtaposition highlights the economic gap between the two cultures of the girls and the narrator; he sees himself as this visionary artist who is above his peers, but the irony is that he sees nothing. This masculinity complex adds on to the flaws of Post Modern world. We have finally lost the sense of hope that was ingrained in us since the birth of the country; however, is the thought that nothing can save us freeing, or does is doom us to a life that is pointlessly forlorn of hope?