Assess The Emergence Of The American Counterculture

Assess the emergence of the American counterculture based on two of the following: The Grapes of Wrath, Howl, Woodstock, The Birdcage. What, specifically, is the American counterculture and what specific elements of the American mainstream are being “countered” by these works?
The American counterculture is known as a cultural phenomenon that occurred around the 1960’s and which gave a twist to the meaning of the American dream. This movement symbolized the cultural and political expression of the youth’s desire for a more accepting and free society, addressing topics such as human sexuality and drugs, that countered America’s mainstream. It also addressed taboos such as xenophobia and racism, rejecting the traditional beliefs that was held

On one hand, the film Woodstock symbolizes the side of the counterculture that pursue a revolutionized society where people could live in tolerance, peace and acceptance, fighting multiple forms of social oppressions. Some of these included homosexuality, public nudity, the use of birth control pills, sexual revolution and drugs. The so called “hippies” wanted to break the taboo of seeing these topics as offensive or forbidden. They wanted to revolutionize what was seen as the traditional social standards. Hippies promoted peace, love and good-vibes. The Birdcage, on the other hand, shows only one single aspect of social oppression; homosexuality.
Both films are intertwined with the same kind of aspirations; both aimed to achieve a more accepting, tolerant and open-minded society. A society where people won’t judge others based on traditional labels. Nowadays, we still experience some of the social paradigms that they were fighting against. Some include the intolerance towards same sex couples and different customs. People still see public nudity, sexual liberalization and homosexuality as taboos. We need to keep fighting against these oppressions in order to achieve their goal. Once we achieve this, we can all live in a more passive and peaceful

This short essay demonstrates the patriarchal society of the nineteenth century. Women in those times had no voice or opinion. They were condemned to obey their husbands and stay behind their shadow. The story is portrayed through the treatment of the narrator by her husband and the acceptance of such treatment by her. She is also forbidden to express her views about her condition. The few times that she spoke her points of view to her husband he ignored her and saw her as an ignorant person, regardless of what it was. Whether it was about her treatment or that she asked him to change rooms since she was disturbed by the yellow wallpaper at first. Women in those times were prevented from developing themselves and they could not question their husband’s decisions. The Yellow Wallpaper illustrates to us the gender oppression experienced by women, which clearly points out that the American dream was not achievable for