The last article I read by Brent Staples was regarding race. He is a black man and wrote a very good article published on June 14th about the topic. Finishing off my reading, I have learned that Staples can write a quick entertaining editorial, and a gripping controversial piece. He does both very well and never fails to keep a reader intrigued.
"Even Now, There's Risk in 'Driving While Black'," is an editorial piece that speaks a strong message to the audience. He is speaking from his personal point of view. He speaks for the African American population having to cope with misconceptions in a sometimes unfair world. The first paragraph really grabs the reader because it supports his argument. "The experience of being mistaken for a criminal is almost a rite of passage for African-American men. Security guards shadow us in stores. Troopers pull us over for the crime of “driving while black.” Nighttime pedestrians cower by us on the streets." This statement was an emotional and attention grabbing way to start off this editorial.
He has a very strong, although biased, opinion towards the subject. Staples feels that the idea that the U.S. is becoming a "post racial" country is indeed a "lie." He uses various examples of when blacks were misjudged or the "American people" saw them in a negative light regardless of the honest circumstances. Staples talks about experiments done and data collected that showed African Americans are continued to be trapped by long lasting stereotypes.
Staples concludes his powerful argument by mentioning the election of our first African American president. He writes that although this may be a step, it is up to the people to change negative perceptions to ensure less harsh stereo types in the future. I loved this editorial because he had tons of data and examples of when his race affected a situation, whether that was a job interview or an experiment.
After reading, this one article has already opened my eyes to what is happening and what the people can and need to do. We are the ones causing pain and discomfort within our own community. In this day and age, biased opinions such as these should be unheard of. Sadly illustrated here, as a whole many Americans have not moved on from past stereotypes. After reading this article, Staples' argument stands strong, effective, and hopefully changed at least one heart.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Editorial Post Number Two
This article,"Wildlife," was published on July 14, 2011. It is an article about a personal experience that Staples went through. This experience was two raccoons that invaded his neighborhood in Brooklyn across from Lower Manhattan. He describes this as a very dramatic event that affected the entire community. While reading, it felt like an excerpt from a novel and I was on the edge of my seat. He uses creativity such as "As the news spread, houses went into lockdown. Cats and small children were swept indoors. Windows were shut tight. I got caught up in the moment and dialed 911." This makes it seem like the world is coming to an end, yet this gripping article is really just a simple story about two wandering raccoons.
This was a short and sweet article about an unusual experience. I enjoyed this article because it was like a short story instead of an argument. Staples is great at dramatizing a situation and getting readers into it. Even though it is not a scary, the way he writes makes the reader want to know what happens next. An example of a dramatized yet creative statement is, "An elderly neighbor told of friends who no longer walked on a nearby street at night for fear of running into big furry foragers." Staples is telling a story and I am believing and feel involved in it.
The article is brief and ends with describing the invaders as, "20 pounds of fangs and claws in a fenced-in urban yard." Picturing that image is a tad intimidating and as may be much, his creative word choice makes for a great story!
This was a short and sweet article about an unusual experience. I enjoyed this article because it was like a short story instead of an argument. Staples is great at dramatizing a situation and getting readers into it. Even though it is not a scary, the way he writes makes the reader want to know what happens next. An example of a dramatized yet creative statement is, "An elderly neighbor told of friends who no longer walked on a nearby street at night for fear of running into big furry foragers." Staples is telling a story and I am believing and feel involved in it.
The article is brief and ends with describing the invaders as, "20 pounds of fangs and claws in a fenced-in urban yard." Picturing that image is a tad intimidating and as may be much, his creative word choice makes for a great story!
Editorial Post Number One
I chose editorial writer Brent Staples form the New York Times. When I was searching for a writer, I chose Staples because his editorials and essays are included in "dozens of college readers throughout the United States and abroad." He seemed like he would write articles that would be interesting to an audience that is around my age. Staples writes about education, race, and culture which are all topics that make for interesting articles.
The first article I read, "Marvel Superheroes and the Fathers of Invention" was published on June 25, 2011. He has a very creative style and uses literary devices to spice up the article. When talking about legendary comic writer Jack Kirby, instead of saying Kirby created a character, he would say he breathed life into a character. Little details such as word choice indicate the formality of an article. Maybe if he was writing an article about hard politics, he would use more advanced vocabulary and more facts as opposed to imagery.
