Blog #17. "'It's All Right. I Came Back.'" Death Of A Salesman Through 37.
What you have begun reading is unarguably the greatest American drama of the post-World War Two era. That doesn't mean it is a perfect piece of art, but as New York Times critic Charles Isherwood said of this year's Broadway production starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield (Jenny saw it): "'Death of a Salesman' remains a touchstone work of American drama that
speaks as powerfully to readers and viewers today as it did to audiences
in 1949, when Miller’s dissection of the moral rot at the heart of an
average American family left audiences stunned by the force of its perceptions."As I said in class, Willy Loman is Hamlet or King Lear for American actors. It is the great American character and has been played by actors as dissimilar as Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Dustin Hoffman. Whether you end up liking the play or not, you are reading a true American classic.
To get us started. Below is the opening minutes of the 2000 Broadway production starring Brian Dennehy, an actor known more for his action roles like in First Blood, the original Rambo movie, or in the "classic" Tommy Boy. Who knew the man had the serious acting chops to pull off Willy Loman?
My questions:
1. Your reactions to what you've read so far?
2. Which line or lines have jumped off the page for you? Or which line or lines best defines what you see the play as being about so far? Quote the line or lines and tell why you picked them. I want everyone to choose something different, so there should be 28 different line or lines.
Write a couple hundred words answering these 2 questions.
1. (My book is more compact than yours, so I read a little past the quote and have no idea where that quote is.) I seems to me that Biff is a reflection of Willy, and Willy doesn't want what happened to him happen to Biff. A parent's goal is to have their child surpass them, but Biff is on no track at the age of thirty four. Happy is on a good track, but he still isn't happy; he has his "own apartment, a car, and plenty of women", but "still, goddamn it", he's "lonely". Another thing is that Willy wants to be "well liked", but he places that as a priority over everything else, even when he was raising his children. When he was younger he was well liked, but as he grew older it became harder to become well liked with people, and now that his old connections are retired or dead, his well like-edness is worth nothing, just as his children's well like-edness will be worth nothing, unless they change their ways.
2. Many lines stuck out for me, but the most defining one was Willy saying: "There's more people! That's what's ruining this country! Population is getting out of control. The competition is maddening! Smell the stink...". Willy's sons want to go west, to the great outdoors where they can use their "Adonis" like bodies to prove their worth solely through hard work and muscular prowess. Willy also talks about the tire swing, and the park, overrun by apartment houses and the "stink" of the city. The vision of an old west, cowboy life is seen as the American dream, with wide open plains where only the masculine and tough can survive. There are too many people in the country, and the competition that Willy had when he was younger is nothing compared to what it is now, and in addition to that, all of his old contacts are either retired or dead. Willy's American Dream was ruined by all of these things, and they will no doubt highlight the themes in this play.
1. It’s interesting how in the first few scenes there’s already an air of something wrong surrounding Willy. He says “Biff is a lazy bum!” and then a few moments later says “There’s on thing about Biff - he’s not lazy” (16) Similarly, he later says “ Chevrolet, Linda, is the greatest car ever built” (34). Soon after, he says “that goddam Chevrolet, they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car!” (36) And the way he “absolutely forgot [he] was driving” and how he said he “went on again- and five minutes later [he was] dreamin’ again” (14) Willy’s actions are very concerning. He gets very excited about something one minute, and the next he’s angry and criticizing himself or others. When he looks back in time to when Happy and Biff were teenagers, he tells them how successful he is and he tells his wife he “did five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred in Boston,” when in actuality he only made “roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip,” (35). He tells his kids what a great salesman he is, but later he tells his wife that he jokes and talks to much and looks to foolish to be a respectable salesman. He’s overly confident one minute and very self-conscious the next. There is definitely something off about Willy.
2. One of the lines that particularly jumped out at me was “I don’t want a change!” (17) said by Willy. I found this interesting and the few lines after it, when Willy talked about how “they should’ve had a law against apartment houses” and how he just wants Swiss cheese opposed to whipped American, because I think that Willy is afraid of change. He seems to always be reminiscing about the past when his sons clearly idolized him and when he gave of the air of success. I think since this is post-World War Two, there was a lot of change in American socially and economically, and Willy is an example of the older generation who couldn’t handle the great amount of changes and he is just not susceptible to these changes.
Miller sets up The Loman family in a classic light, with the two brothers reminiscent of there days as children, and a father who cannot accept that his business is going downhill. Even though I am only into page 37, I can tell that this is an american dream novel. There is a lot of commentary on a family as a unit, and the inner workings of each character or figure. It is obvious that the two sons still adore their father, even to this day. The way they are seen spying on their father and mother's conversation when they are supposed to be sleeping makes them very childish to me, even if they are 34 years old. I get a very Tom buchanan like aura about Biff, the way his glory days are over, and all he has left is to look back on them wishing he could be in that time again. Happy seems to have great potential, but he is held back by his brother and his family situation. Linda plays a classic wife role so far, staying calm even when her husband is falsely accusing her out of anger.
The line that jumped out of me was just that, when Willy is set off by what cheese Linda buys. "Why Do you get American when I like Swiss? Linda: I thought you'd like a change- Willy: I don't want a change, I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?" (16-17) This exchange really hit home for me, showing that Willy is a broken, declining salesman. He is unhappy with his life, and he even results to yelling at his wife about which cheese to choose from. It starts to shape the dysfunctional form of the family; they squabble over petty things because of stress and unhappiness. Im interested to see if the title of this play holds true, and what kind of implications and repercussions that will have on the Loman family.
1. I'm very cautious going into this book because I've heard so many times that it is horribly tragic and the classic "death of the American Dream", which is never a happy thing. So far, I feel like the hardest thing the characters face is being lost. They don't really know where they stand economically, but they don't know where they really want to be at the end of the day. Meaning, they're working to make ends meet at the end of each week, and so they do not look any farther into the future. The characters battle with what they want, what they need, and what people expect of them. These are hard things to balance. The dialog in this play is very profound and insightful, but I don't think the characters themselves benefit from the conversations taking place. This is very unfortunate, since they're the ones who need to analyze these scenes the most. 2. Like Alex, many lines stuck out to me. The most poignant line for me was when Biff told Happy, "...it's a measly manner of existence...To suffer fifty weeks for the sake of a two week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors...And always have to get ahead of the next fella. And still-- that's how you build a future"(22). Much of the play so far has been asking the question of how to live you life to the fullest. Is it to make the most money or is it to do what you love? The play offers no compromise. There is hope in that Biff could by a ranch, therefore making something of himself and not wasting his life away. What does that mean to be wasting your life away? Is money and property the only evidence of a productive life? To these characters the answer is yes, but I think that Miller is telling the audience that this is not true.
1. This play seems to already be taking a rather depressing turn. We can already sense the tragic character that is Willy. Everything about the book is pointing towards some horrible future. Willy, a temperamental, occasionally cruel, insensitive, and slightly senile sixty-year-old man. Biff, who seems to have no idea of what to do with himself. And Happy, who, although seemingly successful, seems to be digging himself a deeper and deeper whole among his colleagues. Each character has enormous flaws. Overall it, so far, seems like it lives up to it's title as a great american novel if the depth of character is any indicator. Each character already has an in depth background, and is fully three dimensional. Money has already shown itself to be an important factor of this story as well. It seems that one of the driving aspects of the novel is the financial worry that is taking place both with Willy and with Biff. Overall, as Cam said, this novel is setting itself up to be a novel dealing closely with the American dream
2. The quote that really jumped out at me was when Willy claimed, "I was thinking of the Chevvy. Nineteen twenty-eight... When I had that red Chevvy." Not only does this quote foreshadow the time switch that occurs some pages later, it also shows the fragility that is Willy's mind. For some reason Willy is getting caught up in the past, he spends the rest of the reading talking alone, but directing his comments towards Biff. It is clear that Willy is dangerously confused, and his belief that he had been driving a car he had owned some years before is not a good sign.
I agree with what you said in your second answer, I think its interesting that he starts off his dialogue at the beginning of the play by talking about how his dreams have taken over his thoughts about reality. He is consumed by ideals, like his sons, and doesn't live in the present.
1. The start to this play is a little bit depressing. Through this reading everyone is looking back to the way things could have been. Biff seemed to have everything going for him but now he is lost. Willy has worked hard all his life for no reward. Willy worries that his son will end up living like him. In the flashback to the time when Biff and Happy were in high school Willy acted like the world was his oyster to his sons. He would tell them stories of all the respect he demanded and all the work he accomplished. He wanted his sons to believe that they could succeed. Biff was always put in the spotlight and Happy was put off to the side. Now, Willy can't stop having conversations with the Biff that is not around anymore. Willy invested all of his hope for a better future in Biff and now he is just let down. Happy and Linda are just stuck in the middle of the situation with nowhere to go. Willy is still traveling America hoping to get that one big deal. He can't even stay on the road anymore. Everyone in this book is lost on the path to finding his or her American Dream.
2. There were definitely a lot of quotes that stood out to me. One quote that stood out to me was from the Willy's flashback to the family's life when Happy and Biff were in high school. Happy was desperate for his father's attention. He says, "I'm losing weight, you notice Pop?"(29 and 33). He says this twice. Biff got a lot more attention when he and Happy were younger. Biff was the captain of the football team, he had three offers for scholarship, and girls were head over heals for him. Happy had to watch from the sidelines. When he asks Willy about his weight the first time Willy gives an off-handed comment about how he could jump rope too. Then a conversation with Biff preoccupied him. The second time he says it Linda comes in and his comment is forgotten. In the time that the story is set Happy is still on the sidelines. Even though Willy isn't exactly complimenting Biff anymore he still leaves Happy out. Happy is in business and working hard. All Happy wanted was a little attention from his father.
1. The start to this play is definitely foreshadowing a bleak future for each character. I really feel for Biff because he is what any teenager would hate to grow up to be. It is so sad that he had so much potential in high school and that just disappeared later in life. It must be terrible for Biff to have the feeling that he has disappointed Willy and will never live up to his expectations. I do not see this as a happy play at all. Willy is seemingly depressed and going a little crazy, Linda is trapped in the everyday house wife life, and both Happy and Biff started with all the potential in the world and lost it. I definitely agree with Elizabeth in that everyone is lost on the path to finding their american dream. It is the perfect explanation for this play. This play starts out in exactly the opposite manner as The Great Gatsby. I feel like in GG, we started out with this idealized and beautiful society where everything is seemingly perfect but Death of a Salesman provides an immediate realistic and somewhat depressing start.
2. I think the most important scene is where Bernard is constantly pestering Biff to study and says " Biff, I heard Mr. Birnbaum say that if you don't start studying' math he's gonna flunk you, and you won't graduate." It wasn't surprising to me that Biff completely ignored Bernard's pleas but it was terribly that Willy even ignored him. Because of this, it is also Willy's fault that his son hasn't succeeded in life because being hot and good at sports isn't going to get you shit in the long run, hard work is.
Good responses all! You've already picked up on the thematic threads the play—not novel—presents. Success; failure; personal dreams; societal dreams; family; it's all here in one big messy drama. Christine and Cam mention Linda, a character easily lost in the raging testosterone of the men, her husband and sons. But she is crucial here. One of the questions the play presents is how did this family get this way? It's not just because of the men. And Alex immediately brings up the specter of that great American archetype, the cowboy, and its role in the whole idea of the American Dream and American manhood. It's much the same as Fitzgerald evoking the Dutch sailors, a device to get us to see the story as not merely being about the present. And Jenny's point about the fact this is a post WWII drama is valuable. This is the beginning of what we know as the Baby Boom era, the beginning of the ascent of America as a global economic power. So where is the economic boom in this play? And as always, what is the price of attaining that boom?
1. So far I think that the Loman family seems to be like any other family would be in a post war era. Everyone seems a little lost and confused, especially the boys, but also Willy does too. And Linda Loman is trying to keep everyone sane and grounded and trying to keep the family together but you can feel the strain through the play. I like the flashbacks a lot because I like seeing that contrast between the then and now. I think it also allows the audience to see the changes that the characters have undergone in terms of energy, liveliness, the way that their lives were so simple back then. I also liked seeing how Happy and Biff acted around their father when they were younger, competing for his attention and saying “I’ve lost weight have you noticed?” and “Coach let me take the football home to practice”. It really highlights a long lost youth and a time when ignorance was bliss. Like Anna said, I’ve heard it’s really sad and even the title gives off the impression that it won’t all finish with a happy ending, but I think that’s what is going to make it a more realistic and accurate play.
2. The line that stood out for me was when Happy and Biff were talking in their bedroom and Happy says, “Yeah, but when he walks into the store the waves part in front of him. That’s 52 thousand dollars a year coming through the revolving door, and I got more in my pinky finger than he’s got in his head” (24). I think a lot of adults have those moments when they realize that they are far more qualified than their superiors to do a job. But also I think this realization is going to set the tone for some very unequal moments in the play in terms of who gets to be in charge and why. Like how Willy could have run New York by now but his old boss gave his job to his son, who isn’t experience and doesn’t know the trade as well as Willy does. I think this kind of realization and understanding is also a theme that has been around for many years and is still very noticeable in modern times as well.
1. I think that it’s really interesting to examine the positions that each of these characters is in. First of all, it’s clear that nobody is really happy. The flashback to when Biff was in high school are pretty funny considering what we already know about their futures. It’s clear that Willy was already struggling back then. He confesses to his wife that he basically feels like a failure, and yet moments before he encouraged Biff to become exactly like him. Willy was probably “well-liked” back in school and he’s now in a pretty bad position. Despite this, he encourages Biff to focus on being well-liked rather than doing well in school. In that flashback, Biff has his childish views about how things will turn out and Willy does nothing to correct him. It’s probably safe to assume that he didn’t end up doing well in that math class. Now, Biff is completely lost and Willy is going crazy in addition to having career trouble. Not even Happy is happy. He’s accomplished the American Dream to more of an extent than anyone else, but he knows that the path he’s on will never fulfill him. Not much insight is given into Linda, but she can obviously see what direction everyone is headed in. She must be worried. On the surface everything seems to be okay; they have a house and a car, Happy is on the way to having a good career, and Biff is at least making enough money to live. Yet underneath, nothing is really going the way they want it to. 2. What stood out to me the most was Will’s speech to Bernard about his future. “Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y’understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him”(33). What makes this so hilarious is that Willy himself knows at that very moment that it’s not enough to be well liked. Like I said in my first answer, Willy was probably popular in school and the early days of his career. But whatever appeal he had back then has faded. Willy is still clinging to this hope that being the guy with the winning smile will get him (and Biff) far enough in life. We know that Willy knows the truth because he confesses his failures to his wife, but he can’t bring himself to let Biff in on it. He should be riding Biff to get his grades up; instead he laughs at the tutor. In the end he ends up mad at Biff even though he was at least part of the reason Biff failed.
Great post, Sohail. Indeed, the question you hint at here is crucial to our understanding of the play and Willy. Willy knows the truth, but he can't express it to Biff. And we ask, "Why?"
1. It is interesting to see how this play began by introducing problems rather quickly. It didn't take long for me to see that this family is very lost and that they are trying to find meaning to their lives. I find it interesting how Willy tells Linda that Biff needs to get his head together when he is the one that is losing it. In the other hand, I can understand how Willy is a character to who many people can relate. In my opinion, he is a person who wants to succeed for his family but just can't get it right. The fact that he wants Biff to find a job tells me that he doesn't want him to be a failure or unhappy like he is.
2. Like I said before, Willy works very hard for his family. " Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there's nobody to life in it" (15), this line makes me realize that Willy has been working hard for most of his life. I can understand that he is frustrated because he work hard for this house (which is not a great house but a house none the less)and he can't enjoy it. I also realize that is working for his family and not only for himself. This scene also makes me think that Willy believes that his family does not appreciate what he does. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems the family suffers.
1. While I was reading this, this story reminded me so much of a play I saw called On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson, and the story of an older man and his family and how they all learn to cope with aging, which in both plays, is hardest for the older man of the family. Also, Willie Loman reminds me so much of my own grandfather, who suffers from early stages of Alzheimer’s, in their same mood swings from cantankerous and curmudgeonly to nostalgic and dreamlike. I think that this book has an extremely grey beginning, and there really seems to be nothing that can bring this book into a lighter place without seeming ridiculous. To me, this book also makes me think about the American Dream and how it is as one gets older or watches your family/parents grow older around you. 2. What has stood out to me the most is how much Willy tries to be Superman for his sons, especially Biff, and how it’s pretty far from the truth that he tells his wife. “Be liked and you will never want. You take me, for instance. I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. ‘Willy Loman is here!’ That’s all they have to know, and I go right though.” (33). This is what he tells to Biff, when telling him that all a man needs to do in the business world is be well-liked and you will get what you want, similar to how Daisy felt about how girls should just be dumb little fools and life will treat them well. When Willy is talking to his wife Linda about how he feels he actually is. “You know, the trouble is, Linda, poepole don’t seem to take to me….I know it when I walk in. They seem to laugh at me… I don’t know the reason for it, but they just pass me by. I’m not noticed” (36). This is the exact opposite of what he just told his son Biff about how well people treat him when it comes to business. Part of me thinks that he lies to his son mostly so his son looks up to him and thinks of him as his hero, not some loser old dad, which may be how Willy feels about himself.
I definitely like the book so far. I love the way that each of the characters are introduced through the dialogue, how you pick up on every character's backgrounds and specific stories at different points of the play. All of the background and basic information is not just simply stated at the beginning as is the case with many novels. In many ways the play feels like a puzzle that has to be put together piece by piece. Another thing that I really love about this play from the first reading is how it does not start directly at the beginning of Willy and Susan's story or lives together. The play does not begin with the positive note that their lives used to have, with their hopes and dreams for themselves and for their two sons Biff and Happy. The play begins more negatively, with Willy struggling and his son Biff, who had so much potential, struggling as well. It begins with the struggle and then shows the potential of the family, the hopes and dreams that used to be deemed reachable, to put the emphasis of the play not necessarily on the specific hopes and dreams, but on the fact that they have not succeeded in obtaining them when they had everything going for them.
