CULTURAL ANALYSIS

Birthday Parties were and still are very important to children and to their families. Parties were a time to celebrate life. "In the 1950s, the United States enjoyed a period of unprecedented prosperity, consumerism, and economic optimism. Signs of the new prosperity were everywhere."(Oakley, 228) This celebration of life was prevalent everywhere, especially at birthday parties. It was also a time of prosperity where family and friends enjoyed giving gifts to the birthday children. Now it seems that much of American society has gained a lot of materialism. People all over the world stereotype Americans as materialistic, and this is reflected in children's birthday parties. Birthday parties display the many extravagances of society. Big parties with lots of food and lots of presents are not unusual these days. Birthday parties are a very good reflection of American culture in terms of extravagance and materialism.

Materialism has become a very pertinent facet of suburbia. It is perpetuated by society. Children learn at a very early age that materialism means a lot in our society. When children are spoiled at an early age, they can often grow up to teach their children the same things. In the movie Heathers, the girls who highly valued material things, came from families that did as well. If parents want their children to grow up to value more than material objects in life, then they must set good examples. Children learn more from the actions of their parents than from what they say.

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