Revolutionary Road Essay

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Revolutionary Road The movie Revolutionary Road from 2008 is a film version of Richard Yates’ novel, bearing the same title, from 1961. The story is about a young American couple, Frank and April, who lives a quiet life with their two children in the suburbs of Pennsylvania in the 1950’s. In this period of time the gender roles were clearly defined by society and both Frank and April, at first glance, seem to fit into the stereotypical ideas of “man” and “woman” of that time. Frank works at a sales company in New York, a job that pays the bills, but, at the same time, a job that he hates. He vividly expresses a desire to break free from society’s ideas and norms and refers to the suburbs as “the Hopeless Emptiness”, but when given the chance to move to Paris, to escape it all, he backs out. He wants to be a rebellion, but seems to be too stuck in the world that he tries to dismiss, possibly held back by the memory of his late father who was also employed at the same company where Frank works. Frank is a dreamer, but he does not pursue his ambitions to become the person he wants to be. He does not have the courage to live out his dreams. April is a housewife and while Frank is at works, she takes care of the house and the children. Her dream was to be an actress, but after meeting Frank and having their first child, she had to give up that dream and replace it with a quiet life in the suburbs. She does not seem happy with her new life, she wants to do and be more than just a wife and a mother and, unlike Frank, she does not hesitate to give up the suburban life for a new one in Paris when the opportunity arises. Like Frank, April is a dreamer, but she is also realistic and aware of how things really are - and how to change them - but she is eventually held back from living out her dream because of Frank. We are shortly told how Frank and April

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