Assassins - Stephen Sondheim

An Attack of American Ideals

Through the Eyes of Assassins

Ben Durocher

Ms. James

12/28/06

ENG 4U

An Attack of American Ideals through the Eyes of Assassins

By Ben Durocher

Since the first settlers arrived, the United States of America have projected a picture of prosperity, success and happiness around the world. The notion that "the New World" was a land of great opportunity inspired thousands to migrate from their homelands to seek a brighter future for themselves and their families. The passage of time and new generations did not diminish the concept that in America any and all dreams come true. People lived their lives in search of affluence and successfulness. But most realized too late that the images of wealth and success were illusions and unreachable for the majority of those who spend their lives dreaming of such a reality.

Sondheim and Weidmen, through the stories presented in Assassins, explore the devastating reality that the American dream is just that: a dream. Americans are always told that they "live in the land of a million possibilities", that they have the right and the power to have success, if they can dream it. Through the stylistic choices and the characters in Assassins we see the destructive nature that the unreachable goal of the "American dream" brings upon people. The play satirizes the "American Dream" by presenting the audience with a world where each character believes very much in the American Dream, despite the fact that it is clear their dreams will never come true. When the assassins see the world they live in for what it truly is, they turn their anger on the most American of all figureheads: the President. This takes their reactions to an amplified level, and as a result, the audience is presented with a harsh reality that they live in a world where dreams don't always come true, a world where "any kid can grow up to be President; (and) any kid can grow up to be his killer."(Bishop, viii)

Assassins presents us with the stories of nine assassins, or attempted assassins; all of whom tried to kill, or did kill United States presidents. Each character has an individual story, but each story has one thing in common: disappointment. We meet all nine of the infamous killers; each presents the audience with their dreams and let-downs, as well as what they decided to do about it.

The first assassin we meet is John Wilkes Booth. He is presented to us as the original assassin, the one who started it all. Because this play is written in a style that recalls the Brechtian tradition, Booth's character can cross the boundaries of time and place. Therefore, even if he is killed in the second scene of the play, he can continue to taunt, coax and provoke the other assassins to commit their acts of murder to "change the world" (Sondheim, Act 2, Scene 7). His ability to interact with assassins that were born long after his death in 1865 emphasizes the connection between the nine assassins. For example when we see him interacting with Lee Harvey Oswald towards the end of the play, it becomes apparent that not much has changed in 100 years. The desire for the perfect American success story is just as pertinent in 1865, 1963 or 2006. When Booth talks to Oswald about how his actions could be the ones that make a difference he says:

Booth.

Take a look, Lee. You know what this is? That's America. The Land Where Any Kid Can Grow Up to Be President. The shining City, Lee. It shines so bright you have to shade your eyes...But in here, this is America Too..."The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." An American said that. And he was right. But let me tell you something. There are no lives of quiet desperation here. Desperation, yes. But quiet? I don't think so. Not today. Today we're going to make a joyful noise. This is the big one. You're the big one. You're the one that's going to sum it all up and blow it all wide open. (Sondheim, Act 2, Scene 16)

Booth's desperation for his dreams and the dreams of subsequent generations becomes very clear. Booth wants nothing more than for people to realize that America is nothing more than an illusion, but his relentless cry for attention makes people listen to him less and less.

Used in a number of songs as a story teller is the character of the Balladeer. This not only follows to the Brectian style of storytelling but introduces a non-historical character into the piece. Because the Balladeer is not a true character, he allows us to have an outside perspective on the assassins. He also acts as a symbol of the "good ol'" American folk traditions. "The Ballad of Booth" even takes the feeling of a traditional war songs. The Balladeer appears in jeans and a tee-shirt, strumming on his guitar and singing about the different assassinations.

Balladeer.

Someone tell the story, / Someone sing the song. / Every now and the / The country / Goes a little wrong. / Every now and then / A madman's / Bound to come along. / Doesn't stop the story - / Story's pretty strong. / Doesn't change the song.../ (Sondheim, Act 1, Scene 2)

The image of an American folk singer is placed against the backdrop of presidential assassination, causing an uneasy feeling that these stories are being presented in such a cheerful, at times even patriotic style. His jeans and a tee-shirt suggest he is from the present day, and when he is written into scenes that are set in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, we also see the timeless themes at work. In the revival production, the Balladeer became even more symbolic. In the second act, he is written to assume the role of Lee Harvey Oswald for the Texas School Book Depository scene. This emphasizes