Synopsis

The titular "curse" is the plague of generational repetition: children always end up following in the footsteps of their parents. Children's behavior highlights the familial curse that is carried on from generation to generation since the parents' natures are ingrained in their minds. The son, Wesley, gives a terrifying narrative of his drunken attack on the front door of the house; the father, Weston, recalls the poison of his father's alcoholism; and in the third act, Wesley puts on Weston's old clothes and confesses that his father's essence is starting to possess him. The mother Ella's desire to leave her family is passed down to Emma, Ella's daughter.

The family's physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual starvation is highlighted by the refrigerator's constant empty state, which is an overt metaphor of the curse of starvation. Moreover, the play's connections are all infused with the curse of denial, which also influences nearly every action. This typical family is obviously plagued from the inside, but they are also plagued from the outside by the forces that Shepard feels pose a threat to the mythic (and thus real) West: the march of progress, which seeks to destroy the natural world and replace it with freeways, shopping centers, and tract housing developments. Clearly, the family has little chance of salvation. With the money he received from the sale of the farm, Weston takes off for Mexico; Emma is set on fire in Weston's car by thugs who want to demand money from him; Ella refuses to accept what is happening in front of her and keeps referring to Wesley as Weston; Wesley completes the transition into his father by taking on his father's mannerisms and attitudes. Another major symbol is revealed in the parable that Ella and Wesley share together to end the play: a tomcat and an eagle fight in midair until they crash to Earth. Similar to those two creatures, their family faces only certain doom rather than any hope for redemption.

Real World Manifestion of the Conflict

The persistence of poverty across generations in America is a multifaceted issue. One of the primary drivers of intergenerational poverty is the perpetuation of inequality through limited access to quality education and employment opportunities. Families trapped in poverty often lack the resources to invest in their children's education, perpetuating a cycle of low educational attainment and limited economic mobility. Additionally, disparities in access to healthcare, housing, and other essential services further exacerbate the challenges faced by impoverished families, making it difficult for them to break free from the cycle of poverty.

Structural inequalities within the American economic system also play a critical role in perpetuating intergenerational poverty. The concentration of wealth and power among the top echelons of society has led to the erosion of social safety nets and the proliferation of policies that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor. As a result, low-income families face systemic barriers to accessing resources and opportunities, further entrenching their disadvantage and limiting their ability to improve their socioeconomic status. Additionally, the rise of precarious employment, stagnant wages, and the gig economy has exacerbated economic instability for many working-class families, making it increasingly difficult to escape poverty and achieve financial security.

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