Elvis and the American Dream

1956 was a time of extreme political upheaval . The post-war era was rich with rebuilding a nation , civil rights movements , and deep religious sentiment . Our country was not only recovering from a long deep depression , but a war as well . In that time common themes in American life were that dad had a great job to support the family , mom stayed at home to raise the children and attend to house duties , the children were dressed perfectly , well-mannered , and got great grades in school . This sounds like a scene out of Leave it

to Beaver . The goal of this life was exactly that , get married , buy a house , have children get a dog , and own a car . And , last but not least , church on Sundays Then one day , virtually out of nowhere America , a boy emerged with a voice , a style , and voracity for life that would change people forever

Presley became the quintessential figurehead for the evils of music and frivolity in the young , restless hordes of the post-war generation bloated with dreams and time their parents never knew . The strange hypnotic rhythms of black country blues and the raw sexuality of the performance literally sent shock waves through the core of a patently conservative America . For the first time since WWII , young Americans thumbed their noses at their parents ' beliefs and ideological foundation (Champion , Elvis Presely the Bad the Sweet and the Boogie ' par . 13 . Suddenly , the post-war generation dreams and ideals deeply rooted in the economy and...