Curse of the Starving Class Essay | Critical Essay #10

Curse of the Starving Class Critical Essay #10

Shepard acknowledges the power of past generations on current family attitudes and behaviors. Weston Tate has been "poisoned" by his father, and Wesley the son feels himself becoming like his father. Family members feel biologically and psychologically determined. One established legacy is that Weston's father lived "apart" even though he was "right among them." Weston's alcoholism allows the same behavior in this generation of the Tate family. Each family member lives apart although they are right among each other— they need distance or they fear being engulfed.

Shepard deliberately appropriates mythical material to formulate his images of fathers and sons. The principal energy in the text actually works to articulate an image of the male characters as sons rather than fathers. Weston's authority role is highly undermined because his presence is periodic rather than continuous. The play works both to incorporate and dislocate the parents' presence, particularly the father's....
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