YA's narrative perspective: present reality, memory, or dream?
 

What is the narrative perspective of Young Americans? Is it narrated at the same time as the events it portrays, or later, or neither? What is it temporal setting?

Ostensibly, at least, the drama is set in the present -- time time at which the drama was first aired. On the front of Rawley Boys', throughout the drama, hang huge blue banners bearing the words, "Summer 2000." And the drama's dialogue abounds in allusions to the popular U.S. youth culture of the late 1990s.

However, the drama also abounds in anachronisms. Gender-segregated boys' prep schools and full-service gas stations both nearly disappeared from New England during the 1970s; the last such school went full coed in 1997, and by 2000, full-service gas stations, although not impossible to find, were rare. Charlie Bank's gas station, the setting many of the drama's scenes including its first, has a 1920's style canopy and exterior decor, a 1930's-vintage coke dispenser, 1940's-vintage gas pumps, two trucks dating from around 1950, and Coke in glass bottles (generally unobtainable in the USA after the 1970s). And the dialogue and soundtrack contain or allude to many things from the late 1960s and early 1970s -- when YA's creator, Steve Antin, was young -- such as Nick Drake songs, bell-bottom pants, Bob Dylan's "Love Minus Zero," the Vietnam war, Hendrix's "Foxy Lady," and Abba's "Fernando."

Until the last voice-over the the last episode, Will Krudski narrates in the present tense, ostensibly reflecting on contemporary events. But how can a drama set in the present, and narrated in the present, include events of which the narrator has no contemporary awareness -- including nearly all of the Jake-Hamilton storyline? And the tense of narration changes, in the last voice-over of the last episode, from present to past: "I knew I'd never forget ... that summer." To underscore the change, Will repeats, word-for-word, his closing voice-over from the first episode -- but now in the past tense rather than the present tense. So is Krudski narrating about the past from the present, or about the present from our future, or neither, or both?

Perhaps Young Americans has no unique temporal perespective. Perhaps time, in YA, doesn't obey the rules of reality. Perhaps the drama's a dream. YA abounds in references and allusions to dreams:

But if YA is a dream that combines present reality, past memory, part hope for the future, how does it combine them, and why? If YA is a dream come true, then in what sense is it "true," if it's not real? What does that suggest about the dream's core, a tale of "true love"? Who or what is Krudski-as-narrator, how does he relate to Krudski-as-character, and why is he dreaming this dream? Why is he going to Rawley? Why does he take us there with him? What are we there to learn? What are we there to do? What's the point?

(Thanks to our moderators for their kind permission to start this thread.)

Bumping this up s we can have our rewatch here as it somehow (loosely) corresponds with the subject :)

Okay, I'm ready to go (even if FF is being difficult again - like every single time we rewatch something :sigh::lol: )

Skins 2/6, DC 3/20 and YA: Orpheus and Eurydice as prelude to a dream
 

Here's my take on it in brief: Skins s2e6 seems to be Tony's dream of going to school to learn to love better. While there, he meets an older version of what he'll be if he doesn't: the solider on the train, and the lecturer at the university, both played by the same actor. And it's all introduced by a reading of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. Seems incredibly similar to Young Americans to me, given Krudski's introduction of YA by reciting the Orpheus and Eurydice myth in DC 3/20.

Would it be possible to wait an extra 7 minutes? Theres something I need to do, wont be longer, if not then lets just start and Ill take a mini break then come back asap :)

Okay, so we're good to go, right? :)

I'm pressing play now.

Ok then pressing play :D

I love the Cassie quote, 'thats what love feels like' :sigh:

Ok then pressing play :D

I love the Cassie quote, 'thats what love feels like' :sigh:

Oh Gooood, I miss the gen 1 cast so much! :love: :bawl:

That whole beginning scene with the voiceover/the blending over to Tony walking, that does indicate a dream :nod:

Sheida, we can wait for you now, I guess? :)

a bit late because my lt was being a wanker. orpheus and eurydice. so fun how the opening is a scene of tony and effy talking about greek mythology and they both ended up in clash of the titans.

^I hadn't even thought of that, Nia :lol:

I love the "Love lives limp" written on the bathroom stall :D

Any theories on why Cassie and Tony are wearing matches shirts? :look:

And yeah youre right, it does seem very dream-like :nod:

Urgh Michelle and Sid, hated them together :sigh:
But I do miss the gen 1 cast :sigh:
I especially miss Mike Bailey :pout:

And Im back :)

Any theories on why Cassie and Tony are wearing matches shirts? :look:

And yeah youre right, it does seem very dream-like :nod:

Urgh Michelle and Sid, hated them together :sigh:
But I do miss the gen 1 cast :sigh:
I especially miss Mike Bailey :pout:

And Im back :)

:lol: someone piss drunk must have written that. tony and cassie never really bonded before this episode, haven't they? and they're matching clothes as well! "i think that because sid and michelle are together, we should be the same." OH THE POTENTIAL!

eta: another indication of the whole thing being a dream. people suddenly freezing over tony's "my **** doesn't work!"

:lol: cool thing about Clash of the Titans :D

I suppose the line about his sister in the stall is appreciated by stonemcest fans? :lol:

Why am I constantly double posting? I swear Im not clicking twice!

Tony and Cassie never did bond before, it seems a bit weird now, what wit the matching shirts as well, Id see the potential if I wasn such a Sid/Cassie uberfan :lol:

Kaya looking beautiful :love: and making fun of Michelle :lol: