Rebel Without A Cause

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Booming, Burning, Bright: All of these words are used to describe the 1950s. These were times of happiness for most, but unfortunately not for all. For many teenagers, these were times of worry, loneliness, and distress. The repercussions: teenagers idolizing and emulating the lives of actors. Although film was important to all generations in the 1950s, it is evident that film was especially influential to troubled teens considering they mimicked the appearances and behavior of the actors they idolized. In terms of entertainment, the 1950s demonstrated a time of prosperity. The spread of media resulted in the rapid increase in the popularity of Broadway. Dramas, plays, and musicals all intrigued the minds of people, drawing their attention …show more content…
His rebellious character and prodigious acting led to his extensive popularity. His character in Rebel Without A Cause (1955) heavily contributed to adolescent rebellion (“James Dean” Pop). Dean’s past overwhelmingly resembled that of tormented teenagers (“James Dean” St.James). His childhood was indistinguishable from that of Jim Stark (“James Dean” St.James). In Rebel Without A Cause, Dean’s character Jim Stark was a misunderstood and tormented teenager that seeks love and attention (Fischer). The role that he played related to the lives of teenagers battling loneliness. Jim Stark was a teenager whose overbearing and unsympathetic parents kept him from feeling safe (Fischer). James Dean not only acted as a rebel in the movie, he characterized one in reality. He enjoyed the rush of car races and slapdash choices (“James Dean” Pop). His behavior and personality were the selling factors when Dean was chosen to play Jim Stark in Rebel Without A Cause (Fischer). The truth is this Rebel did have a …show more content…
Cummings, represents a period of struggle managing rebellious beings: “old age/ scolds Forbid / den Stop /Must / n’t Don’t / &) youth goes / right on / gr / owing old (12-20). This poem describes the struggle that the older generation faced trying to force the younger generation to slow down. The poem itself consists of commands that an older person might give a teenager. However, it ends with the youth ignoring the commands and living life the way they want to. Towards the last stanza of the poem, it is evident that the commands have become much more general and less forced. This could be interpreted in two different ways: the teenager ignores the adult or the adult gives up. According to Chris Semansky, “Old age, however, is not warning youth not to become like it; it is warning youth not to think old” (“Old Age Sticks”). This approach to the purpose of the poem is especially intriguing considering that youth doesn’t stop to understand the older generation. The format that Cummings presents illustrates a conversation that a tired adult may have with an overwhelmingly energetic teenager. This format significantly contributes to the overall purpose of the poem. This poem truly represents the 1950s in a way only comprehensive to
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