In this article Staples is on the side of Marvel legends Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. He goes into detail about how they created characters years ago that are still cherished today. Staples sides with the artists as opposed to big companies attempting to make money for their creative work. His position is evident in his closing statement when he writes,"There is no doubt that the King of Comics contributed far more to Marvel — and pop culture — than he has received credit for." Although he admits to letting the courts decide the legality of the copyright case, he demonstrates that he is in favor of Kirby receiving the credit due to him.
The first article I read, "Marvel Superheroes and the Fathers of Invention" was published on June 25, 2011. He has a very creative style and uses literary devices to spice up the article. When talking about legendary comic writer Jack Kirby, instead of saying Kirby created a character, he would say he breathed life into a character. Little details such as word choice indicate the formality of an article. Maybe if he was writing an article about hard politics, he would use more advanced vocabulary and more facts as opposed to imagery.
In this article Staples is on the side of Marvel legends Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. He goes into detail about how they created characters years ago that are still cherished today. Staples sides with the artists as opposed to big companies attempting to make money for their creative work. His position is evident in his closing statement when he writes,"There is no doubt that the King of Comics contributed far more to Marvel — and pop culture — than he has received credit for." Although he admits to letting the courts decide the legality of the copyright case, he demonstrates that he is in favor of Kirby receiving the credit due to him.
Final Post
Throughout this play, many themes were presented to the audience, and in this case the reader. A lot of them were spoken by the characters as broad statements about life in general. Some were more clear, while others took a while to completely understand.
One huge theme in this play is that money cannot buy one happiness. People in our generation are obsessed with success and specifically making inordinate amounts of money. Many citizens aspire to be in certain professions solely because of the salary. Although having financial support is important, I personally do not think you can or should base your entire life around it. At the end of the day, having many extravagant material possessions is not going to keep you content in the long run. Biff even says, "Why am I trying to become what I don't want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am!" This theme has been said in the payand repeatedly in reality.You cannot force yourself into a career just so you can make money.
One of my favorite quotes from this play was when Willy says, "The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress!" I love this motif because its a creative way of saying life is tough, can hold great things, and if you work hard you can achieve. You cannot expect to have the riches and success of life if you slack and do not try to make something of yourself. If you work hard, you will be rewarded and feel accomplished.
A final theme is following your dreams. As cliche as it sounds, the future and careers were a huge part in the lives of the characters. Everyone has a different dream they wish to achieve, and in this case Biff and Willy had different ideas. Willy was interested in the "American Dream" which is why he raised Biff in order to be achieved through his son. He wanted to be popular, and he loved living through Biff and his fame in high school. When Biff got off track, Willy became disappointed in him. The theme of living your dreams is important and ties in to money not being able to buy you happiness. This play showed that living for money does not measure up to the happiness gained from following your heart as opposed to being more concerned with your wallet.
One huge theme in this play is that money cannot buy one happiness. People in our generation are obsessed with success and specifically making inordinate amounts of money. Many citizens aspire to be in certain professions solely because of the salary. Although having financial support is important, I personally do not think you can or should base your entire life around it. At the end of the day, having many extravagant material possessions is not going to keep you content in the long run. Biff even says, "Why am I trying to become what I don't want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am!" This theme has been said in the payand repeatedly in reality.You cannot force yourself into a career just so you can make money.
One of my favorite quotes from this play was when Willy says, "The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress!" I love this motif because its a creative way of saying life is tough, can hold great things, and if you work hard you can achieve. You cannot expect to have the riches and success of life if you slack and do not try to make something of yourself. If you work hard, you will be rewarded and feel accomplished.
A final theme is following your dreams. As cliche as it sounds, the future and careers were a huge part in the lives of the characters. Everyone has a different dream they wish to achieve, and in this case Biff and Willy had different ideas. Willy was interested in the "American Dream" which is why he raised Biff in order to be achieved through his son. He wanted to be popular, and he loved living through Biff and his fame in high school. When Biff got off track, Willy became disappointed in him. The theme of living your dreams is important and ties in to money not being able to buy you happiness. This play showed that living for money does not measure up to the happiness gained from following your heart as opposed to being more concerned with your wallet.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Themes and Life Lessons
Blog Post #5- 8/2/11
Bernard is always there to remind Biff and his family that school is important. He is trying to give them a reality check and remind them that if Biff does not do well, especially in math, he will not be able to graduate. Biff cheats his way through and uses his fame to get other students to do his work. Willy disregards Bernard's advice and never says no or reprimands him. Willy says, "I never in my life told him anything but decent things." He is obsessed with Biff and molding him into the perfect man Willy wishes he could have been when he was young. He never says no because he is oblivious to his flaws and only focuses on his potential as a popular, successful man.
In one scene, Willy says, "The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress!" This is a huge theme that relates to reality. His witty saying basically says that one has to work very hard to achieve success. It is never easy and one cannot just breeze through life if they want to have ultimate prize. Another theme was spoken by Ben when he said, "Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You'll never get out of the jungle that way." In my eyes, the jungle Ben frequently speaks about symbolizes the harsh reality of life. He basically says that you have to do what you have to do in order to make the most of life. If it takes being sneaky, then so be it if you can attain what you want. This quote is a very interesting thought and I like the way this life motif was phrased.
Happy says for the third time that he has lost weight. This shows he is still trying to be noticed by Willy and praised. Willy later says that he feels, "kind of temporary," about himself. To me, this is a confession of his insecurities. Similar to Biff, he has not yet found himself. Also around this time in the play I was starting to understand that Willy is having flashbacks. At first it was very hard to determine what was the past and what was the present. Willy also talks to himself which was at first odd, but then became occurred frequently. His family is worried about his sanity because he is inside of his head and sometimes thinks he is in the past.
Bernard is always there to remind Biff and his family that school is important. He is trying to give them a reality check and remind them that if Biff does not do well, especially in math, he will not be able to graduate. Biff cheats his way through and uses his fame to get other students to do his work. Willy disregards Bernard's advice and never says no or reprimands him. Willy says, "I never in my life told him anything but decent things." He is obsessed with Biff and molding him into the perfect man Willy wishes he could have been when he was young. He never says no because he is oblivious to his flaws and only focuses on his potential as a popular, successful man.
In one scene, Willy says, "The world is an oyster, but you don't crack it open on a mattress!" This is a huge theme that relates to reality. His witty saying basically says that one has to work very hard to achieve success. It is never easy and one cannot just breeze through life if they want to have ultimate prize. Another theme was spoken by Ben when he said, "Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You'll never get out of the jungle that way." In my eyes, the jungle Ben frequently speaks about symbolizes the harsh reality of life. He basically says that you have to do what you have to do in order to make the most of life. If it takes being sneaky, then so be it if you can attain what you want. This quote is a very interesting thought and I like the way this life motif was phrased.
Happy says for the third time that he has lost weight. This shows he is still trying to be noticed by Willy and praised. Willy later says that he feels, "kind of temporary," about himself. To me, this is a confession of his insecurities. Similar to Biff, he has not yet found himself. Also around this time in the play I was starting to understand that Willy is having flashbacks. At first it was very hard to determine what was the past and what was the present. Willy also talks to himself which was at first odd, but then became occurred frequently. His family is worried about his sanity because he is inside of his head and sometimes thinks he is in the past.
Everybody Loves Willy
Blog Post #4- 7/28/11
I noticed Happy told Willy he has lost weight multiple times. Happy will say something like, "Im loosing weight, you notice, Pop?" Biff then immediately jumps in and mentions something about himself to focus Willy's attention. A couple pages later, Happy mentions again that he has lost weight and Willy does not even acknowledge him. This shows that Happy is desperate for a little bit of attention and praise for accomplishing something. He knows that his father is mainly concerned with Biff and he just wants to be noticed too. I noted that this was very sad how Willy has chosen a favorite child and focuses his attention solely on Biff. This small detail of Happy fishing for praise might be a reason why he became so outgoing as an adult. He realized that he had to be bold and go after what he wanted in order to be noticed.
Biff is appearing to be a leader to other boys his age. When his mother Linda said, "The way they obey him!" one can definitely tell that his team respects him and follows his commands. In this dialogue, I remembered that the big plans he had for Biff ended up not being fulfilled. This is sad because it makes me think of reality when many kids and their parents go through a similar situation.
A few pages later I wrote that Linda always keeps Willy in check. She reminds him about his finances and all the places his money has been going to. Whenever he feels down and is stressing about money, she will say something like, "Well, next week you'll do better." She is consistently supportive and encouraging regardless of his attitude towards her. After this he say, "I'm well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don't seem to take to me." Here he is saying that he uses his popularity for business and without that, he does not do as well. Linda proceeds to compliment him and tell him how proud she is of him. She is impressed by him when she talks about their sons and says, "Few men are idolized by their children the way you are." Linda obviously loves Willy and reassures him that he is indeed important.
Throughout the play, one may notice that Willy has a lot of pride. When Linda mends her stockings, he gets angry because he wants to be able to simply buy her new ones. She does not mind, but his pride flares up whenever he catches her mending them.
I noticed Happy told Willy he has lost weight multiple times. Happy will say something like, "Im loosing weight, you notice, Pop?" Biff then immediately jumps in and mentions something about himself to focus Willy's attention. A couple pages later, Happy mentions again that he has lost weight and Willy does not even acknowledge him. This shows that Happy is desperate for a little bit of attention and praise for accomplishing something. He knows that his father is mainly concerned with Biff and he just wants to be noticed too. I noted that this was very sad how Willy has chosen a favorite child and focuses his attention solely on Biff. This small detail of Happy fishing for praise might be a reason why he became so outgoing as an adult. He realized that he had to be bold and go after what he wanted in order to be noticed.
Biff is appearing to be a leader to other boys his age. When his mother Linda said, "The way they obey him!" one can definitely tell that his team respects him and follows his commands. In this dialogue, I remembered that the big plans he had for Biff ended up not being fulfilled. This is sad because it makes me think of reality when many kids and their parents go through a similar situation.
A few pages later I wrote that Linda always keeps Willy in check. She reminds him about his finances and all the places his money has been going to. Whenever he feels down and is stressing about money, she will say something like, "Well, next week you'll do better." She is consistently supportive and encouraging regardless of his attitude towards her. After this he say, "I'm well liked in Hartford. You know, the trouble is, Linda, people don't seem to take to me." Here he is saying that he uses his popularity for business and without that, he does not do as well. Linda proceeds to compliment him and tell him how proud she is of him. She is impressed by him when she talks about their sons and says, "Few men are idolized by their children the way you are." Linda obviously loves Willy and reassures him that he is indeed important.
Throughout the play, one may notice that Willy has a lot of pride. When Linda mends her stockings, he gets angry because he wants to be able to simply buy her new ones. She does not mind, but his pride flares up whenever he catches her mending them.
Monday, August 8, 2011
What a Simonizing Job!
Blog Post #3- 7/24/11
The phrase, "What a simonizing job," has been repeated many times so far. I wonder if this has any significance or if it simply a common phrase of the time. Another thing I noticed was that Willy says that Biff is too young to be "talking serious" to girls. This is quite ironic considering he appears to be in his thirties. I thought this was funny at first, but it is also a moment where Willy does not really understand how many years it has been since his sons were young.
Willy talks to himself a lot. He says that Biff should do schooling when he is way past that point in his life. He has likely graduated by this time and schooling is usually completed by now. I understand after completing the book that Biff did not end up graduating. Also Willy is having flashbacks. Since I am reading this play rather than watching it, it took me a while to understand when the time would change from past to present. When it is in the past, Willy is much happier.
He had big plans for his hot shot son Biff. At this time Biff is very concieted and very popular. He appears to be at the peak of his life in his high school days. He seems successful socially in high school which may be why Willy favors him over Happy. Ironically, the roles end up changing when the boys emerge into their adulthood. This is when Happy becomes the confident heartbreaker, and Biff is unsure of his next life move. Willy used to be so proud of Biff, and still expects this. Sadly Biff and thigns have changed and Willy cannot fully understand.
I also notice that Biff seems to be living in a dream world. Popularity cannot get you good grades high enough to graduate. Biff is obviously the favorite child and frequently distracts Willy. He uses new sneakers and talking about sports to distract his father from his horrible academics. Instead of giving him a hard time about exceeding in school, Willy focuses on his athletic career. Biff uses his success in sports as a crutch to get by in school and attain scholarships.
New character Bernard is trying to look out for him and his future. Willy assures him that his charisma and popularity will get him through high school and life. He also has this mindset for his own career and believes it is the best for him. Seeing how Willy turned out, and based on what I know in reality, is that this is not true. Popularity can only get you so far, because at some point you have to start putting in some hard work in order to really succeed. My prediction while reading was that this theory of success would not end up working out well for these Loman men.
The phrase, "What a simonizing job," has been repeated many times so far. I wonder if this has any significance or if it simply a common phrase of the time. Another thing I noticed was that Willy says that Biff is too young to be "talking serious" to girls. This is quite ironic considering he appears to be in his thirties. I thought this was funny at first, but it is also a moment where Willy does not really understand how many years it has been since his sons were young.
Willy talks to himself a lot. He says that Biff should do schooling when he is way past that point in his life. He has likely graduated by this time and schooling is usually completed by now. I understand after completing the book that Biff did not end up graduating. Also Willy is having flashbacks. Since I am reading this play rather than watching it, it took me a while to understand when the time would change from past to present. When it is in the past, Willy is much happier.
