James Dean's Lack Of Glory

For most of his life, James Dean knew the sick feeling; the sense of doom we experience when reality chokes the life out of us, especially when it is a reality that cannot be avoided. He knew the temptation of going out in a blaze of glory. World War II had been all about guts and glory. During the war years, self-sacrifice and the glory was a persistent theme that continued to hold sway into the 1950s. Most of the adults Dean knew growing up had never experienced their teenage years. They were too busy fighting the War; but because they did not died in battle, they found neither glory nor redemption in living. They had sacrificed their youth and they were angry about it. Even worse for most teens, their fathers viewed their children as burdens—punishment for not dying in the war. The War had taken their teen years. Then their children proceeded to ruin their adult life. James Dean connected with the youth in the mid-1950s because he knew first hand their anger and

In Kazan’s mind, (a comment not made until after Dean 's death) Dean’s acting career would have “sputtered out” if he had lived. And, presumptively Dean was well aware of his failings. Kazan offered as an example, Dean 's idol Marlon Brando. In comparison, Kazan alleged that Dean relied too much on instinct to express the temperaments of the characters he played. While, Marlon Brando in Kazan’s view, relied on the training he received from his acting teacher Lee Strasberg to develop his characters. Kazan made this distinction even though Lee Strasberg was also Dean’s acting teacher. Tennessee Williams, described Strasberg trained actors as performing "from the inside out.” “They communicate emotions they really feel. They give you a sense of life.” And from a mental health perspective, I would add, they also give you a sense of