Analytical Essay_AP English Language 6

The essay “The Plastic Flamingo: A National History,” written by Jennifer Price, mainly discusses the two factors behind the popularity of plastic pink flamingo in the fifties by providing various examples. With critical tone and use of certain diction, it also portrays Price’s view on United States culture that Americans are showy about wealth and have the tendency to love yet destroy.

           Price mentions that the flamingo is a symbol of boldness and extravagance. She gives an example of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas that “anyone who has seen Las Vegas knows that a flamingo stands out in a desert strikingly”. This supports her idea of American’s showiness because they tried to stress the meaning of flamingo using as the name of grand hotel. Also, the bright color pink, which was “a hotter pink than a real flamingo” is another reason for Price’s idea on U.S. culture because of the stronger and more noticeable hue of the artificial flamingo emphasizes the symbolic meaning of pink which is boldness. Just like Elvis Presley who bought a pink Cadillac after signing a contract for his first recording, the color pink was a color to “celebrate new affluence.” Since both pink and flamingo were symbolic for wealth, Price viewed the Americans who made plastic figures of pink flamingos as bragging wealth.

           Americans’ manner of loving flamingos induces irony of “love yet destroy.” Stating “This was a little ironic,” Price presented her critical view of changed attitude of Americans toward the flamingo, comparing the current situation with a historical fact. Flamingos were once merely the subject of hunting in 1800s, while they are se loved by the public that “Americans had been flocking to Florida and returning home with flamingo souvenirs.” Price shows a negative opinion about the capricious American culture here.

           The popularity of plastic pink flamingo has reflected the U.S culture in two aspects-stressing wealth using two symbols of wealth, which are the bright pink color and the flamingo, as well as having contrasting attitudes of treating the bird as game in the past but as symbolically  special in the present.