Materialism and Greed: The Real Monsters in Poltergeist
A seemingly "Hallmark" family, although nowhere near perfect, is dropped into the middle of a most bizarre situation. This family fights to reunite themselves after becoming victims of disgruntled spirits in Tobe Hooper's 1982 film Poltergeist. The film attempts to criticize the 1980s boom of materialism, which the Freeling family clearly falls prey to. The external threat of the poltergeists that the Freelings face is merely a metaphorical threat that represents how greed and materialism can lead to the destruction of a successful family.
The Freelings are meant to represent the American dream, or at least "phase one" of it, in that they have achieved success on many levels, more specifically that of financial success. They are a traditional nuclear family with dad as the breadwinner, mom as the nurturing housewife, three kids, and a family dog. They have a very nice home with more than enough money to buy whatever......
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Approximate Word Count: 1176
Approximate Pages: 5 (260 words per double-spaced page) |