The Death of a Salesman Essay Example for Free

The Death of a Salesman Essay The Death of a Salesman is one of Arthur Millers earlier plays and was written in 1949. The play is based in Yonkers, New York in 1940. Millers Father was in a substantial financial crisis as there was a recession which led the family business to be put in jeopardy. Due to the recession and the Miller financial crisis, Arthur had to pay for his own tuition to study journalism and play writing in the University of Michigan. All of Arthurs plays were based on his life and all of the experiences he had encountered. Miller wrote his plays this way as he would have a first hand account of the events. The Death of a Salesman is a disguise of Arthur Millers past time of his family businesss bankruptcy and financial crisis. In The Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is in a crisis. Hes about to lose his job, he cant pay his bills, and his sons Biff and Happy dont respect him and cant seem to live up to their potential. He wonders what went wrong and how he can make things up to his family. Willy Loman is a small, old man who believes he is of no significance. He just hopes for his children to do the best and be happy with what they achieve in life. Willy elaborates with images from the past and convinces himself that all is ok. It isnt. His role idolises a great salesman of his time, now to be just of an old age that sells his personality and doesnt publicly display his withering mind and aggression. Linda Loman is Willys loyal wife and a loving heart to his hopes and ideas. She suffers as his mind deteriorates because she knows his mind is beyond help. She has always had faith in Willy and in all his respects. All she wants is to be happy with what she has but the family feuds are preventing her from doing so. Biff Loman is a 34 year old son of Willy who has been searching for himself while working on farms in the west to the dismay of his father. Happy Loman is the younger brother of Biff who tries in all he can to please his father and attempts to continue his fathers dream after the climax in the book. In the duration of this investigation, I am trying to find out To what extent does Miller uses relationships in Death of a Salesman to expose Willys weakening grasp on reality in act one? Linda and Willy have a very insecure relationship. They never discuss their thoughts and opinions in a one to one conversation and bottle up all of their emotions. Linda trys to help Willy as she knows he is under a lot of emotional troubles. The relationship is very one sided because Linda never finds the courage to stand up to him and lets him boss her around, loosing all senses of free will. Linda is a reserved individual and doesnt like to share her thoughts and opinions because she is intimidated by Willy as he will find bad ways of dealing with the anger and stress this may cause upon his relationship with Linda. Willy and Lindas relationship shows Willys weakening grasp on reality as he isnt able to admit defeat on anything and is unable to tell Linda of his incapabilities and weaknesses. As he is losing the plot and his mental capability, he thinks it is time to go. He decides for the extreme option of suicide, he isnt aware that he is leaving obvious clues and evidence of this mind turning attitude. Linda says during a conversation with her husband Willy dear youre the handsomest man in the world. This quote tells me that Linda is an admirer of Willy and doesnt want to put him down. She is trying many psychological techniques to stop him from losing himself, one of which is reassurance which would make him feel loved and cared for, to make him feel his purpose. Lindas reassurance seems to fail to please Willy as she just finds more evidence of attempts of suicide. All of Millers language corresponds with the characters predicted attitude as this is a generalisation speech of a person of this kind of attitude, for example; Willy being a socially insecure individual, the comments of the people around him reassure his thoughts and have made him become arrogant. Miller continuously puts a negative concept on the American Dream bring references to the negative factors. Another relationship which shows Willys weakening grasp on reality is the one shared by Ben and Willy, they both participate in an awkward relationship as Willy is jealous of Ben. Ben is a very self absorbed individual but despite he is idolised over, he is successful but an idiotic character. The man knew what he wanted then he went out and got it! This phrase tells us the he is an arrogant character who has achieved his own concept of the American Dream but is the gluttonous approach. Willy believes that Ben is some kind of hero but to everybody else, he is a bit short of a hero. As Willy is jealous of Ben, he feels he needs to live up to his brothers influences and he then lies to Linda about his achievements. Eventually, Linda discovers what Willy is doing and he then contradicts himself. These factors show that he is losing his grasp on reality because he isnt able to admit defeat and failure. This relationship is unstable because they are constantly trying to out-do each other and be better that the other. However this usually ends in family feuds or leading the lower person to become depressed. This causes tension between the two as well, making several situations awkward. Ben thinks that he is better that Willy and he thinks that Willy is of a lower social class to him. Willy knows Bens opinions and thoughts of these situations se he tries to do the opposite to Bens thoughts. Willy says to Ben, Oh sure theres snakes and rabbits out here and thats why I moved out here, why, Biff can fool any of these trees in no time! Willy says this to Ben because Ben doesnt understand why Willy moved to the City. Willy furthermore tries to make out that he likes living in the city and isnt just there for a job. Willy wants to try and make Ben see the real Willy Loman and not all the pain and disappointment beyond his smug grin. This contributes to Willys loosing grip on reality, as he always feels like he has to be better and sometimes he feels as though he has failed as a businessman. The reader can see this as Willy says to Linda, The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle and comes out, the age of twenty one, and hes rich. He is talking about Ben, and Willy is implying that all his life he has worked as a businessman and never achieved; whereas Ben had achieved greatly and at such a young age also. He feels as though he isnt good enough and that he has to lie to Linda as he doesnt want her to think that he is useless, incompetent and that Ben in much better than him. The final relationship which Miller uses to show Willys weakening grip on reality is with Willys eldest son, Biff. When Biff and Happy were boys, they respected Willy as if he was a man of high importance. Linda told the boys, Few men are idolised by their boys the way you are. This quotation shows that Willy and the boys were close at one point but now Biff and Willy are constantly arguing with each other and Willy does this because biff isnt being the best he can be and fulfilling his true potential. Biff isnt successful in Willys eyes and I know this because Willy quoted Biff is a lazy bum. This quote shows that Willy thinks that Biff is worthless but then, when Willy contradicts himself by saying, If theres one thing about Biff, he is not lazy, this show a loss of grip on reality because he is constantly changing his mind. Arthur Miller uses several forms of dramatic techniques in the duration on the play, many of which reveal Willy Lomans weakening grasp on reality in unexpected forms. In the set, the walls are all just frames; therefore you can walk through them as if they werent actually there. This effect gives the viewer the feeling that Willy has lost his mind and isnt able to see the obvious and therefore dismays peoples perspectives on him, that he is a fool, idiotic and worthless. The laugh in the background is the laugh of a woman from Willys past, a woman Willy had an affair with. The woman is laughing at the deceitful lies Willy is telling Linda about his days earnings because he is keeping money aside for her and is leaving less money to support the family. Willy is under a financial crisis as he is putting his money towards the welfare of two women. The laugh symbolises society laughing at his because he is a fool and everybody knows it. Society mock Willy because he has to borrow money from his son in able to make his wife believe that he has more earnings than he does after he splits them two ways, also that his tricks are obvious and manipulative upon Linda.. All of the dramatic devices are effective because they show societys opinion of Willy Loman, just a depressed elderly man in marriage and financial troubles. To conclude, the relationships in this family are all messed up and have come undone. The relationships are a straight jacket on the familys communication and chains are weighing Willy and Linda down, to the point, suicide is an option. The boys, Biff and Happy are being unsociable towards Willy and he isnt able to cope with all of the dilemmas that he is putting up with at that point. (I dont know what else to write in the conclusion, I have followed the guidelines but I dont know how to conclude about the relationships.)