He had big plans for his hot shot son Biff. At this time Biff is very concieted and very popular. He appears to be at the peak of his life in his high school days. He seems successful socially in high school which may be why Willy favors him over Happy. Ironically, the roles end up changing when the boys emerge into their adulthood. This is when Happy becomes the confident heartbreaker, and Biff is unsure of his next life move. Willy used to be so proud of Biff, and still expects this. Sadly Biff and thigns have changed and Willy cannot fully understand.
I also notice that Biff seems to be living in a dream world. Popularity cannot get you good grades high enough to graduate. Biff is obviously the favorite child and frequently distracts Willy. He uses new sneakers and talking about sports to distract his father from his horrible academics. Instead of giving him a hard time about exceeding in school, Willy focuses on his athletic career. Biff uses his success in sports as a crutch to get by in school and attain scholarships.
New character Bernard is trying to look out for him and his future. Willy assures him that his charisma and popularity will get him through high school and life. He also has this mindset for his own career and believes it is the best for him. Seeing how Willy turned out, and based on what I know in reality, is that this is not true. Popularity can only get you so far, because at some point you have to start putting in some hard work in order to really succeed. My prediction while reading was that this theory of success would not end up working out well for these Loman men.
Getting to Know the Family
Blog Post #2- 7/16/11
I noticed as I read that Willy frequently complains. He is also very argumentative towards his family members. Linda always stays calm and sweet and continues to encourage him. She keeps reminding him that he has a tendency to dramatize a situation and make it a bigger deal that it needs to be. An example of her advising this to Willy is when she says on page eighteen, "You make mountains out of molehills." This is a smoother way of saying that he is stressing out over small problems.
Soon after this, there is a narrative description of the Loman sons Happy and Biff. I read this passage more than once in order to better grasp their personalities. For me I do not get confused as easily if I understand the characters' personalities. In their conversation, I picked up that Biff is lofty and is easily distracted. He wants to get himself together, but he is all over the place. He seems stressed and rants about this issue to Happy. He is conflicted because he thinks that he is wasting his life away and does not know how to go about changing this.
Happy is also not too motivated and even says he doesn't know what he's working for. He has an apartment, car, plenty of women, yet he is still lonely. This is a theme that is simple and applies to reality. Money cannot buy one happiness. It is not a very cryptic theme because it speaks for itself. Physical possessions are never going to truly and fully satisfy a man's heart.
At this point both of them are fed up. I noticed some irony when Biff said, "We weren't brought up to grub for money." This is completely contradicting of his father having plans for them to be salesmen.
I also find out that Happy is the heartbreaker type of guy. Many girls, including married ones, easily fall for him. He is proud of this, but he still does not feel content. He says that Biff is too sensitive, which is the opposite of Happy. I noticed this early in the reading and later discovered his sensitivity appears more later in the play.
I noticed as I read that Willy frequently complains. He is also very argumentative towards his family members. Linda always stays calm and sweet and continues to encourage him. She keeps reminding him that he has a tendency to dramatize a situation and make it a bigger deal that it needs to be. An example of her advising this to Willy is when she says on page eighteen, "You make mountains out of molehills." This is a smoother way of saying that he is stressing out over small problems.
Soon after this, there is a narrative description of the Loman sons Happy and Biff. I read this passage more than once in order to better grasp their personalities. For me I do not get confused as easily if I understand the characters' personalities. In their conversation, I picked up that Biff is lofty and is easily distracted. He wants to get himself together, but he is all over the place. He seems stressed and rants about this issue to Happy. He is conflicted because he thinks that he is wasting his life away and does not know how to go about changing this.
Happy is also not too motivated and even says he doesn't know what he's working for. He has an apartment, car, plenty of women, yet he is still lonely. This is a theme that is simple and applies to reality. Money cannot buy one happiness. It is not a very cryptic theme because it speaks for itself. Physical possessions are never going to truly and fully satisfy a man's heart.
At this point both of them are fed up. I noticed some irony when Biff said, "We weren't brought up to grub for money." This is completely contradicting of his father having plans for them to be salesmen.
I also find out that Happy is the heartbreaker type of guy. Many girls, including married ones, easily fall for him. He is proud of this, but he still does not feel content. He says that Biff is too sensitive, which is the opposite of Happy. I noticed this early in the reading and later discovered his sensitivity appears more later in the play.
My First Look at the Loman Family
My Introduction!
