What was james dean's role in defining the american teenager?

Answer 1

Dean was a symbol of rebellion. American families had never seen anything like him before. When he began acting, his characters become famous for their total disregard of parental authority.

According to biographers and those who knew him in real life, James Dean was indeed rebellious. It is widely rumoured that he was bisexual and quite permiscuous. In the 1950's this was a huge deal.

Dean wanted to change the landscape of acting and of social beliefs. He portrayed strongwilled teenagers in his movies who "put adults in their places", so to speak. Teens all over the country were overjoyed to see someone who was brave enough to buck the system. Parents were shocked at his disrespect for traditional values and social boundaries. But kids loved it. Many have blamed James Dean for thetearing down of the traditional American/Christian value system that caused young people to question those very traditions and begin to change the way they looked at their upbringing.

I personally believe James Dean thought the whole thing was one big middle finger to the morals and values of Christians in our country. Obviously, this did him little good, as he never got to enjoy the havoc he started. He died at the age of twenty four. An arrogant young man who thumbed his nose at law enforcement, at God and at authority in general.

Answer 2

Jim Stark in "Rebel Without A Cause"

Answer 3

Rebellion