Analyzing George Lucas's 'American Graffiti'

Cressina Chung

Professor Eiland

English 101-LC

11 May 2016

Crossover Assignment: American Graffiti

The story “American Graffiti” by George Lucas follows a group of teenagers and their adventures over a single evening. Through his story, Lucas uses symbolism and conflict to add depth and meaning to each character.

Curt is one of the characters that is part of a diverse group of friends in “American Graffiti”. He is introduced by driving a broken, old car into the Drive-in where we soon learn that he received a scholarship to go off to college. This puts Curt in the lower class social stratum of the social strata. He does have some hesitation in going off to college since he is sure that he’s more comfortable at home in the small town where

Using the labeling theory, Howard Becker described the progression of how a person takes on a deviant role. "I mean, rather, that social groups create deviance by making rules whose infraction creates deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by other of rules and sanctions to an 'offender.' The deviant is one to whom that label has been successfully applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label” (Becker 1973). This is a good example of when Curt hangs out with the Pharaohs. He uses deviant behavior in society’s norms in order to blend seamlessly into the group. Curt’s behavior with the Pharaohs also explains differential association theory where he adapts and learns the attitudes and skills to commit crimes that the gang does throughout the night. For example, when they went into the arcade to steal money for gas, and they almost get caught, but taking a cue from the Pharaohs, he ends up lying and taking the owner into the other room so they can resume stealing the money. One main

One way the author uses symbolism is through the mysterious blonde in the T-Bird. She is like a dream in a white dress and driving around in a white car. “Blonde, beautiful, her hair, backlit by a used car lot, seems to glow, making her look almost ethereal” (Lucas 14). This creates some elements of mysticism, making her symbolize an angel. Nobody really seems to know who she is and each person thinks she’s somebody else. In one instance, it creates a man vs. man conflict with Steve. “CURT Cut over to G Street, I’ve just seen a vision! She was a goddess. You’ve got to catch her! STEVE I didn’t see anything” (Lucas