The Plastic Pink Flamingo :: Literary Analysis, Jennifer Price

Since the 1930's, plastic pink flamingos have been a trendy statement piece at hotels and in yards across the country. Jennifer Price, the author of "The Plastic Pink Flamingo: A Natural History", uses tone, satire, and diction to show her view on United States culture. Price's view is that United States culture is flashy, cocky, and that Americans tend to try and stand out to get attention. "The pink flamingo splashed into the fifties market, it staked" (Price lines 1-2). Plastic flamingos are unable to splash like real flamingos, therefore Price is demonstrating satire. Also, the plastic flamingos are staked into the ground. "Americans had been flocking to Florida" (Price line 4) is humorous because the Americans flocking to the southern east coast like flamingos. The plastic pink flamingo became "synonymous with wealth and pizzazz"(Price line7-8). After the Great depression and the war, Americans had a lot of pride for their country, and this was one way of showing it. "This was a little ironic, since Americans had hunted flamingos to extinction in Florida" (Price lines 13-14). Price may be putting down American because Americans tend to follow the crowd and copy what everyone else is doing. The flamingo could be a metaphor of how Americans are followers and do not come up with their own ideas. The plastic pink flamingo gave an "extra fillip of boldness" (Price line 20). The flamingo was a way for Americans to stand out in the crowd and be noticed. Americans were flashy, cocky, and maybe even a little bit conceited. "And the Flamingo was pink- a second and commensurate claim to boldness" (Price lines 30-31). American culture is very flashy and bold. By being bold and flashy, it makes Americans stand out from the crowd and be noticed. Pink was the thing to have, it showed wealth and status. "The hues were forward-looking rather than old-fashioned" (Price lines 36-37). The pink flamingos were a way for the Americans to show pride after World War II. The plastic flamingos were the Americans' way of coming back out after the Depression and the war. They are the symbol that marks the beginning of a new era. "Even a real flamingo is brighter that anything else around it" (Price lines 48-49). The Americans wanted to be recognized after the war and show their pride for their country. The flamingo was a symbol of status and power.