Federico Lorcas The House of Bernarda Alba and Isabel Allendes The Ho

Federico Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba and Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits Society, and its influences upon the characters, plays a pivotal role in the development of the story in Federico Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba" and Isabel Allende's "The House of the Spirits." Though the characters in each literary work were influenced by a range of societal pressures, three major influences dominate both works. The Church, male dominance over women, and socio-economic status (in other words, one's social class) are all sources of the greatest societal pressures upon the characters. In order to understand why these societal pressures had such a great influence upon the characters, it is important to understand the setting of each story. "The House of Bernarda Alba" is set in a small village in rural Spain at about the same time as the play was written, which was just before the Spanish Civil War. In rural Spain, like many rural areas across Europe, traditional values and social systems were prevalent among the small villages. As a result, these rural areas, like much of European society at the time, were largely backwards in their social structure with class divisions still existent and society dominated by males. Also, as is quite apparent in the play, religion in the form of the Catholic Church had a huge influence over the lives of the people. "The House of Bernarda Alba" portrays the lives of five sisters living in a village in rural Spain who have been heavily repressed by the society that they live in. They live in a restricting and unforgiving society where men exercise great control over women, the Church wields such an influence that it can ostracize individuals that do not confo... ... pressures have upon a society. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [i] Lorca, Federico. The House of Bernarda Alba. Page 47. [ii] Lorca, Federico. The House of Bernarda Alba. Page 48. [iii] Allende, Isabel. The House of The Spirits. Page 3. [iv] Lorca, Federico. The House of Bernarda Alba. Page 37. [v] Lorca, Federico. The House of Bernarda Alba. Page 22. [vi] Lorca, Federico. The House of Bernarda Alba. Page 21. [vii] Lorca, Federico. The House of Bernarda Alba. Page 43. [viii] Allende, Isabel. The House of The Spirits. Page 146-147. [ix] Lorca, Federico. The House of Bernarda Alba. Page 5. Bibliography: Allende, Isabel. The House of The Spirits. Bantam Books: New York, 1993. Lorca, Federico Garcia. The House of Bernarda Alba. Nick hern Books Limited: London, 1999.

