On Friday, we will begin with oral interp, then discuss Death of a Salesman, and then I'll give you introductory info and supplemental reading material over The Stranger.
In preparation for the Salesman discussion, I'd like to ask a few questions ahead of time. Anyone responding (substantively, of course, using examples from the text) on the blog BEFORE Friday's discussion will RECEIVE BONUS POINTS on the discussion grade. Multiple responses here will also count as part of your contribution to the discussion (though it doesn't replace your responsibility for participating in class).
Here are the questions to think about (and hopefully respond to):
1. What do you think is the significance of the play as a whole? In other words, what are Miller's messages/themes? How does he express these messages/ themes?
2. Which characters do you find most and least appealing, and explain why?
3. Do you have any sympathy for Willy or not? Explain specifically why or why not? Do you think Miller likes or sympathizes with any of his main characters?
4. The characters' various speeches at Willy's funeral/gravesite are very different. Charley, Biff, Happy, and Linda all have very different things to say at the end of the play. Which of the characters' dialogue stands out to you the most, and what do you think the words say about the characters themselves?
5. Did you like this play? Why or why not? Explain your thoughts using specific examples from the text.
You may respond to one or more of the questions, and as always you are encouraged to respond to each other as well. If you have a difficult time speaking in class, this is a good alternative way to contribute, THOUGH I SAY AGAIN......IT DOESN'T REPLACE the need to contribute in class as well:)
I hope you guys are having a good week. It has been strange not seeing everyone this week. I am excited to hear about how your presentations went. I've been hearing very good things about them.
7 comments:
I think Miller's theme in this play is that attention must be paid to the little guy. That is the guy who isn't so well known or famous, but works hard to achieve that goal. However superficial it may be,much like Willy is. This message can be heard when Linda says " Willie Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. ... But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. .. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person."
Another message is probably to know who you are, and follow your own dreams, not some generic "American Dream". This is mentioned near the end when Biff says that his father didn't know who he was and that he had the wrong dream. Biff realizes who he is and plans on doing what he feels is right unlike what his father did and ultimately Happy as well.
I really don't find Willy an appealing character. The way he thinks that personal attractiveness will get you anywhere you want to go. What he doesn't realize is that Biff's future is at risk because he doesn't care about school at all. Then when Willy feels so down he contemplates killing himself? It just seems as that he is a hard character for me to like because of his selfish mistakes.
I don't really have sympathy for Willy because he had other options, like the job Charley offered to give him and he didn't take. Also, he could have made more moeny while he was in Boston and made more contacts rather than having an affair. I don't think it was quite necessary for him to kill himself though. I do think he symathizes for Linda in the end, only because she has lost her husband more than once. She lost him when he was having an affair, and also now that he has died.
I don't find Happy very appealing...I think it's good to be supportive of the people you love, but it's like Happy is blind to the truth. It's almost as if he's afraid of the truth, the way he constantly tells Biff "don't say that." It annoyed me after a while. I think if he really loved Willy, he would be listening to Biff and trying to help him.
I think the tone of the book is to feel sorry for the little guy. I have found that I disagree with the theme, I hold my sorrow for people who are in a situation that they can't control, but WIlly Loman could have gotten out of his situation. He refused job offers from multiple people including his brother and his neighbor, and he knew what he was better at, but never really accepted it. So I do not feel sorry for Willy because he could have helped himself and gotten out of his situation.
I like your comments so far. I find it interesting that no one seems to have much sympathy, empathy, compassion, etc. for the main characters.
Does anyone find anything redeeming about the Lomans? I've always felt sorry for Willy, though he's a difficult character to sympathize with. His desperation to be close to Biff always gets sympathy from me. I also feel sorry for him for being so wrong-headed about the way he goes about things.
Good comments.....
I think the only Loman I feel sympathy for is Biff. He is the only male Loman that realizes who he is. While Happy and Willy view themselves incorrectly as big successes, Biff is able to see that the majority of his life has been spent trying to achieve the wrong goals. I feel bad for Biff's character because he realizes that he is basically a failure. I have no sympathy for Happy or Willy because as far as they are concerned, they are two very successful people.
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