The lines that I think best define the book so far are the ones when Willy is hallucinating about when Biff and Happy were boys. "Bernard can get the best marks in school, y'understand, but when he gets out in the business world, you are going to be five times ahead of him. Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead," (Act 1, pg 33). These lines really define the play in that they blatantly put the focus on a goal that is based on financial success. From what I have read so far, everything is focused on jobs, on getting money. It is all that Willy cares about, and it has changed Biff from a very confident young man to someone who is struggling to find a way. As well as the focus on finance, the play so far is focused on appearance, on how your life looks to others and how you appear. Willy stresses that he is not taken seriously when his clients and people he sells to see him, and there is big stress on his two son's attractiveness, and how ultimately that should be to their advantage with everything they do financially.
I like the book so far because it keeps me intrigued and it moves along pretty fast. I can't seem to relate to it yet, but the dialogue makes it seem alive all the time. For the most part there is clarity in everything and not much of a mystery but my one complaint is the random transition! All of a sudden the dialogue goes from Happy and Biff going to sleep to the next scene where they act as the perfect "cereal commercial" American family. Saying things like "gee" or "Oh, Pop!" I don't understand this very well but my idea is that maybe it's a flashback of Willy's memories or what Willy actually thinks is going on. Willy talks to himself as if he were hallucinating a scene, so he may be coping with the absence of his son by pretending everything is perfect. I'm hopeful to see where this book takes me to.
I think a moment that clearly shows what the book will be about is when Biff asks Happy, "'You're a succes, aren't you? Are you content?'/Happy: Hell, no!'"(23) . I think this moment shows clearly how even though he lives the american dream he isn't happy. So sometimes what others perceive as perfection, isn't enough for others. And the fact that Happy would say hell in his phrase rather than just no shows he's way far from being content. Again, this is ironic because his name is Happy. It's clear why he isn't happy because he doesn't have anything/one with substance in his life. He only uses woman as objects of pleasure, but neither loves or is loved by any. I think the journey of the book will be about Happy and Biff finding something great after the death of a salesman. Perhaps they become humble about their lives and end up finally content.
1) I really enjoyed the distinctions between each character. From the crazy and fading Willy to the idealist Biff, Miller does a great job of introducing the family and all of its elements. The most interesting part, to me, was that the entire family works around Willy, despite the fact that Willy is the most dysfunctional character in the play. Linda is a hardworking and loving mother, and Biff and Happy are both full of life and hope for the future. It is very clear that we will be witnessing the demise of Willy, both in the obvious bluntness of the title and in the signs of mental erosion in conversation. I’m looking forward to reading further.
2) “I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts” (14). This quote stuck out to me because it is the only time in the reading where we witness Willy acknowledging the decline of his memory. He is consumed by his own thoughts, dreaming about the beauty of the nature surrounding him and oblivious to the fact that he is losing control of his car. Willy is kind of amused by this, he likes the fact that his imagination has taken over the harshness of reality. He is slowly fading away from reality, yet he doesn’t mind it.
1. I like the book so far. Like a lot of other people said, it's clear that it will be a sad story. The play opens with Willy talking about how he can't drive anymore. Willy seems like a very stubborn character, but also very driven. Biff is similar to his father, but Willy is still not impressed by him. Their relationship is deteriorating. The family seems fairly close, and they look out for each other. I thought it was sweet how the brothers were sharing the room that they did when they were kids. However, even though there were some happy moments in the play so far, it still seemed dark overall. Things are falling apart, and I think that will only get worse. 2. The line the jumped out to me the most was "Most of the time he's talking to you" (Happy, 21). I think one of the main themes of the play is the relationship between Willy and his sons, particularly Biff. They are lacking a connection, and it seems that neither one can make the other happy anymore. In the flashback, Biff and Willy seem really close. But now Willy judges Biff, and Biff resents his dad. Neither one of them is happy with this situation, but at the same time neither will do anything to change it (at least so far).
1. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this play so far. It usually takes me a bit to get into something. It reads fast yet parts of it are confusing and slow. I like how the characters are set up. The drastic difference between Linda and Willy yet their obvious love for each other is great. The boys are fascinating characters. I'm not sure what Miller is trying to say with them quite yet but I'm assuming that will come as I read further. Overall, so far, I feel a bit underwhelmed. I feel like this will change as I get more into it.
2. The line that I think best shows what the book will be about (without having read the book) is when Willy says, "Be liked and you will never want." He stresses this fact over and over again to Biff. His entire occupation revolves around getting people to like him. You obviously chose this book because of some connection to the American Dream and I think this line ties into that idea. The idea that if you work hard and, in a way, buy into the American system, you will never want. This line os broad enough to encompass all aspects of the characters' lives yet just narrow enough to tie into Willy's job and the situation Biff and Happy are both in.
1. I have read this play quite recently before and realize how much tragedy is already shown in this first reading. I see Willy as a broken man. He is trapped in the past and cannot move on with his life. Things are falling apart in his life that he can't control. His life is changing which clearly upsets him: "I don't want change!" (17). He had so much confidence for his boys while they were young but we not see Biff has disgraced the family and Happy is unhappy with his life. I enjoy the mental state of the characters, which seems to clearly be deteriorating for Willy personally. The play is very interesting and I can't wait to dig deeper into the way this family deals with the elephant in the room. 2. I thought a great foreshadowing line came from Willy: "Suddenly I realize I'm goin' sixty miles an hour and I don't remember the last five minutes. I'm--I can't seem to--keep my mind to it" (13). This line struck me as the beginning of a harsh road for Willy. He himself tell us that his mind is slowly leaving him. Later we hear Willy have an entire conversation with himself and his imagination. I enjoyed this line because it shows the struggle the family must deal with in the future.
1. I like this book a lot so far. Immediately I'm drawn into an obviously dysfunctional family structure. Clearly there's some tension between Willy and Linda and also between Willy and Biff. I'm most curious about the father-son dynamics in this family. I really like that the author starts off with where the family is currently and then takes us back to show us the contrast of what they were. It's clear that Biff and Willy specifically are the most disillusioned by their lives. Both seem to have suffered a lot of what Tom suffered from, having their greatest moments in the past. Biff (I'm assuming) never got to accept any of the football scholarships he was offered, and Willy, once a great salesman, can't even remember the past 5 minutes of his drive home. And it seems that Willy is taking out his anger from his own defeats on Biff because he knows Biff can do bigger and better things than what he is doing now. This tough parent-child dynamic is similar to a lot of our lives in that a lot of our parents' american dreams is for their children to have more and to be more than them.
2. When Willy says, "Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such-personal attractiveness, gets lost" I was struck. This line just furthers our discussion on what does all of this mean? What is success? Biff who is an all-star, all-american boy who is a great kid and a hard worker still feels "lost." If the ideal candidate for success feels lost then what hope is there for the rest of us? If he can't find success then I guess the average people are just lost causes. Just because you've got what should be a perfect life doesn't mean it's satisfying.
1. I am still unsure about how I feel about this play, but it definitely keeps me wanting to read more.I think I just feel a little unsure about this play, because I'm a little confused about what's going on, but I like that Miller just throws us right into the story, because it kept me curious. And I love the description/introduction of the house. I also like how Miller shows the characters through the dialogue. I can already see the personalities and characteristics of Willy, Linda, Happy, and Biff. All the characters are different. I'm excited to see what's going to happen. 2. I really like this quote: "I tell ya, Hap, I don't know what the future is. I don't know--what I'm supposed to want." I think it shows Biff's uncertainty and undetermined future, but it also depicts maybe Miller's idea of the American Dream. The future isn't always certain even if you may have this American Dream. I also think this shows maybe why Willy is so hard on Biff and pushes him. Willy wants Biff to achieve the American Dream. Willy doesn't think Biff is fighting for the american dream. What Willy thinks Biff is "supposed" to want is the American Dream, a future, a family, and wealth.
I came into the play having some pre-conceptions about it from popular culture, but so far I find it interesting to read- not happy (in stark contrast to the name of the character, and perhaps this is intentional), but interesting. I think that on a scale of the Brady bunch to the Wingfields, the Loman family is definitely trending towards the Tennesee Williams dysfunctionality. The fact that two grown men are sharing their childhood bedroom with each other begs consideration of their scorn and disdain for Bernard, who perhaps has found "success" in the world, as it is disparaged by Biff: "To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation." It sounds like a central theme of the play will be success.
"Be liked and you will never want." These words could well have come out of the pen of Nick Carroway as the mouth of Willy Loman. What makes this line a bit more unsettling for me is that Mr. Loman has spent a good deal of his life being a salesman, which means that people had to like him for him to earn money, to make commission. It is perhaps good advice, but should be prefaced or followed with a few words about integrity or a good work ethic. He also utters these words right after shooing Bernard, who raises concerns about Biff's grades, back across the street. It seems that Willy thinks that football is the only thing Biff needs to succeed.
So far, much of the dialogue has commented on some pretty serious topics. It's a rich play, and I really enjoy that. I feel like the conversation between Biff and Happy shows their brotherly connection, and even though it is set up to make them appear youthful, them seem wise to a certain extent. Their are able to recognize their unhappiness and lack of direction. That feeling of being lost is especially important because I think that Willy is lost more-so than Happy or Biff. Willy has had his entire life to find something, but he has only been focused on competing and being the best salesman, and making money that he hasn't really had a chance to live. It is interesting to note that his mumblings are about his real memories, of things that had real emotions. Biff actually, may be the least lost one because he knows not what he wants, but what feels good, and I personally believe that that is all you can know.
"No, with a ranch I could do the work I like and still be something" (Biff). This line really says so much about Biff's character, but also most likely the commentary of American society. People are expected to do a certain thing but love is rarely taken into consideration. It's clear that Biff enjoys working on a farm, regardless of the pay, and the reputation being a farmer has. Of course, he is so heavily influenced by outside sources that he doubts himself and his life choice, and is never fully able to feel secure in his career.
I like the book so far. I can tell right now that it will have a lot to do with the main theme of our class, the American Dream. The conversations, already, are talking about ideas we saw and thought about from Gatsby, like what are we fighting for? Why are we working our asses off for a house that nobody is enjoying and nobody is really living life in? Already this book is questioning the American Dream, if it is worth it, and what is really is. I think this will be a good book for our topic, because this is a real working man, not like Gatsby or even Hart. He is out there for his family everyday trying to make a commission so he can prove to his family that he is working hard. Already we are seeing a bad, or frustrating commentary of the American Dream, and how it can stress people out. One quote that stuck out to me is, "You and Hap and I, and I’ll show you all the towns. America is full of beautiful towns and fine, upstanding people. And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England. The finest people. And when I bring you fellas up, there’ll be open sesame for all of us, ‘cause one thing, boys: I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own. This summer, heh?" I think this is a perfect representation of what Willy wants to show the boys is the American Dream. He talks to the boys with such showiness and gives them only the best sides of all of his travels, but afterword we see the truth. He is trying to hard to prove to his boys that he is a good dad, and that he is one worth admiring. That he is perfect, But in reality he is struggling. He has spent so much time trying to serve for his family, he is literally going crazy in a way. I think this quote compares how he used to be and how he is now, and the effects that his job and pressure has had on him.
1. I'm still not sure how exactly I feel about this play. I too can tell it pertains a lot to our subject of study, the American Dream. We see Biff who wants to leave, and Happy and Willy who want to be successful. Happy says it himself, that he is working and doing well, but no happy or content. It was a little boring in the beginning, but I am still interested in this book.
2. The lines that really kinda jumped out at me came from when Biff and Happy are talking with each other. Biff says, "I've always made a point of not wasting my life, and everytime I come back here I know that all I've done is to waste my life." Biff is expressing his frustration at the future and his inability to change his course. He never seems to be in the right job and is unhappy. I picked this line because I just thought it was interesting.
The reading was interesting to read but like some people said I was also a bit confused wondering when the topic of he conversation went. Like Emma mentioned I can tell there is fustration shown by Willy. He comments on his efforts and if they are worth all his hard work. I also enjoyed the description at the beginning of the play and how it opens p with a flute playing a melody "of grass and trees and the horizon."
(I just realized everything I wrote earlier didn't paste on here since I did it on mobile) This line reminded me of Biff and the farm he works on and how he enjoys it but always ends up returning home looking for himself and the purpose to his life. He feels like a little boy playing with horses and feels he should have a stable job and married. He also feels like his father is disappointed in him with all his remarks and mumbles. Willy is also an interesting character because in a way he has achieved the American Dream, yet he is not happy and is still lonely. Happy's response to Biff's question is he is content was what struck out to me the most. I kinda agree with him on his view of having everything but still being lonely or missing something in your life. Willy tells Biff, "I don't know what the hell I'm workin' for."(23). This line reminds me of the phrase "Money can't buy happiness" and I can totally see why HAppy says what he says. One works hard all their life but is never fully content with the material things. Its like in The Paper Chase, one needs friends and people to talk with and be there for them, or else they may not make it and end up crazy like Hart. In my opinion staying close to ones family beats being rich and having a fancy life, even though it is nice to have a decent life. I feel their is a greater wealth in being close and happy and that sharing what you have achieved is an essential part of the American Dream.
1. I like the play so far, while the characters themselves maybe not be too significant yet, the situation and plot seem that they will be interesting in the future. Only four characters have been introduced so far, yet each one is unique and seems to have their own idea of what they want to do in life. Another thing I liked about the book are the long, detailed descriptions that the author puts in. Like the part at the beginning, which set the scene. I also think that this book will be very different from the other two books we read because so far, nobody seems to be especially rich or powerful. Willy is a traveling salesman who works very hard, Linda is his wife and she has "infinite patience"(5), and Biff and Happy are both hanging out at home deciding what they want to do with their lives. 2. The line that really jumped out at me was,No, it’s me, it’s me. Suddenly I realize I’m goin’ sixty miles an hour and I don’t remember the last five minutes. I’m — I can’t seem to — keep my mind to it." I'd like to say that Willy is just tired from a long day of working, but it becomes more and more obvious throughout the story that he his attention is fading more and more for every second that passes. Its really sad that he seems to be developing some kind of attention problem, but I feel like the story will center around it.
1. The opening of the book seemed to have a very creepy or foreboding feel to me. I had no idea what the book was about before I started reading it, but after reading some of these blog entries it sounds like I'm in for a depressing journey. I thought that it seemed to start out pretty slow, but I'm excited to see where the book takes me. Willy was also a pretty interesting character to me; I suspect a lot of the tragedy to come will involve him.
2. Willy was a very confusing character to me as well. At least twice he openly contradicted himself, in a way that made no sense at all. When he's talking to Linda, he says "Chevorlet is the greatest car ever built!" (34). But just two pages later he says "that god damn Chevorelet, they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car!" (36). He also has two lines about Biff that contradict each other entirely. At first he claims that "Biff is a lazy bum!" and then not even a page later he reverses his ideas about Biff, saying "There's one thing about Biff - he's not lazy" (16). It was just pretty confusing to me that Willy's core oppionion of Biff completely reversed in a matter of seconds.
1) I don't know how I feel about this play yet. I really like the characters so far though I may like the characters themselves less than I like how they all fit together to make a terribly depressing image of the American Dream. Biff represents almost everything that I am terrified of becoming. I really like that Linda is trying to help like a good house wife but regardless of what she tries to do it doesn't help because her husband is already in such a slump. This book just starts depressing and I think it's a good bet that it will continue to be depressing, and I'm not entirely sure if I really like it yet but I definitely don't dislike it, so we'll see. 2) I really like the line "and five minutes later I'm dreamin' again, and I nearly ... I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts"(14). I feel like this is a great precursor to what will, I assume, happen later in the play. I think that this puts an emphasis upon how much Willy's life is driven by his dreams and how overpowering they can be.
1. As we've already said in class, this book has started out as one of the most forthcoming examples of an American dream book. The main theme of the book seems to be work and being successful. It's a classic example of a classic low income American family, living on their hopes and dreams but never actually getting anywhere. I suspect that this book will end up expressing the futility of the American dream, and how Willy is pretty much destined to fail. 2. Willy constantly talks about a certain characteristic, which he simply calls "being well-liked". I don't know exactly what this personality is in the eyes of Willy, but I feel like its roots are deeply American. I think the person who Willy is striving to be is an American man, a man who can make his own money and support himself, along with his wife and kids. His dreams are to be successful and have enough money, and part of that definitely seems to be playing the part and being well-liked.
I really like the affectionate relationship between the brothers, Biff and Happy, and it’s sad to think that they have not been able to make it in their world yet, that they are not satisfied. Like their father, the boys realize that they are not where they would like to be in life, but they are searching for a way to change that (mostly Biff by changing jobs all the time) unlike Willy who, “[doesn’t] want a change!” (17). Because these boys have potential I wish things would work out for them, but so far the serious topics Miller has touched on in the play don’t predict a happy turnout. “Yeah. Lotta dreams and plans…Maybe I oughta get married. Maybe I oughta get stuck into something” (20&23) Biff says this when he is talking to Happy in their shared bedroom at home. Biff realizes that he has not been able to realize any of his big bright dreams for the future, and something is stopping him from it, because if he has not achieved his dream by the time spring comes around he feels like he can’t see or ever reach that light at the end of the tunnel. His second remark reminds me of The Paper Chase and Ford’s comment about finding a god woman and hanging on like hell. I think just like many of the HLS students Biff is thinking that finding a good woman will set his future, and maybe it would encourage him to stick with a job for longer than a year, but it would not ensure happiness or success which is what he is struggling with currently.
