Analyzing "Shopping for American Culture" by James Farrell.

The United States has more malls than high schools and the number of shopping centers is increasing each year (378). It is clear that malls are a large part of our society. In "Shopping for American Culture," James Farrell claims that the 45,000 malls in America define American values and culture because malls are the ideal environment for social interaction, aesthetic appreciation, and equality of consumerism. While Farrell talks through the majority of his essay about the …

…that he was previously praising as a trap where bad behavior, such as commercialism, usually prevails. Farrell could be trying to concede a point and acknowledge that he is aware critics will have attacks against his claims. If we believe that society gets it's values from malls then Farrell may be onto something, but if we choose to believe that malls get their values from society then Farrell is probably exaggerating his frustrations concerning commercialism.