Flood

Flood Essay The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis are ancient texts that were widely read and are continually examined today. Although both stories discuss global floods enforced by the gods, there are both similarities and differences of time, historical background and context, the way the stories are told, and the animals and people on board the arks. These two stories have similar plots that involve the lessons that teach one to embrace the reality of their mortality, to do right, and stay on the straight and narrow which will lead to reward.In modern day life, these morals are still enforced and can lead to success, good fortune, and honor. The two floods incorporate long, treacherous processes to gain lengthened life. Utnapishtim from The Epic of Gilgamesh and Noah from the Bible portray the benefits of sacrifices made. The Epic of Gilgamesh was written around 2000 B. C. , while the oldest parts of the Old Testament of the Bible were written around 1000 B. C. This suggests that â₠¬Å"The Story of the Flood,† from Genesis, was based off the original â€Å"Story of the Flood† from The Epic of Gilgamesh.In correspondence with time, the duration of the flood was a precise period of time in both texts. However, in The Epic of Gilgamesh, â€Å"For 6 days and 6 nights, the winds blew, torrents and tempests and the flood overwhelmed the world,† and in Genesis, â€Å"†¦the rain was upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights,† (7:12). The time it took to build the ark was approximately seven days for Utnapishtim and up to one hundred years for Noah.The time period that these two renowned pieces of literature were written are important parts of information that affect the historical background and context. The historical contexts of the two works are similar in the sense that both stories took place in the Middle East. However, after the flood, the ark was grounded on Mount Nisir in The Epic of Gilgamesh while it was grounded on Mount Arara t in Genesis. The Epic of Gilgamesh specifically takes place in Mesopotamia, one of the first civilizations, which explains why this epic was the oldest work of Sumerian literature.Both stories were passed down and continually reshaped. The Epic of Gilgamesh was reshaped by Babylonians and preserved in an Assyrian King’s library. Although both of the texts were narratives, The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in first person point of view, told by Utnapishtim, and Genesis was written in third person point of view. The authors of both stories are undetermined because The Epic of Gilgamesh does not have a determined single author and many people believe the Bible to be â€Å"the word of God. The two pieces of literature have many constant underlying similarities. In relation to the animals and people on board the ark, there are common occurrences with slight variations.A man was chosen to survive both floods. Utnapishtim in The Epic of Gilgamesh, explained to Gilgamesh, â€Å"Ea because of his oath warned me in a dream. He whispered their words to my house of reeds, ‘†¦tear down your house and build a boat, abandon possessions and look for life, despise worldly goods and save your soul alive. † On the other hand, Noah was told to â€Å"make thee an ark,† (6:14) because â€Å"†¦Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,† (6:8) and was â€Å"perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God,† (6:9). Both men could bring others upon the ark. Utnapishtim says â€Å"I loaded into her all that I had of gold and of living things, my family, my kin, the beasts of the field both wild and tame, and all the craftsmen,† while God informs Noah that â€Å"thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee,† (6:18).Utnapishtim and Noah each brought a male and female of each animal, but in Genesis, Noah took â€Å"†¦every clean beast thou shalt take to thee b y the sevens†¦ and of beasts that are not clean by two. † Man and mankind as a whole were the reasons behind the flood. Specifically, â€Å"The uproar of mankind [was] intolerable and sleep [was] no longer possible by reason of the babel. † in The Epic of Gilgamesh, and, â€Å"†¦God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually,† (6:5), in the Bible.Once the floods ended, both men sent birds to test for land; a dove, swallow, and then a raven from Utnapishtim and a raven and dove from Noah were used. After the flood, both heroes made sacrifices. Utnapishtim â€Å"†¦threw everything open to the four winds, made a sacrifice and poured out a libation on the mountain top,† using the seven cauldrons, and Noah â€Å"†¦builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean foul, and offered burnt offerings on the altar,† (8:20).The gods in both stories smelled the â€Å"sweet savor,† protruding from the sacrifices. The two stories discussing the destructive floods put into action by the gods portray the morals learned by Utnapishtim and Noah. These morals include: coming to an understanding of their mortality, embracing their humanity, and being rewarded for doing something right. After both floods, the chosen men were granted an â€Å"extension of life† or â€Å"ensured safety. † Utnapishtim was granted immortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh.God made a promise to Noah of the Bible, â€Å"I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake†¦ neither will I again smite any more every living thing, as I have done,† and â€Å"I will establish my covenant in you, [Noah],† (9:11). This covenant, or promise, was established in Noah and symbolized by a rainbow. The variations of historical background and context, the way the stories are told, and the ani mals and people on board the arks illuminate how stories with similar plots, archetypes, symbols, themes, and underlying ideas can still differ from one another and also share many similarities.

