Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 60

Thread: Death of a Salesman Discussion

  1. #16
    quadrabuster
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    an unmarked grave
    Posts
    32
    kill all salesmen,if a guy in a suit is selling it,he's definately up
    to no good

  2. #17
    quadrabuster
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    an unmarked grave
    Posts
    32
    Willy Loman's tragic flaw was he hadn't freed his willy in so long,that it feel back into the ocean and died a horrible life.
    just a joke or two to help out with your studies,laughter is a genuine medicine
    i'll let you get back to seriousville now.

  3. #18
    dancing before the storms baddad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    lat.51.7,long.114.13,1140m above sea level
    Posts
    1,159
    IMHO........Loman's flaw is one which Hamlet suffered 400 years before 'Death of a Salesman' was written. Loman is indecisive, unwilling to exert his volition, unwilling to take the chance on a new path, unwilling to act upon his own convictions, more willing to let things remain unfinished, unchallenged, rationalizing his failures, finding reasons outside of himself that justify inaction or a refusal to be in command of one's own destiny, willing to ignore his own inner voice and instead take the easy less confrontational path and thus avoid responsibility for his own actions..........sort of .........

  4. #19
    Heaven's light arabian night's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Bahrain
    Posts
    71

    Death of salesman

    I need to know a good answer for these questions in miller's play:

    1. Does miller seems to be making a political statement against capitalist way of life in the USA..

    2. In which way he critisises the american dream..

    Please i need your point of view and i would be grateful
    Last edited by arabian night; 10-07-2005 at 03:07 AM. Reason: spelling mistake
    "The aim, if reached or not, makes great the life: Try to be Shakespeare, leave the rest to fate!"
    Robert Browning

  5. #20
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    8,564
    Hello, arabian night.
    Arthur Miller I consider one of the most allegorical playwrights of modern times; he very well defines the contemporary identity of tragedy, distinguishing it much from classical tragedy.
    In my opinion, yes, in Death Of A Salesman Miller strongly advocates not necessarily against capitalism, but surely sheds light on some of capitalism's darker aspects, and those of the so-called 'American dream.'
    Though I have only read the play once, years ago, I specifically remember the main character, in essence, living to work and working to live - a very hard worker who, in a way, neglected the other aspects of his life. Capitalism, I believe, focuses much on competition and, so to speak, prospering who performs best in sales positions, leaving others behind in poor ruins. Furthermore, the termed 'American dream' revolves entirely around proclaimed success of earning lots of money, maintaining good funds, and stabilizing that throughout life.
    At the main character's funeral, we find it especially true that he spent his life pursuing such success of attaining the 'American dream' via capitalism. Realizing and calling this a tragedy, especially in persisting contemporary times, affects most strongly the reader, finding that, yes, Miller intended on focusing much on the weaknesses and tragedy in capitalism, the competition of life's proclaimed success, and the sadness of knowing one may spend his/her entire life in these allegorical endeavors.
    Good luck, and I hope I have helped.

    As a quick footnote, I believe Miller touched upon a lot of political views, which I attempted speaking of without great detail. In advance, if you, Logos, Scheherazade, or Admin, find my message against forum rules, speaking of politics, please notify me, and I will gladly edit my post, and apologize.
    Last edited by mono; 10-06-2005 at 09:34 PM.

  6. #21
    Heaven's light arabian night's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Bahrain
    Posts
    71
    Thank you very much mono you saved my day
    I agree that The american dream can leads one to his destruction if it was not fullfilled and if the person was blindly following the illusion of the american dream not being aware of any other chances and ways of life.
    As a good example is Willy when he insisted that his son would achieve the dream because he is "well-liked",but unfortunately Biff will not successed in being what his father thought, which will lead willy's into chaos and living in the great old times.
    On the other hand, I think if Biff has not failed his math test and if he compensate for it in the summer he maybe would have been another person ..just like his friend Bernard who studied and become a hit.
    I thank you again mono
    "The aim, if reached or not, makes great the life: Try to be Shakespeare, leave the rest to fate!"
    Robert Browning

  7. #22
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    11

    Unhappy Death of a Salesman - critical opinions


    If anyone knows a good source of critical opinions on Death of a Salesman, please reply!
    thanks xx

  8. #23
    Vincit Qui Se Vincit Virgil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    20,354
    Blog Entries
    248
    I did a google search and this came up: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...lesman&spell=1
    There must be something in one of those sites.
    LET THERE BE LIGHT

    "Love follows knowledge." – St. Catherine of Siena

    My literature blog: http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/

  9. #24

    Death of a Salesman

    I have to study Death of a Salesman for literature gcse in about a weeks time so I decided to do some last minute swatting. My question is, in your personal opinion who is to blame for Willy Loman's suicide? Apparently there is no right answer, but I have no idea and I need to have some sort of opinion before I take the exam...Plz help!

  10. #25
    Capitalist society and the norms and values that it promotes. Loman is discarded when he ceases to be useful to capitalist society.

