Milton Bradley's "Game of Life": Constructing a National Narrative Through Board Game Analysis
Open Access
- Author:
- Swansen, Haleigh E.
- Area of Honors:
- English (University College)
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Kathleen E Kennedy, Thesis Supervisor
Paul James Degategno, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Material Culture
Milton Bradley
Game of Life
Board Game
American History
Literary Analysis
Entertainment
Morality
Social Studies
Popular Culture
Cultural Studies
Education - Abstract:
- This thesis approaches the Milton Bradley Company’s classic Game of Life as an object of both material culture and literary study, applying critical analysis and historical research to the 1860, 1960, 1982, 1991, and 2016 editions of the game to better understand social assumptions about morality and American adulthood. Each edition is first assessed as an artifact of literature, a readable object from which implications can be drawn about the respective society’s expectations concerning adulthood and ethics. Next, historical research is conducted on the era surrounding each edition, providing context for each board’s message and exploring whether or not the editions’ literary implications correlate to historical events. Milton Bradley’s original game, the 1860 Checkered Game of Life, concerns itself primarily with entertainment as an outlet for moral instruction, a focus consistent with the recorded history of the eighteenth-century United States; it elevates personal integrity as the catalyst for social success. Editions published after 1960 emphasize materialism and portray morality as a component of the American Dream, tying a player’s financial gains to “public morality” by rewarding industry, perseverance, and healthy risk-taking. By 2016, the game shifts from the American Dream to a focus on personal affirmation and individualism—a change consistent with the mentality of an emerging millennial culture.