In the 19th century comedy, FASHION, Anna Mowatt develops the character's plot as a contrast and comparison between being "natural" and "artificial in a world that cares about fashion and being fashionable. In the headnotes, it was stated that Daniel Havens said that FASHION is "the ugly image of the American dream gone bad." (Watt and Richardson) Fashion has a complex definition. The word "fashion" can mean anything from the type of clothes you wear, to the way you communicate with others, to where you live, to how you present yourself, or to the people you associate with. In FASHION, Mowatt took a comical but sober look at the definitions of “fashion,” applied them to real life in 1845, and, through his characters, provides a mirror with which an audience/reader can evaluate themselves. I don't think updating this play would be difficult because America has continued down a fast and destructive path in trying to keep up with the "fads" of the day. Update for today's audience: If I were to rewrite the play, FASHION, I would mirror Mowatt in his analysis of middle-class "wannabe bees." I would also like to take a look at how those in the poorer economic classes also have their own version of being “hip”. The American capitalist system provides a bottomless abyss for those seeking wealth, status, and belonging in their communities. People in today's middle class work 40 to 80 hours a week trying to gain more wealth to provide a “more comfortable life” for themselves and their family. Many, even though they already possess all the requirements to live a comfortable life, always seek to obtain a higher status in society and have a strong desire to reach the next level of wealth. Even the poorest people... in the middle of the paper... and in very different parts of the country. My experience indicates that one is not better than the other... just different. Both the city and the countryside have great things to offer, but both have disadvantages; it all depends on what a person is looking for in their life. FASHION is a game that permeates through the centuries. His themes about fashion and how we treat it speak powerfully to each subsequent generation in America. What is important to us? What matters most to us? How do we want others to see us? How do we want others to accept us? Today it would be just as easy to produce the show at the same time with only a few changes. The audience would definitely understand it, and many would see themselves in it. Works Cited Watt, Stephen and Richardson, Gary A. American Drama: Colonial to Contemporary. Mason: Centage Learning, 2003.