The Flamingo with a pink shade
Jennifer Price’s essay “The Plastic Pink Flamingo, A Natural History” shows her optimism about America. She compares the characteristics the iconic pink Flamingo with Americans by using descriptive diction and allusions from other cultures.
Price’s parrallelism toward the effects on the flamingos and America’s mindset is clearly shown through cultural allusions. Price’s hopes and vision of a new generation are being expressed. Price mentions that “early CHristians associated the flamingo as the red phoenix.” Jennifer Price used this example to illustrate the relationship between two birds, the flamingo and the phoenix. The flamingo represents Americans and is being reborn from the ashes. The flamingo rises from theashes is an expression of Price’s belief that the color and life of the flamingo was just right for a young generation raised in the Depression. Price also noted that the flamingo was a prominent motif in Mexican and Caribbean culture and has helped to transform America’s education system. Americans are expanding their artistic skills and are showing a curiosity that is unmatched by those who live near them. Price manipulates the linguistic and miscellaneous characteristics of flamingos to illustrate her American culture mindset. Her opening statement, “[Theflamingo] staked out two major claims at boldness.” demonstrates her humor. It was first a flamingo. Price’s repeated use “boldness” in conjunction with “flamboyant,” extravagance, and “wealth” are all timely placed to make it clear her views on the current culture. This was a celebration of all Americans, Price thought. The pink flamingo was a far cry from the Gilded Age of America’s glamour-driven scheme to conceal corruption and other scandals. Price makes a bold second claim. Price’s rhetorical questioning, in the last paragraph, emphasizes how important it is to choose a color which “stands out even more in a wilderness than on a grass lawn.” Price’s hope for bold revival can be seen in Price’s contrast of American culture becoming more extravagant due in part to its economic ruin. Price expands on her ideals and uses specific adjectives that describe the boldness, pink. “Passion pink Price considers the United States culture to be one of “passion”, “sunset pink Price believes that the United States culture is filled with “passion”, “struggle” and “sunset” which end an “old-fashioned” age in order to “forward-looking” towards the future.
Price’s view of American culture is subtle. Her casual tone when she writes about the pink flamingo is a reflection of her vision of America’s revolution. The talk of a bold pinkflamingo summarizes the turning point of America’s upward climb.
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