"Tender Offer"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how "Tender Offer" by Wendy Wasserstein is a prime example of how individuals laboring under the mystification of a capitalistic society are victimized by the American Dream they are struggling so hard to attain. It explains that the main character, Paul, is completely entrenched in his ideology of the illusory American Dream and his ability to procure that lifestyle, but his relationship with his daughter, Lisa, is a clear indication of his inability to accept the harsh realities of life in a capitalistic society.

From the Paper:

"The character of Lisa in the play is more concerned with living life than with finances. She cannot understand how her father could place business before important events in her life, like the dance recital. When she casts her second-place trophy in the trash, it is evident that without the support of her father, her pride in winning has disappeared. Unconsciously, Lisa feels second place is nothing. Her father is a winner. If she isn't a winner, she is a loser. Therefore, her father will not want anything to do with her. A survey conducted by Higgens, Duxbury and Lee demonstrated the decreasing number of hours fathers are spending with their children and the devastating effects on the children. On the average, "fathers spend less than two hours a day in the presence of their children." According to their research, more children are requiring some type of intervention, either through counseling or school assistance, to overcome feelings of maladaptation in their social environments" in order to form healthy family relationships (150)."

More papers on "Tender Offer":

• Book Review # 110416 : "Tender is the Night"
• Comparison Essay # 115407 : "The Caress" and "Atlas's Slave"
• Essay # 143517 : "Pastoral Nomads Governments"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: