Death of a Salesman
For more information about Arthur Miller and The Death of a Salesman, visit this site:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_a_Salesman
or this one:http://www.ibiblio.org/miller/
Is Willy Loman a modern day tragic hero?
Is Willy Loman an anti-hero?
What is Willy's tragic flaw?
A critic once wrote that Linda Loman is one of the most intriguing characters in American theater. Do you agree with that statement? Do you admire or dislike Linda and why?
Why can't Willy work for Charlie?
List as many conflicts in the play as you can.
posted by Elizabeth @ 2:15 PM
54 Comments:
I think what Willie Loeman did was noble. I don't personally agree with it, but it was out of love for his family, and I respect that. If we think back to current situations... such as the man in florida commiting suicide along with murdering his family. He lost his job along with his wife; in present day this is a big failure for a "man" to not be able to support his family. These situations are very similiar. I don't agree, and its so much easier to say these men are crazy. I don't think they are, I think they couldn't bear the feeling of being a failure. The problem with Willy is he was living a lie rather than reality. Which is detrimental to yourself and those around you. If one believes that he lives in a certain world or in a certain social status that you do not, it's hard to keep up. Thats what happened with Willie. Hie pride would not let him come to realization with who he really was. He borrowed money for a paycheck,and his friend openly invited him to work and he wouldn't. Deep down I think he was ashamed. Ashamed of what he wasn't, and ashamed of what his sons didn't become. I didn't care for his wife. I understand that she supported her husband and wanted to keep him happy so she went along with all his foolishness. I feel like she let her family down just as much as her husband did. She knew what was going on, and she ignored it. She knew her husband was borrowing money, and instead of confronting the sutuation and working towards something she didn't. She let everything sink. I'm sure she never realized that she helped "kill him". "The decisions we make today, lays down the foundation for tomorrow." The day of his suicidal death may have never came, if she made different decisions. -714
I dont know what you mean exactly by a modern day tragic hero but he might be one in a way. Anytime a person is willing to give up their own life to help out his own family and make the families life better then yes. A hero will do anything to save another and that is exactl what Loman did by giving up his life for his families. Willie always seems to have flashbacks of the good times he and his family used to have but when he comes back to normal he becomes a sad old man again. Lind Loman in kind of a way is intriguing because happiness in her family comes first. She would rather Willie and her son to have good conversations together again and in the cause of that WIllie seems to bash out at her when she tries to intervene on the relationship with them. Its not that Willie cant work for Charlie,he just doesnt want to.
In the beginning its as if Willie was in a feud with Bif but then Pappy and Linda tried to get Bif to talk to his father again and when he did it was like as if Pappy became ashamed of him throughout the story, it was as if he was embarrassing to him. Willie seemed crazy but he was just going through alot of problems especially when he lost his job.
710
716-i really liked the movie. i liked how Loeman was just a middle to low class man trying to provide for his family in any way shape or form. i admit he screwed up along the way like letting his son walk in on him and another women but atleast in the end he proved to love his family enough to give his life. i do believe that loemans wife is an amazing women. any women that could stay with her husband after all the things loeman has such as cheating and going a little crazy (talking to himself, walking around in the middle of the night, flash backs,ect.) and still stand up to everyone and anyone including her children is not only a fine women but a loyal wife.
I think that Willy is an anti-hero.
He lacks the courage to accept his failures.
He could easily get a job from Charlie but his foolish male pride keeps him on a futile path.
Rather than living in the 'now', he romanticizes the past and what could have been, had he only gone to the jungle...well, you didn't! Get over it and make due with your life. (My mother is the queen of should of, would of, and could of, and I refuse to live my life that way. Once I make a decision, that's it, I made it. I'm not going to sit there and wonder what could have been if I had gone the other direction.)
Willy's tragic flaw is his inability to accept that he isn't where he wants to be in life. His children are not as succesful as Charlie's. He is not as successful as Charlie. He and his children have been falling simultaneously for years. His career has declined as his children's dreams and hopes have not flourished as expected.
But that just goes to show you that anything worth having doesn't come easy, you have to get out there and do it. I think that he hindered his children's futures by telling them how great they were all the time. Yes, Bif was great at football, but he definitely needed the grades. A good parent would have pushed their children harder in their studies too.
-727
Willie Loeman, to me, is a tragic hero. My whole time growing up i watched my parents work everyday and all they ever wanted was for us to have the things we need and they hoped that one day we would go on to do better in life than they did. This is the american dream. Willie didnt have any grandoise ideas and dreams of wealth. during this story you never see him wish for a mansion or to be a millionaire. He just wanted to be abe to provide for his family, and wished for his dispicable selfish sons to grow up and do well.
yes he was a very proud man, to a fault at times, however, to me that is better than someone with no pride, who just doesnt care. all throught the movie he talks about how a salesman "makes his mark" and how they are known all through the country. He said a couple times how when he dies his sons, mainly bif whom has lodst his respect for his father, will see that he really was something. he just wanted them to be proud of him, and to me that is so sad.
i hated his kids in this movie. how in the world could anyone watch their parent suffer and not help? when they leave willie in that restaurant to chase after girls, it was very demonstrative as to why willie agonizes so hard on having his sons repect and love him. anyone who knew that their parent was going through what willie was and then leaves him in the bathroom of a restaurant has no resoect and no love at all.
these two sons were selfish and lazy and i believe lead willie to his death. if they had done what was right, not living like to 30year old children and helping out their parents, he would nt have been having such money problems.
Through the movie you know that he tried several times to kill himself but was not successful. when his sons showed an interest in smething finally, like the sporting goods, and couldnt get the loan, he went out and facilitated them starting their buisness, by sacrificing themselves.
This is a very sad story, especially when you know a ton of working guys who feel the same way willie does. they feel like no matter how hard they try and work they just cant get ahead. they want their kids to be proud. i dont understand people who critize willie and say he was a coward. i dont know what could be braver than dying for your family. 724
It has been said that Willie Loeman's self sacrifice at the end of "Death of a Salesman" can be equated to Christ sacrificing himself for our sins. I think that this statement is ridiculous to the point of being offensive. Let me first state that I am not a practicing Christian and personally do not believe that Christ as we know of him existed. I think of his story an a beautiful work of literature and so I speak of it in that sense. In the story of Jesus Christ, there is no portion of it being about a failed father and business man who decides to sacrifice his life so that he may leave an inheritance for his family. Jesus Christ allowed himself to be crucified, implying that he could have stopped it all of he wanted, so that human sins could be forgiven and that when dead we can get into heaven. (Personally I find this a great contradiction to the fact that in the Catholic Church we are apparently inherently sinful as we are bourn with original sin and must be washed of our sins even before we are able to crawl. Sounds like JC didn’t do the trick when he let himself get nailed to the cross.) But even in this cloud of contradiction the message of Jesus Christ revolves around self sacrifice that is motivated out of love. This differs from Willie Loeman who kills himself after having a mental breakdown, is speaking to a dead guy, and can see no way out of his shame and disappointment other than to off himself. The idea of the life insurance was only an afterthought. And in fact the family would not even receive a penny as Willie Loeman’s death was clearly not an accidental death. I think that to equate Willie Loeman’s suicide as a act comparable to Jesus Christ’s self sacrifice is just the work of over intellectualizing a work of common literature.
# 708
The story of Willy Loman was very good. I believed that Willy Lowman was a good guy down inside and so did he. He just had a bad way of showing. Ithink that Willy lost touch with reality because he convinced himself of his own lies.
-725-
I personally liked Biff out of all of the characters because he realized that the American Dream isn't a reality for him and his father. Also, that he shouldn't be chasing a fake dream. He was so messed up after he caught his father cheating, which was ridiculous to put his life on hold and not pursue anything. The story over all was enjoyable, but the movie didn't do it justice.
- 705
Death of a Salesman was a very interesting story about a father struggling to make himself successful in order to provide for his middle aged sons. The story reminds me of my family life and how my father worked many jobs in order to provide for me and my brother and he would do anything for us. It included not having much a relationship with us but he wanted to be better in his career. Willy took this idea to the extreme in the end by killing himself just to allow his kids to have the insurance money. There was much more Willy could have done like teach his kids how to be independent and provide a life for themselves to alleviate all pressure from himself. -721
719-I feel that Willie Loman isn’t a hero to me. I think that taking the cowardly way out by committing suicide for insurance money was a ridiculous idea. I think that for him to be a hero he would have fixed the problems with his son Biff and the weird bond or lack of that him and his sons had. It was a strange family. I feel like he didn’t really know how to be a father to them and he thought he could pay for his mess-ups by dying to get them his insurance money, which ultimately did more harm than good. I feel that he wasn’t a hero at all but in fact the exact opposite. He was a scared cowardly older man who didn’t think straight anymore because his life of let downs.
I probably would of rather seen this playwrite as a play instead of a movie. I think it's too dull of a setting to make a movie of it. However, I did like the story.
I feel that Willie Loeman was responsible for the entire families' problems and lies. I feel his stubborness, lies, and denail of the truth of his life had an affect on everyone in the family. Willie constantly told everyone how much of a great salesman he was, when he wasn't. He taught his children that in life it is only important for people to like you and not to work hard. I think Willie went a little crazy because all of his lies got the better of him. He failed as a father(sons messed up), husband (cheated on his wife), and salesman(wasn't good at his job). I feel Willie took his own life because deep down he knew he was responsible. To make it up to everyone he hurt and ruined, he would take his own life to save what became of the family that he created.
#810
I think Willie did what he thought he had to do for his family to survive. I don't nessessary think it was the right thing to do. Yes, the family (I assume) now has insurance money to get by but they are without the sons father and wife's companion. I think it would be a sadder thing to be without a loved one then with money to just get by.
I think Willie is a modern tragic hero, because he knew he had to do a tragic thing to help his family. Despite what I said above, the story would not be intresting if he stayed with his family. It would have been more of a happy ending and that is somewhat unrealistic. I respected the strength of Linda, dealing with his breakdowns and sucide attempts.
~818
This story is a great example of what pride can do to a man, a family, and a generation. I thought it was frustrating and I felt very sorry for Willie's whole family.
My favorite part was when Bif realized he was just like everyone else, maybe not even as good as everyone else, and his whole life Willie was just "fibbing" or "fudging" things so they sounded better. There's a difference between dreams and lies. I don't think it's right that Willie set the bar so high for Bif, and pretty much planned his life out for him since the day he was born; and how he just ignored his other son made it even harder to watch.
Bif may have had great potential, looks, and "personality", but I think it would have been a greater thing if Willie let Bif be what made Bif happy instead.
I know suicide on a personal level... the way Willie went actually, I think it was a trend of the time period, and there were alot of Willie's back then. (Not giving away too much info on my part even though I know this is anonymous) I think that parallel makes me feel a bit more for the family of Willie than most would.
808
There's much in this play i find comparable to my life, in a sense that my father is a blue collar laborer who can barely afford the rent and the amount of food to sustain my family and i see the strain it puts on his psyche, so this play affected me in a deep sense. Willie Loemans selfless love for the well being of his family is admirable. by no means was he an atticus finch, so like any man, he had flaws. mainly his inability to see through materialism, never grasping the full perspective of what being a family truly means. Also the amount of weight he placed on expectation ultimately led him down a path of dispair. when we expect too much from life we are inevitably greeted with disapointment. His refusal of help was in my opinion rooted in deep pride issues, of which nailed his coffin shut. His ideal reality was infact a fantasy and i believe when met with this misfortune one is either forced to accept life or deny youreself the chance to reconfigure your priorities. in this case it seems Willie refused to own up to himself, condemning his family to the pain of his untimely demise. the real question to consider is; does willies death defeat the happiness the insurance money would bear under more natural circumstances, making the gift bitter sweet? i believe the answer lies in the nature of biffs character, of which one could only make inferences about.
806
Willie Loman is indeed a modern-day tragic hero. You feel empathy for his character and his struggle with reality throughout the play. His passion and motivation are so intense but his priorities are all wrong. He has coprrupted his family with his denial of self satifaction. No he is not the anti-hero...well its hard to say...he has no traditional or signifgant success that would be descrpitive of a tragic hero, however he is a pathetic character that is lost in immense denial. willie has not done anything noble during his life so I guess I would have to change my answer then..LOL He is an unusual character for a play but a very realistic character for every people like myself. so he is indeed and anti-hero and not a modern day tragic hero because he did not posess the qualities of a nobel man who has found himself in a tangled situation. Willie is a character that has always struggled from the beginning and has now hit rock bottom.
Linda Loman is a woman who in reality gets under my skin. I I agree she may be the most intetresting character I have ever experienced in a play. I admire her infinite love for her husband and the strength he has to support him through all his flaws, but the fact that she allows the disrespect of Willie's self pity and denial while putting her emotions second is frustrating to watch. She fails her children by losing her own self in her husband. I feel like Linda in the voice of a dependent woman who never weighed her options enough and compromised her strength as a woman. she may in fact be the sadest character of them all.
Willie will never be able to work for Charlie because his pride and ego are beyond his little ole body. Self-denial has overwhemled his psyche and it would be too much of a harsh reality for Willie to confront as a man who fell "A day late and a dollar short"...Terry Macmillian quote...LOL man's biggest fight is his pride it is the internal battle that builds character or determines one's fate.
Willie's sons are both pathetic and immature they are just as confused as their dad and it is a little disturbing to see how this family revels the truth that has been plauging their dysfunctional state as a family. Willies sons are still lost boys.
All in all this family symbolizes the lack of guidance and strength from parents. Willie was longing for his father and lived his dreams through his sons...His sons lived for their father's approval which was not their own...and Linda longed for her husbands happiness and became rug walked all over. This family was simply "A day late and a dollar short"...but it is a raw reality of what families experience every single day.
Zephir 823
I think Willy's tragic flaw is he cannot accept reality. He is so busy trying to convince every one and him self that he is doing well, yet he wallows in his grief about not being good enough. He is always trying to figure out how to try harder but he won't accept any handouts. He won't take the job from his friend out of pride i think. He likes to believe he is better than his friend even thought he is borrowing money ever week. Why not just work for him and be happy? Willy is old and he doesn't have any kids to take care of. He doesn't need to be trying to get a glamorous job at this point in his life. He should just enjoy what he has, a loving wife and two ambitious sons.
802
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death of a salesman is fantastic.
but, willie loman is not a tragic hero, he is an anti-hero. He didn't save his family, he deserted them. Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.
His tragic flaw is buying into the societal norm and living a tragic life that he does not belong in, because he believes it to be socially most acceptable.
Linda is not extremely fascinating to me, she is another case of a woman letting herself be defined by the man in her life, which is another problem with the "american dream" and society’s norm.
I loved this play, but it was very uncomfortable for me to watch. Suicide is horrible, and i feel very strongly that willie should NOT be looked as as a tragic hero, in the least.
823
I do believe Willy is a modern day tragic hero - but only to the extent that his family allows him to be. In other words, sure Willy is making the ultimate sacrifice to allow his wife and sons to live without the tribulations that he experienced, but they will also live with the unfortunate events that eventually led to the demise of their father. This what not the only way out for Willy, seeing that their mortgage payments were just about finished and had his stubbornness not been so apparent, he could have obtained a job from his understanding friend. Willy's tragic flaw must be that he is stuck in his ways. He is unable to adjust to the problems that arise and his stubborn way of perceiving himself and the world attribute to his ultimate decision. I agree that Linda is a very interesting character because she is only concerned with Willy. She is ignorant to everything except keeping her husband satisfied. It's hard to imagine a woman such as this because she shows such loyalty regardless of anything. She enforces her husbands bad behavior but the truth of the matter is her husband is all she has. Her sons are either getting married or moving away and she is willing to sacrifice her all for Willy. Luckily for her, Willy is able to do the same. I like Linda because she shows how love and ignorance can be bliss. Willy can't work for Charlie because he cannot conquer his demons. Willy cannot accept the fact that his lively-hood, his everything does not have a need for him anymore and he has lost his purpose. To take a job from his friend means that he has come to terms with the fact that he NEEDS help, from somebody that he already owes favors to. Conflicts in this play are apparent - willy being stubborn, Bif having a split perception of his father, Ben's presence influencing Willy in a strange manner..
-813
Willie Loeman was a human father full of flaws and love for his family. His mistakes in the past caused him some grief and hardship, but he continued to love his family and he wanted them to have a what they deserved even if it meant him giving up his life. i do not condone suicide but it is a harsh reality that we face in life, I think he would of been a modern day nobleman for his decision in maintaining a life for his children and wife. I wish he didn't lie so much because he taught his children to do the same, in life we must hold to other people's standards and when you fall short you will make up a perfect or ideal life. I don't blame him but i do blame society for ruining his life, he was not valued, loved or respected by his peers but he was human and we all deserve love, respect and to be valued. His wife was the enabler but she was also the glue that kept the family together. Willie is a modern day poor person who lives fro paycheck to paycheck to feed ad take care of his family to me that is rich.
--824
willie loeman was a misguided fool. he spent his whole life working for things but the things he had didnt satisfy him, like his cars and the refrigorater that wasnt ge. he failed as a father a husband a salesman and a friend cause he didnt listen to anyone, he was so stubborn, he couldnt accept the fact that biff wanted to work with his hands. i have a feeling it was his lack of listening skills that made him an ineffective salesman.and perhaps it was his strong desire for things and the emphasis that he put on having things that made biff a clepto. i feel gfreat sorrow for his other son happy who recieved no attention from willie. there was no character in this play that could get through to him unless they were yelling at him like biff in the final climax and howard in the office. and if all this wasnt enough he took the cowards way out in the end becasue he didnt want to swallow his pride and work for his neighbor or let his sons help him. the final scene in the at his grave speaks volumes too me about willie loeman. there were only 5 people there when he thought that there might be many more people from all over new york and new england. i think this shows that he spent his life trying to impress the wrong people.
109
i dont think that there was anything noble about willie killing himself, perhaps if he had done it solely for the purpose of providing for his family, but he had other intentions behind his suicide. when he was talking to his brother he told him that biff would regret the way he acted towards him and he would finally see at the funeral how great a man he was because of all the people that would show up to pay there respects.plus there was no need to get teh twenty thousand dollars from the life insurance. he had been offered a job and there was only one payment left on the house after that they wouldnot have needed to much more money to pay the bills. it was his need for having things and his oversized ego that made him think that suicide was necessary and there is nothing noble about that.
109
It's kinda funny to me how this movie resembles a song that is out right now called "Successful". That song and the movie are both about people chasing all these material things thinking that that's what's gonna make them happy and that how much you can buy is what makes your life worthwhile. One thing that is different is that in the song the narrator ultimately realizes that stuff alone isn't gonna make a single person happy. Maybe Willy would've come to the same realization too if had been able to make his American Dream come true. We hear all our lives that material things won't make us happy and at the same time we're brainwashed into believing that the more useless crap we can buy the better off we'll be. So what are we supposed to believe? I feel like the tragic thing about the play is that whether Willy was able to make his dream into a reality or not, he would've probably still ended up committing suicide because he was looking for happiness in the wrong place. What would've made him happy he already had but he was too blind to see it.
117
I found this play extremely disturbing, and it occurs to me that some people don't find it disturbing at all...
Willie Loeman and his entire family were completely delusional, and none of them seemed to have any idea, except Bif, who the rest of the family seemed to see as a failure for his attempts to help his father reconcile with reality.
It speaks of a larger picture, that is, the pursuit of money versus the pursuit of happiness. Contrary to popular belief, the two are not so tied.
All of the Loemans claim to be concerned about the family, but none of them but Bif act on these concerns. Rather than doing what is best for all, and having concern for the happiness of all, each family member is single minded, uncompromising, driven to do but not to consider, and this eventually drives Willie so mad that he kills himself. All the while, his wife is still wrapped up in the delusions she had been fostering in Willie. Truly sad.
So many people in American society never take off the thin plastic film of commerce and marketing that lies over reality in order to see those things that truly bring happiness, those things that are not necessarily acquired through monetary pursuits.
-121
i dont really know where to start with my response, but out of all of the things we had to read or watch in this class, this was one of the more powerful ones. at first i wasnt too excited to see this play, but i really did enjoy it. it was painful to see willie's american dream turn into a distruption that pained his family. his need to be successful and live out the life he felt was perfect led to one son feeling left out, and one son feeling too much pressure. i dont like the lack of respect he had for women because i did feel his wife did a lot to try and keep he family together. on the outside they looked like a typical "while american family" but on the outside there was a lot of pain. unfortunately, the play ends with whillie killing myself, but i feel it was a powerful statement. i tihnk willie just wanted to be remembered for an impact in the world. to be seen as successful and wanted to deffinately prove it to his kids because he was let down by his loss of a father. when his son cried for him and showed his love willie felt like he finally succeeded and was ready to move on. its just unfortunate with how delicate but how powerful the human mind can be. 113
I do not think that Willie is a tragic hero. He showed us five of the seven deadly sins in this play:
- Greed, in his constant want for more material gains
- Lust, in his affair with the blond in New England
- Wrath, in his angry exchanges with his son and his wife
- Envy, when he saw the recording device in his boss' office as well as when he met up with Charlie's son and found out how successful he'd become
- Pride, in not taking the job that Charlie offered him
All of these sins, all of these flaws. A Tragic Hero is defined as someone that comes to terms with his wrong-doings before the end and makes them right. This never happens to Willie. He obviously can't accept these things, because he offs himself - the true coward's way out. -120
Willie did not accept the job from Charlie because of his pride. Early on in the play, in the scene where the two men are playing cards, you get the idea that Willie does not respect Charlie. He feels that Charlie is a lesser person than himself. Willie's son is an athlete, adored by all. Charlie's son is more scholarly, and thus viewed by the Loeman men as unimportant.
Towards the end of the play, when Willie goes to see Charlie at his office and encounters his son, his pride is bruised when he discovers that Charlie's son has become an attorney, arguing a case in the supreme court. Willie becomes filled with regret at this point, and envious and resentful towards Charlie's family because his sons are not successful in their lives at all. Charlie offers him the job again, and Willie refuses again. How can Willie show his face around such a successful father, when he himself has been such a failure as one?
120
At first I didn't know what to think about Willie Loman. I then began to feel sorry for him. His sons were older now and they didn't really want to be around him as much as when they where younger. I feel Willie was pretty much going through a meltdown. His career was going down the drain, and even though he would ask Charlie for money he had too much pride to take a job from him. He was in denial about losing his job. I feel he's known for a while that things weren't going well and that his job was in trouble, so that's why he tried plenty of times to kill himself. He knew he had that life insurance money and he felt that killing himself was the only way to make things better for his family so he did what he had to do. I don't agree with it but it is a very selfless, noble thing for him to do. I feel his wife Linda was no help in the matter. She was enabeling him and helping him to pretty much do what he did. 107
This movie was kind of encouraging and depressing at the same time. Even though Willie was a stubborn old man, I really believe he had good intentions for his life and his sons. I think he wasn't good at handling disappointment. He held the burden of being the leader of the family, the one who pave the way for his sons. But in reality if he would have found the true source of his happiness, he could have save them from alot of suffering. Biff showed a passion for other things; he didn't want to be a salesman. He felt a sense of obligation to follow in his father footsteps even though he didn't want to. Also, when he found out about his father's affair, it hurt him very deeply. He held on to it for years, that's the reason they always argue. His mother is so naive. Willie's wife is so enabling of him. Even though she knows about his attempted suicide, she continue to hide it in hope that he would change his mind. He needed some one to give him a reality check. Just as Charlie always tried to do. I became upset with Willie when he didn't accept Charlie's offer. Willie's other son was very selfish and lacked compassion. I guess he was complacent with the way things were, his only desire was women and money. Bernard was a very wise young man. I like how the author used this comparison, almost like "this is what you could have been if you continued to persevere". This story encourage me to continue to pursue and struggle to realize my dream no matter what obstacles may arise.
#115
I found Linda Loeman to be both strong and weak. She was strong for standing next to Willie even in his darkest hours and was weak in that she couldn't stand up for herself to Willie. I bet she knew he was a cheater and she still defended him. Often times it is easier for a person to beleive in the illusion instead of the truth. I think it is a shame she felt so angry at her children. Biff struggled with the illusion of what his family was and what they really were. Linda just didn't want to know the truth. 118
This story left me feeling so sad for willie and his family. I feel that none of them knew who they really were in life except for maybe biff, but that is more in the end. There is a lot that can be said about this play. its hard to say what is right and what is wrong about what people think of it. I can agree on all the interpretations i've heard in class.
108
everytime i see this play or read it i think about how tough it must be to be Linda. the man she loves and adures has so many issues. she also has to deal with unappreciative children who dont listen to her as much as they should. the final scene when she is talking to willy in his casket is very simbolic to me. she is alone. she has no one around her, but she has a house. what good is it to be a housewife when there is no one to come home to the house.
109
This was a really sad play. I feel that Willie Loeman, actions, and attitude, were the reason for the whole family's pain. Willie was so stuck in his own mind, and living the life of a "successful" salesman, that he didn't pay attention to reality and what was really going on. He was stuck in this dream state of "what ifs." I think Bif deserves a little more then he is granted as well. He had a good head on his shoulders, but out it all into question when he caught his father. He didnt know what a good man was anymore and decided to figure it out for himself. I dont know why he had the impulse to steal things, maybe it was because he thought that having nice things made you a better person. I felt bad for the mother. Although she just sat aside and let things happen, she deserved a lot better. I'm glad she got the money.
116
keeping this short as this page is long.
Shattered dreams, that is what I would have called this play. That is what happen, all the dreams of the players where smashed. But that is life I suppose, we hang on to these impossible dreams and when they pop, we fall.
But there is an glimmer of hope, as dreams come and go, we can always dream again
--103
In the movie “Death of a Salesman” it seems the we believe that he committed suicide because we were told that he did. However ,I see no evidence that this is true. The usual scenario in a movie, like that of the high school sports type, is that the team reaches a resolution and has a moment were everyone find themselves to win the big game. Although there are other films like this that surprise the audience and the team doesn’t win, this I how I feel the writer wanted to end the play, with a twist. You usually expect the family to have a touching moment and all is well within the house but instead he dies. I don’t think he did it to me noble or realized he was doing it at all, he just died in his state of dementia.
**THAT LAST POST WAS FROM 010***
I don't think Willy Loman was noble at all because he let his pride and the dream that he wanted blind the actual reality of his life and the world. Biff has comes to turn with himself in the realization that he is worthless and he's ok with it and with knowing so he can build and work on hisself from that. Linda is an enabler due to the fact she always sort of covering up Willy's tracks because he trying to tell her the truth about himself and she being the good wife that she is tries to make him feel better which keeps him in that dreamlike state that he's in
016
This story touched my heart. Willie was an old man who wanted to keep his family together and have that "perfect" image as well. Biff was the one that Willie thought was going to be something, and when he never did anything for himself, i think that is what killed Willie inside. All he wanted was for his sons to do better then he did, and when they didn't i think Willie thought of him self as a failure. I loved that story, characters, and plot!!
#026
Excellent movie really depressing at times. I think Willie Loeman was living in this made up world in his mind because he was really one sided about the way he should raise his family.017
In this story Death of a Saleman i believe that Willie Loeman had to make an unfair decision about having to commit sucide so that his family could have alife i think that he was brave and definately a man who loved and honor his family 006
When I first read this play and saw a movie of "Death of a Salesman" I was in high school, and I really did not understand all the themes and situations. After a few years and experiencing more things in my life I have a better understanding of the characters and the reasons they act the way they do. However, I can still say that I do not like this play. Other than it being extremely depressing. I can't stand the dialogue, I think it's way to chaotic and seeing it performed is overwhelming.
-025
willy loman was a person that put his family first before everyone. he was a hard worker as well as a great father to biff and happy.yes unfortunately he did cheat on his wife Linda but he was alone away from home and he had no one to talk to. yes that doesn't make it right to cheat on his wife. I think the ended kinda sucked because i think he should have taking the job with Charley. he was just shamed to as for help from these people that wanted to help Willy with his problems.
021
Death Of a Salesman was a little more personal to me. There is a problem like this in my family right now. My dad works his fingers to the bone as a landscaper. He can barely walk in the morning and his knees are severly arthretic.. Seeing Willy Loeman experince a type of dimentia that is cripiling is similar to what I see my dad go through. I also find Biff selfish. Although he caught his father cheating, it doesn't mean that he shouldve turned his bakc on his father or his dreams. During the play he was very "woe is me" he was more concerned with his own well being then what was happening to his father and Thor effect it had on his mother.
008
i thought the fight at the end of the movie between willie and his son was very emotional. all he wanted to do was huge his dad and talk to him and he wanted nothing to do with him. also i thought that they way he walked out at the end (very slow and he kept looking back like this is the last night he was ever going to see his family) foreshadowed his death.
004
What makes a character a tragic hero? I wrote my character analysis on this topic, and thought it was extremely appropriate to reference some of my paper here …
First audience is introduced to a noble, well-respected man with high hopes for the future. They then witness him encounter a challenge, and are introduced to his flaw. They watch him suffer as he slowly looses his grip with reality, his power, his control, and the world as he once saw it. Finally, a moment of clarity comes for the tragic hero when he realizes that it was his own undoing. It is this realization, this epiphany that makes a tragic hero. When Willy Lowman walked out his front door for the last time he was still chasing his dream. He may have sacrificed himself, but not for the reason that motivates a tragic hero. It is because of the lack of this specific, but essential, character trait that Willy Lowman is not a tragic hero, but a man who fell victim to his pride in the pursuit of his ‘American Dream’.
Willy Lowman gave his life for his dream. When opportunities for him to prosper presented themselves, he turned them away because they were not part of his plan. He suffered from a flawed personality, and accepted death in his unwillingness to change. His actions and decisions directly resulted in the suffering of his family, both ecologically and emotionally. Willy Lowman unquestionably led a tragic life. He lived his life for his dream, only to chase it into his grave.
this story was a bit difficult to follow because of Willie Loeman's part and him being delusional. the movie was much easier to follow along with. the movie really made me understand Willie's character and what his selfless goals are. the rest of the family's role really begins to emerge as the story goes on. you discover that the mother is more aware of the current situation than anyone gives her credit for. the worthlessness of the sons come out as well towards the end of the story. the part that I'm still unsure about is the ending. i don't know whether to believe Willie committed suicide or if it was a legitimate accident.
that lat post was me -009
This movie was sad. Basically the movie really made me think about my own father and mother and how they are fairing since both my sister and I are now away in college. It was kind of like the mother and father were just stuck in limbo. Not really progressing but still urning for the promise that was in the past. I think it is unfortunate that Bif was so discouraged in life, after finding out that his father was cheating on his mother, that he completely gave up. The wife in a way reminds me of my mom in the fact that she doesn't want to disturb the peace with Willie, even though he is having these dilutions of what life used to be like and basically started to develop dementia. She just simply wanted everything to run smoothly but she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. The way that Willie freaked out and said that his son's failing wasn't his fault and that no one could blame that all on him is similar to the way my own father acts about me coming to art school or anything "bad" that my sister and I do. Kind of similar to the saying "success has many fathers, but failure is a bastard".-108
This movie had a lot of underlying issues that were faced. Theres growing up, raising a family. money, sickness (father, pride, strength,trust/distrust, knowledge. What i thought was really enjoyable about the film was the strength in which the family held together and stood by each other. Although the sons may have been in different places at different times as well as the father there was always support bewteen the family. What was heartbreaking to see and which showed a lot about one of the sons characters was because he walked in on his father while having another women. That was disappointing to watch because the father so "built up" to be a strong man in the movie when really he came to seem weak at that moment. I did enjoy thoguh at the end when the family finally had their "arguement" and laid everything on the table because it shows the strength that the family had and the "hidden" hardships each and everyone was going through. Although it was sad to see the father pass from a car accident there was much needed closure that not only the viewers needed to the movie but as well as the characters in the movie. The closure with his life ending in a car accident was the closure the whole family was looking, may not have wanted but the family did get the closure from all the ridiculous things father had been going through as well as themselves.
111
I think that Willie Loeman was selfish. He was the main reason that his family was as messed up as they were. I think that the mother knew that he was hard of his son Biff and was not showing Happy any attention. However, the mother wanted his sons to respect him and honor him even though he was losing his mind. It was sad that Willie did not know how to raise his sons and it seems as though he was crying out for help. I think when he realized something was wrong with Biff is when he saw how well Charley son was doing as a successful lawyer. With the weight of the bills on his shoulder, finding out after the affair he had how it destroyed his son life, he also thought that when he pass away his family will be better off without him.
102
Linda is a strong character. She puts up with a lot in this story however I do tend to disagree with her. Throughout the play, she does keep her sons in line and she seems like a responsible mother. I disagree with how she lets Willie act like he does. She is in a difficult position and I can understand that she does not want to interfere with Willie's stressful conditions but something could have been done to help him. Maybe what she did by letting him go was the best thing but it was super hard just to watch him fall like that.
100
this was my favorite story that out of all that we have read this quarter. Frank Miller is a brilliant writer. This play inspired me to look into more frank miller work. Great play!
# 117
I really like this story. I think with the way the economy is right now I have learned what's really important in life. I can totally relate to this story because at one point I was living beyond my means and having to realize that the hard way has been difficult. I didn't like the fact that Linda was in denial, she should have push her kids a little more and she needed to control the house fincanes. I think the problem was the whole family not just Willie. I thought Willie was selfish to not accept the job offer from his neighbor and it was very pathetic to see him lower his self so much to his boss who had no respect for him. I also hated the role Willie played as a father, being a good parent is not giving everything to the children. A parent is there to teach and to guide through life experiences not to be an enabler.
120
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