While reading Death of a Salesman, I chose to highlight and annotate in the book. This was so I could read and reflect on the play without having to be beside my computer. Doing this was easier instead of automatically writing my thoughts into my blog. Every few pages I would stop, go back, and write out on paper what would become my future blog posts. I am transferring my work onto the blog which explains why they are being posted so close together. I chose this system of working because it was easier for me, and made me feel more organized and accomplished. Now let the real blogging begin!
Blog Entry #1- 7/8/11
Before starting what I believed was a novel, I thought this was a biography. I know one should refrain from basing opinions upon the cover, but from it I perceived this as the story of a man's life from birth to death. Once I read the introduction and flipped to the page with the cast listing, I discovered that this was indeed a play. Throughout the first Act, I began to get to know the characters and their personalities. I read up to page thirty eight and then went back and reflected on my annotations.
I am currently at page thirty eight and am very curious about how the plot and characters will develop. I am wondering if and how they will change and mature throughout the play. My first opinion of who stands out as the main character, Willy Loman, is that he is a very tired salesman. He seems to be very hardworking, determined, and motivated for a life of fame and success within his community. It looks as if he is loosing his vigor and is starting to slow down.
On page fifteen he says, "Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there's nobody to live in it." This statement catches my attention because it stands true today. He is so determined to keep working despite the risks he must endure during travel. I personally like this outlook because it is very true. What benefit does one attain from making tons of money, if they may end up alone and far from happy? Linda, his wife, then says, "Life is a casting off. It's always that way." This second theme presented itself to me, although it was not quite as clear as Willy's statement. It is prevalent and something to consider thinking about for the duration of the play.
Jumping a few pages ahead, Willy and Linda are having a discussion about Biff's career. Or one could say in his eyes, a lack there of. He questions how he can find a life on a farm. I noticed that Linda is very supportive of her son Biff. Willy argues that he could easily get him a job in his career track. He says he could make a life of selling and that, "he could be big in no time." This dialogue shows what type of person Willy is. Everyone has seen it before, and now I am seeing it in this play. He is the type of father who makes big life plans for his son. Or in this case his sons. He desperately wants them to follow in his footsteps by pursuing the same type of job. This is a frequent plot detail that occurs in stories, movies, and in reality.
While reading Death of a Salesman, I chose to highlight and annotate in the book. This was so I could read and reflect on the play without having to be beside my computer. Doing this was easier instead of automatically writing my thoughts into my blog. Every few pages I would stop, go back, and write out on paper what would become my future blog posts. I am transferring my work onto the blog which explains why they are being posted so close together. I chose this system of working because it was easier for me, and made me feel more organized and accomplished. Now let the real blogging begin!
Blog Entry #1- 7/8/11
Before starting what I believed was a novel, I thought this was a biography. I know one should refrain from basing opinions upon the cover, but from it I perceived this as the story of a man's life from birth to death. Once I read the introduction and flipped to the page with the cast listing, I discovered that this was indeed a play. Throughout the first Act, I began to get to know the characters and their personalities. I read up to page thirty eight and then went back and reflected on my annotations.
I am currently at page thirty eight and am very curious about how the plot and characters will develop. I am wondering if and how they will change and mature throughout the play. My first opinion of who stands out as the main character, Willy Loman, is that he is a very tired salesman. He seems to be very hardworking, determined, and motivated for a life of fame and success within his community. It looks as if he is loosing his vigor and is starting to slow down.
On page fifteen he says, "Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and there's nobody to live in it." This statement catches my attention because it stands true today. He is so determined to keep working despite the risks he must endure during travel. I personally like this outlook because it is very true. What benefit does one attain from making tons of money, if they may end up alone and far from happy? Linda, his wife, then says, "Life is a casting off. It's always that way." This second theme presented itself to me, although it was not quite as clear as Willy's statement. It is prevalent and something to consider thinking about for the duration of the play.
Jumping a few pages ahead, Willy and Linda are having a discussion about Biff's career. Or one could say in his eyes, a lack there of. He questions how he can find a life on a farm. I noticed that Linda is very supportive of her son Biff. Willy argues that he could easily get him a job in his career track. He says he could make a life of selling and that, "he could be big in no time." This dialogue shows what type of person Willy is. Everyone has seen it before, and now I am seeing it in this play. He is the type of father who makes big life plans for his son. Or in this case his sons. He desperately wants them to follow in his footsteps by pursuing the same type of job. This is a frequent plot detail that occurs in stories, movies, and in reality.
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