Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Reflection on Death of a Salesman Discussion
Society influences people to do lots of things. In our class discussion on Tuesday, we spoke about how Willy's society causes him to be a certain way. I think that Willy has a lot of pressure on him and feels that he must fulfill a certain expectation in order to please himself. After all, he does have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay. It's makes me sad to think about Willy's situation because this is something that everybody experiences at some point in life. People feel like they need to please others in order to please themselves, and it is not fair to judge someone until you understand exactly what situtation they are in. Although I do believe that Willy has gone a bit nuts, I feel bad for him.
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Yes Brady!
ReplyDeleteI might add that not only Willy, but his sons Biff and Happy feel they have to fit the identity society forces them to live.
Biff doesn't want to be a salesman but is pressured to do so by his father and society.
Happy feels he HAS to live his mundane salesman-life to satisfy society's demands on how an American man should live.
I also share sympathy for Willy's situation. But perhaps it's his fault for submiting to pressures in society's. Of course, it's not easy to go against the grain and do what you want. But that's what you get when you don't have the guts to live the life you see fit. However, maybe in Willy's situation he had no choice. Maybe it isn't possible to survive in modern society by living the way you believe is right. I hope Billy learns from his father's mistake.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting comments, Brady. Perhaps you should have expanded a little more on Willy's state at this time. Willy is blinded by his desire to be a successful salesman, although unfortunately, he is not one. I definitely agree with your points, but there is much more to expand on! What is Willy's society? What was the stereotype at this time?
ReplyDeleteThe play, "Death of a Salesman", takes place in the early 1950's. At this time, men were stereotyped as "the workers of the family". That meant that Willy's job as a salesman put him in a powerful position at home. He was responsible for putting food on the table in his home and keeping his family happy.
Although you briefly touched on Willy's pressures in society, there is much more room to expand and discuss. Thank you for your enlightenment, Brady!
Very well written! I enjoyed reading what you have to say, so much so that I have briefly abandoned my search on the internet for enjoyment, specifically, angry birds.
ReplyDeleteThere's an old saying that goes something like "We are all ground down by the same wheel." (Positive, eh?) Do you think that Willy got himself into this societal cul-de-sac by design? What I mean is, do you think that Willy didn't try hard enough to avoid the situation that he's in at this point in the play?
ReplyDeleteWhile Willy was certainly no revolutionary or non-conformist, even in his younger days, it's probably safe to assume that he did what any man (or woman) would do: pursue happiness. (In his--and Linda's--case it was buying a house and raising a family.) Do you think it is possible to avoid the situation that Willy and family ended up in? It might be tougher than it seems. (Trust me; I'm still in touch with some old friends from high school and university--we were hardcore punk rockers out to tear down 'the system'. Where are they now? Most of them are struggling with the same things Willy is: keeping a mortgage, raising a family, sending kids to university, etc. And me? Well, you know where I am; same as my friends, but substitute a PhD for the family. :) ) Instead of sticking it to the man, now we're 'the man'. :)
A fine post from a fine member of Habonim Dror. You go Brady.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree with what you said about not judging a person until knowing what situation they are in, I think people will still tend to do it no matter what. We dont take time to get to know each person as well as we should and most of the time wont know what their situation is. So although what you are saying is ideal, it wont really happen.
ReplyDeleteI also feel bad for Willy because he tries so hard to be someone else. I wish he would realize that he is special and be content with the husband and father that he is.
ReplyDeleteWe all have to value ourselves and be happy with who we are.
A couple of you seem concerned with our judgement of Willy-- what if instead of judging him we try to understand him? Like "the fish is in the water" quote suggests, in order to truly understand Willy we must try to understand where he is coming from.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, what do you think Willy had in mind when he bought the house and started a family? How do his expectations affect his ability to be content? The fact that the house is shaded by the surrounding apartment buildings (built after the Loman's moved in) seems to be a prominent issue in the play. Why is this such a big deal? Consider how you feel when your expectations aren't met.