ABSTRACT

"From the Ruined Mansion to the Model Home: Teenage Families in Rebel Without a Cause and The O.C."

by

David Banash

Western Illinois University

d-banash@wiu.edu

This paper examines pivotal scenes in Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and an episode of television series The O.C. entitled “The Model Home” (2003). In both, troubled teens try to recreate perfect families in opulent but abandoned mansions. Interestingly, both also end in violent confrontations and failure. While the settings and conflicts are all but identical, key differences reveal striking changes in the construction of teen identities and the role of consumer culture in their lives.