William Penn Essay - 727 Words

William Penn William Penn was born and raised in England, but he is well known for what he did in the Americas. First and foremost, William Penn was a religious nonconformist and writer: he wrote numerous religious books over his lifetime. Second, Penn is responsible for the â€Å"holy experiment†: the colony of Pennsylvania. He was a Quaker advocate, and as a proprietor had the opportunity to practice the Quaker Peace testimony. Penn was interested in religion from the time he was a child. When he was twelve years old he had the opportunity to hear testimony from a traveling Quaker minister, Thomas Loe. Penn was touched by Loe’s message, and sought the ‘authentic Christian message’ rather then focusing on ‘institutional’ religion. At the†¦show more content†¦He wanted to get the word out about his religion and he wasn’t going to be discouraged. After William was released, he wrote Innocency with Her Open Face, and wrote a number of other works on his Quaker faith. In 1681, Penn and 11 other Quakers brought the Proprietary rights to east New Jersey. King Charles II owed Penn’s father, Admiral Sir William Penn, and in return Penn persuaded the king to grant him a â€Å"vast province on the west bank of the Delaware River† (Samuel, 2000). It was named Pennsylvania, which means Penn’s woods, after his father. Penn decided that his colony was going to be different from the rest of the colonies in that they were going to be a Quaker based colony. He believed in a â€Å"divine right of government† and formed the government of Pennsylvania as a â€Å"holy experiment† in governing. This type of government is considered being ahead of its time as it set forth a representative form of government. The penal system was designed to reform not just punish, and â€Å"all prisoners except capital prisoners were entitled to bail, work houses were substituted for dungeons and the death penalty was limited to murder and treason †. 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Penn and Winthrop had their own separate approaches to politics but they both sought a more just system than the one in England. After being persecuted, both Penn and Winthrop wanted their people to be free worship, but Penn and WinthropRead MoreThe Colonial Settlements Of The Quakers1753 Words   |  8 PagesQuakers, who are also known as the Society of Friends, who settled in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in colonial times. The history surrounding the establishment and growth of the Quaker colonies of West Jersey and Pennsylvania will be discussed. William Penn’s efforts in establishing the colonies of West Jersey and Pennsylvania were paramount to Quakers immigrating to America. John Fenwick also played a major role in founding the colony of West Jersey, which is now known as New Jersey and the laterRead MoreElizabeth I And Later The English Monarchs Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesPennsylvania. William Penn s laws would help expand, but also limit, religious freedom in Pennsylvania. In the 1670s Penn helped to transform the struggle politically and intellectually, and his contribution is present in the framing of Government and the early laws of Pennsylvania. As the state of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn in 1682, Penn s life was all about his opposition to persecution for religion. As a safe place for Quakers to live and practice their faith. ‘’Penn welcomed settlersRead MoreElizabeth I And Later The English Monarchs Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesPennsylvania. William Penn s laws would help expand, but also limit, religious freedom in Pennsylvania. In the 1670s Penn helped to transform the struggle politically and intellectually, and his contribution is present in the framing of Government and the early laws of Pennsylvania. As the state of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn in 1682, Penn s life was all about his opposition to persecution for religion. As a safe place for Quakers to live and practice their faith. ‘’Penn welcomed settlersRead MoreA History Of The Gilpin Family2181 Words   |  9 Pagesintegral part of American History since their arrival in 1695. The family, who arrived, as part of an initial large wave of Quakers in America, carved out a place in American, more specifically Quaker History. Coming to America, at the invitation of William Penn, and deeply embroiled in significant events in American History, the Gilpin s were early founders of Pennsylvania. Their Quaker background proved to be of primary importance in precisely how the family participated in important events, like