1. (My book is more compact than yours, so I read a little past the quote and have no idea where that quote is.) I seems to me that Biff is a reflection of Willy, and Willy doesn't want what happened to him happen to Biff. A parent's goal is to have their child surpass them, but Biff is on no track at the age of thirty four. Happy is on a good track, but he still isn't happy; he has his "own apartment, a car, and plenty of women", but "still, goddamn it", he's "lonely". Another thing is that Willy wants to be "well liked", but he places that as a priority over everything else, even when he was raising his children. When he was younger he was well liked, but as he grew older it became harder to become well liked with people, and now that his old connections are retired or dead, his well like-edness is worth nothing, just as his children's well like-edness will be worth nothing, unless they change their ways.
ReplyDelete2. Many lines stuck out for me, but the most defining one was Willy saying: "There's more people! That's what's ruining this country! Population is getting out of control. The competition is maddening! Smell the stink...". Willy's sons want to go west, to the great outdoors where they can use their "Adonis" like bodies to prove their worth solely through hard work and muscular prowess. Willy also talks about the tire swing, and the park, overrun by apartment houses and the "stink" of the city. The vision of an old west, cowboy life is seen as the American dream, with wide open plains where only the masculine and tough can survive. There are too many people in the country, and the competition that Willy had when he was younger is nothing compared to what it is now, and in addition to that, all of his old contacts are either retired or dead. Willy's American Dream was ruined by all of these things, and they will no doubt highlight the themes in this play.
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ReplyDelete1. It’s interesting how in the first few scenes there’s already an air of something wrong surrounding Willy. He says “Biff is a lazy bum!” and then a few moments later says “There’s on thing about Biff - he’s not lazy” (16) Similarly, he later says “ Chevrolet, Linda, is the greatest car ever built” (34). Soon after, he says “that goddam Chevrolet, they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car!” (36) And the way he “absolutely forgot [he] was driving” and how he said he “went on again- and five minutes later [he was] dreamin’ again” (14) Willy’s actions are very concerning. He gets very excited about something one minute, and the next he’s angry and criticizing himself or others. When he looks back in time to when Happy and Biff were teenagers, he tells them how successful he is and he tells his wife he “did five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred in Boston,” when in actuality he only made “roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip,” (35). He tells his kids what a great salesman he is, but later he tells his wife that he jokes and talks to much and looks to foolish to be a respectable salesman. He’s overly confident one minute and very self-conscious the next. There is definitely something off about Willy.
ReplyDelete2. One of the lines that particularly jumped out at me was “I don’t want a change!” (17) said by Willy. I found this interesting and the few lines after it, when Willy talked about how “they should’ve had a law against apartment houses” and how he just wants Swiss cheese opposed to whipped American, because I think that Willy is afraid of change. He seems to always be reminiscing about the past when his sons clearly idolized him and when he gave of the air of success. I think since this is post-World War Two, there was a lot of change in American socially and economically, and Willy is an example of the older generation who couldn’t handle the great amount of changes and he is just not susceptible to these changes.
Miller sets up The Loman family in a classic light, with the two brothers reminiscent of there days as children, and a father who cannot accept that his business is going downhill. Even though I am only into page 37, I can tell that this is an american dream novel. There is a lot of commentary on a family as a unit, and the inner workings of each character or figure. It is obvious that the two sons still adore their father, even to this day. The way they are seen spying on their father and mother's conversation when they are supposed to be sleeping makes them very childish to me, even if they are 34 years old. I get a very Tom buchanan like aura about Biff, the way his glory days are over, and all he has left is to look back on them wishing he could be in that time again. Happy seems to have great potential, but he is held back by his brother and his family situation. Linda plays a classic wife role so far, staying calm even when her husband is falsely accusing her out of anger.
ReplyDeleteThe line that jumped out of me was just that, when Willy is set off by what cheese Linda buys. "Why Do you get American when I like Swiss?
Linda: I thought you'd like a change-
Willy: I don't want a change, I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?" (16-17)
This exchange really hit home for me, showing that Willy is a broken, declining salesman. He is unhappy with his life, and he even results to yelling at his wife about which cheese to choose from. It starts to shape the dysfunctional form of the family; they squabble over petty things because of stress and unhappiness. Im interested to see if the title of this play holds true, and what kind of implications and repercussions that will have on the Loman family.
1. I'm very cautious going into this book because I've heard so many times that it is horribly tragic and the classic "death of the American Dream", which is never a happy thing. So far, I feel like the hardest thing the characters face is being lost. They don't really know where they stand economically, but they don't know where they really want to be at the end of the day. Meaning, they're working to make ends meet at the end of each week, and so they do not look any farther into the future. The characters battle with what they want, what they need, and what people expect of them. These are hard things to balance. The dialog in this play is very profound and insightful, but I don't think the characters themselves benefit from the conversations taking place. This is very unfortunate, since they're the ones who need to analyze these scenes the most.
ReplyDelete2. Like Alex, many lines stuck out to me. The most poignant line for me was when Biff told Happy, "...it's a measly manner of existence...To suffer fifty weeks for the sake of a two week vacation, when all you really desire is to be outdoors...And always have to get ahead of the next fella. And still-- that's how you build a future"(22). Much of the play so far has been asking the question of how to live you life to the fullest. Is it to make the most money or is it to do what you love? The play offers no compromise. There is hope in that Biff could by a ranch, therefore making something of himself and not wasting his life away. What does that mean to be wasting your life away? Is money and property the only evidence of a productive life? To these characters the answer is yes, but I think that Miller is telling the audience that this is not true.
1. This play seems to already be taking a rather depressing turn. We can already sense the tragic character that is Willy. Everything about the book is pointing towards some horrible future. Willy, a temperamental, occasionally cruel, insensitive, and slightly senile sixty-year-old man. Biff, who seems to have no idea of what to do with himself. And Happy, who, although seemingly successful, seems to be digging himself a deeper and deeper whole among his colleagues. Each character has enormous flaws. Overall it, so far, seems like it lives up to it's title as a great american novel if the depth of character is any indicator. Each character already has an in depth background, and is fully three dimensional. Money has already shown itself to be an important factor of this story as well. It seems that one of the driving aspects of the novel is the financial worry that is taking place both with Willy and with Biff. Overall, as Cam said, this novel is setting itself up to be a novel dealing closely with the American dream
ReplyDelete2. The quote that really jumped out at me was when Willy claimed, "I was thinking of the Chevvy. Nineteen twenty-eight... When I had that red Chevvy." Not only does this quote foreshadow the time switch that occurs some pages later, it also shows the fragility that is Willy's mind. For some reason Willy is getting caught up in the past, he spends the rest of the reading talking alone, but directing his comments towards Biff. It is clear that Willy is dangerously confused, and his belief that he had been driving a car he had owned some years before is not a good sign.
I agree with what you said in your second answer, I think its interesting that he starts off his dialogue at the beginning of the play by talking about how his dreams have taken over his thoughts about reality. He is consumed by ideals, like his sons, and doesn't live in the present.
Delete1. The start to this play is a little bit depressing. Through this reading everyone is looking back to the way things could have been. Biff seemed to have everything going for him but now he is lost. Willy has worked hard all his life for no reward. Willy worries that his son will end up living like him. In the flashback to the time when Biff and Happy were in high school Willy acted like the world was his oyster to his sons. He would tell them stories of all the respect he demanded and all the work he accomplished. He wanted his sons to believe that they could succeed. Biff was always put in the spotlight and Happy was put off to the side. Now, Willy can't stop having conversations with the Biff that is not around anymore. Willy invested all of his hope for a better future in Biff and now he is just let down. Happy and Linda are just stuck in the middle of the situation with nowhere to go. Willy is still traveling America hoping to get that one big deal. He can't even stay on the road anymore. Everyone in this book is lost on the path to finding his or her American Dream.
ReplyDelete2. There were definitely a lot of quotes that stood out to me. One quote that stood out to me was from the Willy's flashback to the family's life when Happy and Biff were in high school. Happy was desperate for his father's attention. He says, "I'm losing weight, you notice Pop?"(29 and 33). He says this twice. Biff got a lot more attention when he and Happy were younger. Biff was the captain of the football team, he had three offers for scholarship, and girls were head over heals for him. Happy had to watch from the sidelines. When he asks Willy about his weight the first time Willy gives an off-handed comment about how he could jump rope too. Then a conversation with Biff preoccupied him. The second time he says it Linda comes in and his comment is forgotten. In the time that the story is set Happy is still on the sidelines. Even though Willy isn't exactly complimenting Biff anymore he still leaves Happy out. Happy is in business and working hard. All Happy wanted was a little attention from his father.
1. The start to this play is definitely foreshadowing a bleak future for each character. I really feel for Biff because he is what any teenager would hate to grow up to be. It is so sad that he had so much potential in high school and that just disappeared later in life. It must be terrible for Biff to have the feeling that he has disappointed Willy and will never live up to his expectations. I do not see this as a happy play at all. Willy is seemingly depressed and going a little crazy, Linda is trapped in the everyday house wife life, and both Happy and Biff started with all the potential in the world and lost it. I definitely agree with Elizabeth in that everyone is lost on the path to finding their american dream. It is the perfect explanation for this play. This play starts out in exactly the opposite manner as The Great Gatsby. I feel like in GG, we started out with this idealized and beautiful society where everything is seemingly perfect but Death of a Salesman provides an immediate
ReplyDeleterealistic and somewhat depressing start.
2. I think the most important scene is where Bernard is constantly pestering Biff to study and says " Biff, I heard Mr. Birnbaum say that if you don't start studying' math he's gonna flunk you, and you won't graduate." It wasn't surprising to me that Biff completely ignored Bernard's pleas but it was terribly that Willy even ignored him. Because of this, it is also Willy's fault that his son hasn't succeeded in life because being hot and good at sports isn't going to get you shit in the long run, hard work is.
Good responses all! You've already picked up on the thematic threads the play—not novel—presents. Success; failure; personal dreams; societal dreams; family; it's all here in one big messy drama. Christine and Cam mention Linda, a character easily lost in the raging testosterone of the men, her husband and sons. But she is crucial here. One of the questions the play presents is how did this family get this way? It's not just because of the men. And Alex immediately brings up the specter of that great American archetype, the cowboy, and its role in the whole idea of the American Dream and American manhood. It's much the same as Fitzgerald evoking the Dutch sailors, a device to get us to see the story as not merely being about the present. And Jenny's point about the fact this is a post WWII drama is valuable. This is the beginning of what we know as the Baby Boom era, the beginning of the ascent of America as a global economic power. So where is the economic boom in this play? And as always, what is the price of attaining that boom?
ReplyDelete1. So far I think that the Loman family seems to be like any other family would be in a post war era. Everyone seems a little lost and confused, especially the boys, but also Willy does too. And Linda Loman is trying to keep everyone sane and grounded and trying to keep the family together but you can feel the strain through the play. I like the flashbacks a lot because I like seeing that contrast between the then and now. I think it also allows the audience to see the changes that the characters have undergone in terms of energy, liveliness, the way that their lives were so simple back then. I also liked seeing how Happy and Biff acted around their father when they were younger, competing for his attention and saying “I’ve lost weight have you noticed?” and “Coach let me take the football home to practice”. It really highlights a long lost youth and a time when ignorance was bliss. Like Anna said, I’ve heard it’s really sad and even the title gives off the impression that it won’t all finish with a happy ending, but I think that’s what is going to make it a more realistic and accurate play.
ReplyDelete2. The line that stood out for me was when Happy and Biff were talking in their bedroom and Happy says, “Yeah, but when he walks into the store the waves part in front of him. That’s 52 thousand dollars a year coming through the revolving door, and I got more in my pinky finger than he’s got in his head” (24). I think a lot of adults have those moments when they realize that they are far more qualified than their superiors to do a job. But also I think this realization is going to set the tone for some very unequal moments in the play in terms of who gets to be in charge and why. Like how Willy could have run New York by now but his old boss gave his job to his son, who isn’t experience and doesn’t know the trade as well as Willy does. I think this kind of realization and understanding is also a theme that has been around for many years and is still very noticeable in modern times as well.
1. I think that it’s really interesting to examine the positions that each of these characters is in. First of all, it’s clear that nobody is really happy. The flashback to when Biff was in high school are pretty funny considering what we already know about their futures. It’s clear that Willy was already struggling back then. He confesses to his wife that he basically feels like a failure, and yet moments before he encouraged Biff to become exactly like him. Willy was probably “well-liked” back in school and he’s now in a pretty bad position. Despite this, he encourages Biff to focus on being well-liked rather than doing well in school. In that flashback, Biff has his childish views about how things will turn out and Willy does nothing to correct him. It’s probably safe to assume that he didn’t end up doing well in that math class. Now, Biff is completely lost and Willy is going crazy in addition to having career trouble. Not even Happy is happy. He’s accomplished the American Dream to more of an extent than anyone else, but he knows that the path he’s on will never fulfill him. Not much insight is given into Linda, but she can obviously see what direction everyone is headed in. She must be worried. On the surface everything seems to be okay; they have a house and a car, Happy is on the way to having a good career, and Biff is at least making enough money to live. Yet underneath, nothing is really going the way they want it to.
ReplyDelete2. What stood out to me the most was Will’s speech to Bernard about his future. “Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but when he gets out in the business world, y’understand, you are going to be five times ahead of him”(33). What makes this so hilarious is that Willy himself knows at that very moment that it’s not enough to be well liked. Like I said in my first answer, Willy was probably popular in school and the early days of his career. But whatever appeal he had back then has faded. Willy is still clinging to this hope that being the guy with the winning smile will get him (and Biff) far enough in life. We know that Willy knows the truth because he confesses his failures to his wife, but he can’t bring himself to let Biff in on it. He should be riding Biff to get his grades up; instead he laughs at the tutor. In the end he ends up mad at Biff even though he was at least part of the reason Biff failed.
Great post, Sohail. Indeed, the question you hint at here is crucial to our understanding of the play and Willy. Willy knows the truth, but he can't express it to Biff. And we ask, "Why?"
Delete1. It is interesting to see how this play began by introducing problems rather quickly. It didn't take long for me to see that this family is very lost and that they are trying to find meaning to their lives. I find it interesting how Willy tells Linda that Biff needs to get his head together when he is the one that is losing it. In the other hand, I can understand how Willy is a character to who many people can relate. In my opinion, he is a person who wants to succeed for his family but just can't get it right. The fact that he wants Biff to find a job tells me that he doesn't want him to be a failure or unhappy like he is.
ReplyDelete2. Like I said before, Willy works very hard for his family. " Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there's nobody to life in it" (15), this line makes me realize that Willy has been working hard for most of his life. I can understand that he is frustrated because he work hard for this house (which is not a great house but a house none the less)and he can't enjoy it. I also realize that is working for his family and not only for himself. This scene also makes me think that Willy believes that his family does not appreciate what he does. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems the family suffers.
ReplyDelete1. While I was reading this, this story reminded me so much of a play I saw called On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson, and the story of an older man and his family and how they all learn to cope with aging, which in both plays, is hardest for the older man of the family. Also, Willie Loman reminds me so much of my own grandfather, who suffers from early stages of Alzheimer’s, in their same mood swings from cantankerous and curmudgeonly to nostalgic and dreamlike. I think that this book has an extremely grey beginning, and there really seems to be nothing that can bring this book into a lighter place without seeming ridiculous. To me, this book also makes me think about the American Dream and how it is as one gets older or watches your family/parents grow older around you.
2. What has stood out to me the most is how much Willy tries to be Superman for his sons, especially Biff, and how it’s pretty far from the truth that he tells his wife. “Be liked and you will never want. You take me, for instance. I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. ‘Willy Loman is here!’ That’s all they have to know, and I go right though.” (33). This is what he tells to Biff, when telling him that all a man needs to do in the business world is be well-liked and you will get what you want, similar to how Daisy felt about how girls should just be dumb little fools and life will treat them well. When Willy is talking to his wife Linda about how he feels he actually is. “You know, the trouble is, Linda, poepole don’t seem to take to me….I know it when I walk in. They seem to laugh at me… I don’t know the reason for it, but they just pass me by. I’m not noticed” (36). This is the exact opposite of what he just told his son Biff about how well people treat him when it comes to business. Part of me thinks that he lies to his son mostly so his son looks up to him and thinks of him as his hero, not some loser old dad, which may be how Willy feels about himself.
Indeed, Molly. Willy is easy to write off for his cantankerousness and curmudgeonly nature: yet he, above all, wants to be loved. Who doesn't?
DeleteI definitely like the book so far. I love the way that each of the characters are introduced through the dialogue, how you pick up on every character's backgrounds and specific stories at different points of the play. All of the background and basic information is not just simply stated at the beginning as is the case with many novels. In many ways the play feels like a puzzle that has to be put together piece by piece. Another thing that I really love about this play from the first reading is how it does not start directly at the beginning of Willy and Susan's story or lives together. The play does not begin with the positive note that their lives used to have, with their hopes and dreams for themselves and for their two sons Biff and Happy. The play begins more negatively, with Willy struggling and his son Biff, who had so much potential, struggling as well. It begins with the struggle and then shows the potential of the family, the hopes and dreams that used to be deemed reachable, to put the emphasis of the play not necessarily on the specific hopes and dreams, but on the fact that they have not succeeded in obtaining them when they had everything going for them.
ReplyDeleteThe lines that I think best define the book so far are the ones when Willy is hallucinating about when Biff and Happy were boys. "Bernard can get the best marks in school, y'understand, but when he gets out in the business world, you are going to be five times ahead of him. Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead," (Act 1, pg 33). These lines really define the play in that they blatantly put the focus on a goal that is based on financial success. From what I have read so far, everything is focused on jobs, on getting money. It is all that Willy cares about, and it has changed Biff from a very confident young man to someone who is struggling to find a way. As well as the focus on finance, the play so far is focused on appearance, on how your life looks to others and how you appear. Willy stresses that he is not taken seriously when his clients and people he sells to see him, and there is big stress on his two son's attractiveness, and how ultimately that should be to their advantage with everything they do financially.
I like the book so far because it keeps me intrigued and it moves along pretty fast. I can't seem to relate to it yet, but the dialogue makes it seem alive all the time. For the most part there is clarity in everything and not much of a mystery but my one complaint is the random transition! All of a sudden the dialogue goes from Happy and Biff going to sleep to the next scene where they act as the perfect "cereal commercial" American family. Saying things like "gee" or "Oh, Pop!" I don't understand this very well but my idea is that maybe it's a flashback of Willy's memories or what Willy actually thinks is going on. Willy talks to himself as if he were hallucinating a scene, so he may be coping with the absence of his son by pretending everything is perfect. I'm hopeful to see where this book takes me to.
ReplyDeleteI think a moment that clearly shows what the book will be about is when Biff asks Happy, "'You're a succes, aren't you? Are you content?'/Happy: Hell, no!'"(23) . I think this moment shows clearly how even though he lives the american dream he isn't happy. So sometimes what others perceive as perfection, isn't enough for others. And the fact that Happy would say hell in his phrase rather than just no shows he's way far from being content. Again, this is ironic because his name is Happy. It's clear why he isn't happy because he doesn't have anything/one with substance in his life. He only uses woman as objects of pleasure, but neither loves or is loved by any. I think the journey of the book will be about Happy and Biff finding something great after the death of a salesman. Perhaps they become humble about their lives and end up finally content.
1) I really enjoyed the distinctions between each character. From the crazy and fading Willy to the idealist Biff, Miller does a great job of introducing the family and all of its elements. The most interesting part, to me, was that the entire family works around Willy, despite the fact that Willy is the most dysfunctional character in the play. Linda is a hardworking and loving mother, and Biff and Happy are both full of life and hope for the future. It is very clear that we will be witnessing the demise of Willy, both in the obvious bluntness of the title and in the signs of mental erosion in conversation. I’m looking forward to reading further.
ReplyDelete2) “I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts” (14). This quote stuck out to me because it is the only time in the reading where we witness Willy acknowledging the decline of his memory. He is consumed by his own thoughts, dreaming about the beauty of the nature surrounding him and oblivious to the fact that he is losing control of his car. Willy is kind of amused by this, he likes the fact that his imagination has taken over the harshness of reality. He is slowly fading away from reality, yet he doesn’t mind it.
1. I like the book so far. Like a lot of other people said, it's clear that it will be a sad story. The play opens with Willy talking about how he can't drive anymore. Willy seems like a very stubborn character, but also very driven. Biff is similar to his father, but Willy is still not impressed by him. Their relationship is deteriorating. The family seems fairly close, and they look out for each other. I thought it was sweet how the brothers were sharing the room that they did when they were kids. However, even though there were some happy moments in the play so far, it still seemed dark overall. Things are falling apart, and I think that will only get worse.
ReplyDelete2. The line the jumped out to me the most was "Most of the time he's talking to you" (Happy, 21). I think one of the main themes of the play is the relationship between Willy and his sons, particularly Biff. They are lacking a connection, and it seems that neither one can make the other happy anymore. In the flashback, Biff and Willy seem really close. But now Willy judges Biff, and Biff resents his dad. Neither one of them is happy with this situation, but at the same time neither will do anything to change it (at least so far).
1. I'm not quite sure how I feel about this play so far. It usually takes me a bit to get into something. It reads fast yet parts of it are confusing and slow. I like how the characters are set up. The drastic difference between Linda and Willy yet their obvious love for each other is great. The boys are fascinating characters. I'm not sure what Miller is trying to say with them quite yet but I'm assuming that will come as I read further. Overall, so far, I feel a bit underwhelmed. I feel like this will change as I get more into it.
ReplyDelete2. The line that I think best shows what the book will be about (without having read the book) is when Willy says, "Be liked and you will never want." He stresses this fact over and over again to Biff. His entire occupation revolves around getting people to like him. You obviously chose this book because of some connection to the American Dream and I think this line ties into that idea. The idea that if you work hard and, in a way, buy into the American system, you will never want. This line os broad enough to encompass all aspects of the characters' lives yet just narrow enough to tie into Willy's job and the situation Biff and Happy are both in.
1. I have read this play quite recently before and realize how much tragedy is already shown in this first reading. I see Willy as a broken man. He is trapped in the past and cannot move on with his life. Things are falling apart in his life that he can't control. His life is changing which clearly upsets him: "I don't want change!" (17). He had so much confidence for his boys while they were young but we not see Biff has disgraced the family and Happy is unhappy with his life. I enjoy the mental state of the characters, which seems to clearly be deteriorating for Willy personally. The play is very interesting and I can't wait to dig deeper into the way this family deals with the elephant in the room.
ReplyDelete2. I thought a great foreshadowing line came from Willy: "Suddenly I realize I'm goin' sixty miles an hour and I don't remember the last five minutes. I'm--I can't seem to--keep my mind to it" (13). This line struck me as the beginning of a harsh road for Willy. He himself tell us that his mind is slowly leaving him. Later we hear Willy have an entire conversation with himself and his imagination. I enjoyed this line because it shows the struggle the family must deal with in the future.
1. I like this book a lot so far. Immediately I'm drawn into an obviously dysfunctional family structure. Clearly there's some tension between Willy and Linda and also between Willy and Biff. I'm most curious about the father-son dynamics in this family. I really like that the author starts off with where the family is currently and then takes us back to show us the contrast of what they were. It's clear that Biff and Willy specifically are the most disillusioned by their lives. Both seem to have suffered a lot of what Tom suffered from, having their greatest moments in the past. Biff (I'm assuming) never got to accept any of the football scholarships he was offered, and Willy, once a great salesman, can't even remember the past 5 minutes of his drive home. And it seems that Willy is taking out his anger from his own defeats on Biff because he knows Biff can do bigger and better things than what he is doing now. This tough parent-child dynamic is similar to a lot of our lives in that a lot of our parents' american dreams is for their children to have more and to be more than them.
ReplyDelete2. When Willy says, "Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such-personal attractiveness, gets lost" I was struck. This line just furthers our discussion on what does all of this mean? What is success? Biff who is an all-star, all-american boy who is a great kid and a hard worker still feels "lost." If the ideal candidate for success feels lost then what hope is there for the rest of us? If he can't find success then I guess the average people are just lost causes. Just because you've got what should be a perfect life doesn't mean it's satisfying.
1. I am still unsure about how I feel about this play, but it definitely keeps me wanting to read more.I think I just feel a little unsure about this play, because I'm a little confused about what's going on, but I like that Miller just throws us right into the story, because it kept me curious. And I love the description/introduction of the house. I also like how Miller shows the characters through the dialogue. I can already see the personalities and characteristics of Willy, Linda, Happy, and Biff. All the characters are different. I'm excited to see what's going to happen.
ReplyDelete2. I really like this quote: "I tell ya, Hap, I don't know what the future is. I don't know--what I'm supposed to want." I think it shows Biff's uncertainty and undetermined future, but it also depicts maybe Miller's idea of the American Dream. The future isn't always certain even if you may have this American Dream. I also think this shows maybe why Willy is so hard on Biff and pushes him. Willy wants Biff to achieve the American Dream. Willy doesn't think Biff is fighting for the american dream. What Willy thinks Biff is "supposed" to want is the American Dream, a future, a family, and wealth.
I came into the play having some pre-conceptions about it from popular culture, but so far I find it interesting to read- not happy (in stark contrast to the name of the character, and perhaps this is intentional), but interesting. I think that on a scale of the Brady bunch to the Wingfields, the Loman family is definitely trending towards the Tennesee Williams dysfunctionality. The fact that two grown men are sharing their childhood bedroom with each other begs consideration of their scorn and disdain for Bernard, who perhaps has found "success" in the world, as it is disparaged by Biff: "To suffer fifty weeks of the year for the sake of a two-week vacation." It sounds like a central theme of the play will be success.
ReplyDelete"Be liked and you will never want." These words could well have come out of the pen of Nick Carroway as the mouth of Willy Loman. What makes this line a bit more unsettling for me is that Mr. Loman has spent a good deal of his life being a salesman, which means that people had to like him for him to earn money, to make commission. It is perhaps good advice, but should be prefaced or followed with a few words about integrity or a good work ethic. He also utters these words right after shooing Bernard, who raises concerns about Biff's grades, back across the street. It seems that Willy thinks that football is the only thing Biff needs to succeed.
So far, much of the dialogue has commented on some pretty serious topics. It's a rich play, and I really enjoy that. I feel like the conversation between Biff and Happy shows their brotherly connection, and even though it is set up to make them appear youthful, them seem wise to a certain extent. Their are able to recognize their unhappiness and lack of direction. That feeling of being lost is especially important because I think that Willy is lost more-so than Happy or Biff. Willy has had his entire life to find something, but he has only been focused on competing and being the best salesman, and making money that he hasn't really had a chance to live. It is interesting to note that his mumblings are about his real memories, of things that had real emotions. Biff actually, may be the least lost one because he knows not what he wants, but what feels good, and I personally believe that that is all you can know.
ReplyDelete"No, with a ranch I could do the work I like and still be something" (Biff). This line really says so much about Biff's character, but also most likely the commentary of American society. People are expected to do a certain thing but love is rarely taken into consideration. It's clear that Biff enjoys working on a farm, regardless of the pay, and the reputation being a farmer has. Of course, he is so heavily influenced by outside sources that he doubts himself and his life choice, and is never fully able to feel secure in his career.
I like the book so far. I can tell right now that it will have a lot to do with the main theme of our class, the American Dream. The conversations, already, are talking about ideas we saw and thought about from Gatsby, like what are we fighting for? Why are we working our asses off for a house that nobody is enjoying and nobody is really living life in? Already this book is questioning the American Dream, if it is worth it, and what is really is. I think this will be a good book for our topic, because this is a real working man, not like Gatsby or even Hart. He is out there for his family everyday trying to make a commission so he can prove to his family that he is working hard. Already we are seeing a bad, or frustrating commentary of the American Dream, and how it can stress people out.
ReplyDeleteOne quote that stuck out to me is, "You and Hap and I, and I’ll show you all the towns. America is full of beautiful towns and fine, upstanding people. And they know me, boys, they know me up and down New England. The finest people. And when I bring you fellas up, there’ll be open sesame for all of us, ‘cause one thing, boys: I have friends. I can park my car in any street in New England, and the cops protect it like their own. This summer, heh?" I think this is a perfect representation of what Willy wants to show the boys is the American Dream. He talks to the boys with such showiness and gives them only the best sides of all of his travels, but afterword we see the truth. He is trying to hard to prove to his boys that he is a good dad, and that he is one worth admiring. That he is perfect, But in reality he is struggling. He has spent so much time trying to serve for his family, he is literally going crazy in a way. I think this quote compares how he used to be and how he is now, and the effects that his job and pressure has had on him.
1. I'm still not sure how exactly I feel about this play. I too can tell it pertains a lot to our subject of study, the American Dream. We see Biff who wants to leave, and Happy and Willy who want to be successful. Happy says it himself, that he is working and doing well, but no happy or content. It was a little boring in the beginning, but I am still interested in this book.
ReplyDelete2. The lines that really kinda jumped out at me came from when Biff and Happy are talking with each other. Biff says, "I've always made a point of not wasting my life, and everytime I come back here I know that all I've done is to waste my life." Biff is expressing his frustration at the future and his inability to change his course. He never seems to be in the right job and is unhappy. I picked this line because I just thought it was interesting.
The reading was interesting to read but like some people said I was also a bit confused wondering when the topic of he conversation went. Like Emma mentioned I can tell there is fustration shown by Willy. He comments on his efforts and if they are worth all his hard work. I also enjoyed the description at the beginning of the play and how it opens p with a flute playing a melody "of grass and trees and the horizon."
ReplyDelete(I just realized everything I wrote earlier didn't paste on here since I did it on mobile)
DeleteThis line reminded me of Biff and the farm he works on and how he enjoys it but always ends up returning home looking for himself and the purpose to his life. He feels like a little boy playing with horses and feels he should have a stable job and married. He also feels like his father is disappointed in him with all his remarks and mumbles. Willy is also an interesting character because in a way he has achieved the American Dream, yet he is not happy and is still lonely.
Happy's response to Biff's question is he is content was what struck out to me the most. I kinda agree with him on his view of having everything but still being lonely or missing something in your life. Willy tells Biff, "I don't know what the hell I'm workin' for."(23). This line reminds me of the phrase "Money can't buy happiness" and I can totally see why HAppy says what he says. One works hard all their life but is never fully content with the material things. Its like in The Paper Chase, one needs friends and people to talk with and be there for them, or else they may not make it and end up crazy like Hart. In my opinion staying close to ones family beats being rich and having a fancy life, even though it is nice to have a decent life. I feel their is a greater wealth in being close and happy and that sharing what you have achieved is an essential part of the American Dream.
1. I like the play so far, while the characters themselves maybe not be too significant yet, the situation and plot seem that they will be interesting in the future. Only four characters have been introduced so far, yet each one is unique and seems to have their own idea of what they want to do in life. Another thing I liked about the book are the long, detailed descriptions that the author puts in. Like the part at the beginning, which set the scene. I also think that this book will be very different from the other two books we read because so far, nobody seems to be especially rich or powerful. Willy is a traveling salesman who works very hard, Linda is his wife and she has "infinite patience"(5), and Biff and Happy are both hanging out at home deciding what they want to do with their lives.
ReplyDelete2. The line that really jumped out at me was,No, it’s me, it’s me. Suddenly I realize I’m goin’ sixty miles an hour and I don’t remember the last five minutes. I’m — I can’t seem to — keep my mind to it." I'd like to say that Willy is just tired from a long day of working, but it becomes more and more obvious throughout the story that he his attention is fading more and more for every second that passes. Its really sad that he seems to be developing some kind of attention problem, but I feel like the story will center around it.
1. The opening of the book seemed to have a very creepy or foreboding feel to me. I had no idea what the book was about before I started reading it, but after reading some of these blog entries it sounds like I'm in for a depressing journey. I thought that it seemed to start out pretty slow, but I'm excited to see where the book takes me. Willy was also a pretty interesting character to me; I suspect a lot of the tragedy to come will involve him.
ReplyDelete2. Willy was a very confusing character to me as well. At least twice he openly contradicted himself, in a way that made no sense at all. When he's talking to Linda, he says "Chevorlet is the greatest car ever built!" (34). But just two pages later he says "that god damn Chevorelet, they ought to prohibit the manufacture of that car!" (36). He also has two lines about Biff that contradict each other entirely. At first he claims that "Biff is a lazy bum!" and then not even a page later he reverses his ideas about Biff, saying "There's one thing about Biff - he's not lazy" (16). It was just pretty confusing to me that Willy's core oppionion of Biff completely reversed in a matter of seconds.
1) I don't know how I feel about this play yet. I really like the characters so far though I may like the characters themselves less than I like how they all fit together to make a terribly depressing image of the American Dream. Biff represents almost everything that I am terrified of becoming. I really like that Linda is trying to help like a good house wife but regardless of what she tries to do it doesn't help because her husband is already in such a slump. This book just starts depressing and I think it's a good bet that it will continue to be depressing, and I'm not entirely sure if I really like it yet but I definitely don't dislike it, so we'll see.
ReplyDelete2) I really like the line "and five minutes later I'm dreamin' again, and I nearly ... I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts"(14). I feel like this is a great precursor to what will, I assume, happen later in the play. I think that this puts an emphasis upon how much Willy's life is driven by his dreams and how overpowering they can be.
1. As we've already said in class, this book has started out as one of the most forthcoming examples of an American dream book. The main theme of the book seems to be work and being successful. It's a classic example of a classic low income American family, living on their hopes and dreams but never actually getting anywhere. I suspect that this book will end up expressing the futility of the American dream, and how Willy is pretty much destined to fail.
ReplyDelete2. Willy constantly talks about a certain characteristic, which he simply calls "being well-liked". I don't know exactly what this personality is in the eyes of Willy, but I feel like its roots are deeply American. I think the person who Willy is striving to be is an American man, a man who can make his own money and support himself, along with his wife and kids. His dreams are to be successful and have enough money, and part of that definitely seems to be playing the part and being well-liked.
I really like the affectionate relationship between the brothers, Biff and Happy, and it’s sad to think that they have not been able to make it in their world yet, that they are not satisfied. Like their father, the boys realize that they are not where they would like to be in life, but they are searching for a way to change that (mostly Biff by changing jobs all the time) unlike Willy who, “[doesn’t] want a change!” (17). Because these boys have potential I wish things would work out for them, but so far the serious topics Miller has touched on in the play don’t predict a happy turnout.
ReplyDelete“Yeah. Lotta dreams and plans…Maybe I oughta get married. Maybe I oughta get stuck into something” (20&23) Biff says this when he is talking to Happy in their shared bedroom at home. Biff realizes that he has not been able to realize any of his big bright dreams for the future, and something is stopping him from it, because if he has not achieved his dream by the time spring comes around he feels like he can’t see or ever reach that light at the end of the tunnel. His second remark reminds me of The Paper Chase and Ford’s comment about finding a god woman and hanging on like hell. I think just like many of the HLS students Biff is thinking that finding a good woman will set his future, and maybe it would encourage him to stick with a job for longer than a year, but it would not ensure happiness or success which is what he is struggling with currently.