  11. #26
    Me & Myself Shakira's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    India
    Posts
    1,467
    Despite his desperate searching through his past, Willy does not achieve the self-realization or self-knowledge typical of the tragic hero. The quasi-resolution that his suicide offers him represents only a partial discovery of the truth. While he achieves a professional understanding of himself and the fundamental nature of the sales profession, Willy fails to realize his personal failure and betrayal of his soul and family through the meticulously constructed artifice of his life. He cannot grasp the true personal, emotional, spiritual understanding of himself as a literal “loman” or “low man.” Willy is too driven by his own “willy”-ness or perverse “willfulness” to recognize the slanted reality that his desperate mind has forged. Still, many critics, focusing on Willy’s entrenchment in a quagmire of lies, delusions, and self-deceptions, ignore the significant accomplishment of his partial self-realization. Willy’s failure to recognize the anguished love offered to him by his family is crucial to the climax of his torturous day, and the play presents this incapacity as the real tragedy. Despite this failure, Willy makes the most extreme sacrifice in his attempt to leave an inheritance that will allow Biff to fulfill the American Dream.


    Ben's final mantra—“The jungle is dark, but full of diamonds”—turns Willy’s suicide into a metaphorical moral struggle, a final skewed ambition to realize his full commercial and material capacity. His final act, according to Ben, is “not like an appointment at all” but like a “diamond . . . rough and hard to the touch.” In the absence of any real degree of self-knowledge or truth, Willy is able to achieve a tangible result. In some respect, Willy does experience a sort of revelation, as he finally comes to understand that the product he sells is himself. Through the imaginary advice of Ben, Willy ends up fully believing his earlier assertion to Charley that “after all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.”

    A speech made by a friend of Willy's after his suicide is well known and ends with the lines: “Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.”
    Last edited by Shakira; 05-22-2006 at 08:16 AM.

  12. #27
    Do you write for spark notes?! If not I would get onto them for plagiarism!

  13. #28
    I would argue that this play is a tradegy. I thing Willy Loman was tempted by the prospect of the American Dream. The first mistake I think he made was choosing to live up to the salesman Dave Singleman (single man). Although Willy did lie about his affair and his wages I think that from time to time he doesnt realise that he's lying. He tells Biff that he is not a "dime a douzen", he thinks he actually is someone special and he is living the American Dream, when he clearly isnt.

    I think this play is a tradegy because Willy ruins the lives of his family. When Biff finds out about Willy's affair he is distraught. He no longer wants to strive to be sucessful and just gives up on going to university. Willy ruins Linda's life because she loved him and stood by him through everything and at the end of the play she makes the last payment on the house and "nobody will be there". She is a widow with two unsuccessful sons and no one to provide for her.

    I dont think Willy should be ridiculed because he only wanted what everyone wants, a successful career, a family, and a legacy. I think the most important thing to Willy is to be remembered. He tries to be a successful businessman, which doesn't work out. He tries to leave behind two successful sons to carry on the Loman name after his death, which didnt go to plan either. It comes to the night of Willy's suicide and he still hasnt left anything behind. And so he plants the garden. Ok so you may think that Willy planting the garden in the early hours of the moring shows his mental instability, however I would disagree. I think that there is method behind Willy's madness, he simply wants to leave behind something, and what is a better symbol for life and growth than a seed.

  14. #29
    ...................
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    182
    I've read TDOAS for school, and I found it dry, and hard to follow. But then again you should be reading plays, you should be seeing plays, in my opinion.

    As for Willy Loman, yes he has his faults, but I was driven to feel sorry for him at times, at other times I got a little to fed up with his incoherrency.
    Still I felt sorry for him, he worked his whole life for nothing really, he was old, broken, and unstable, had lost his job and couldn't afford to keep the household, he had one good for nothing womanizing son, another was a kleptomaniac who couldn't take it anymore, and told everyone their fortunes.

    Still I found it to be overall enjoyable, if not a bit hard to follow at times.

  15. #30
    Love of Controversy rabid reader's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    715
    Blog Entries
    3
    Quote Originally Posted by Stanislaw
    I am reading that play in English right now. i hate Willy. He is a real basterd. All he dose is use and abuse, and because his life is so pathetic he feels he must show off at home so he doesn't feel so pathetic. His death was not a loss.

    To be honest I wasn't a huge fan of the charactor McBeth... still a tragedy though. I beleive it was Arthur Miller who wrote the essay arguing that the failed attempts at acheiving the American Dream can count as tragedies becasue before that it was usally a word reserved for the fall of nobles
    A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him.
    - Orwell

    Read of my Shepherd

Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Death of A Salesman
    By gent258 in forum Author List:
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 09-21-2008, 10:14 PM
  2. Regret Of Death.
    By spacetoon in forum Short Story Sharing
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-28-2007, 02:59 AM
  3. Muslims Thoughts about Death
    By Bittersweet in forum Religious Texts
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-16-2003, 03:03 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •