The+American+Dream

1: What is the American Dream? Put pics, list ideas from previous discussions
 * A world where people can succeed to their maximum depending on their ability, not their heritage
 * Freedom where citizens can achieve all their goals in life through hard work
 * Now, it is often interpreted as the gain of greater material wealth

[|http://www.pixelmarx.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/check-out-of-american-dream.jpg]

[|http://www.personal.kent.edu/~areischu/American%20Gothic%20Parody.gif]

2: Place your worksheet with character traits on this page

Willy Loman: • Starting to break down • Impatient • Frustrated • Tired • Constantly reminiscing • Wishes Biff would have more success in life • Feels unappreciated • I think he also sees his wife as slightly interfering

Linda: • Loving • Admiring • Defensive of her sons • Sensitive • Caring • Thoughtful

Biff • Strong • Feels worthless • Unsuccessful • Feels like he should have accomplished more • Close with his brother

Happy • Feels like there is something missing in his life • Close with his brother • Reasonably content • Sexy

3: What are the conflicts that arose in today's scene?

Willy x self I think this is the biggest conflict in the story so far. You can see how worried Willy is about his chances of succes, business, finance, his own image in business, his affair with another woman, and most of all, how Biff still cannot get a proper job.

Biff x self This is also a pretty big conflict in this story, because Biff used to be a pretty popular person, but now he feels like he's useless because he doesn't have the motivation to get a proper job, and all he really wants to do is to open a ranch of his own.

4: What are the things Willy is worried about

As said above: -Chances of succes, -Business -His own image in business relationships (being "liked") -Finance -His affair with another woman -Biff still cannot get another job.

Reflections at the end of Act One
Now that we have completed Act One of the play, please answer the following questions:

1. Describe the relationship between Ben and Willy. What does Willy think of Ben and how does Willy see himself in relation to Ben? Ben was Willy's elder brother (now deceased). Willy always looked up to him and respected him a lot. I think that Willy always saw Ben as a person who was much more successful than he, a warm yet distant figure. Now, when he is in especially bad times, he often looks back on what his brother told him, and the advice that he was given, and all the opportunities that he lost.

2. What values is Willy teaching his sons? Willy keeps teaching his sons that they always have to be well-liked by people in order to succeed. He believes that making a good impression on people and retaining a good image is the most important thing to do to succeed. However, although this is what he keeps telling his sons, he himself has completely failed to achieve this.

3. What should Linda do now that she knows that Willy is thinking about suicide? It's a very hard situation for her right now. She's afraid of Willy committing suicide just so the family can get some insurance money, but she's also afraid of taking away the gas pipe. She wants to respect his pride and she doesn't want to humiliate him by letting him know that she knows that he wants to commit suicide.

4a. Which character do you have the most sympathy for? Has your opinion of this changed from the middle of the Act? Comment on how you feel about this character. I have the most sympathy for Willy (even more after watching the movie with Dustin Hoffman as Willy). In the beginning he was the only well-developed character that I could see, and even as the story progressed, he remains the most realistic and round character of all. He has very realistic struggles with his life and his inner turmoil and confusion is very apparent through his various flashbacks. He's practically going insane with it. And yet, through it all, you see a person who is still doing his utmost to support the family and uphold his pride. He still tries to think of his family first.

b. Is this a character you like the most and why? Yes, Willy is my favorite character because he shows the same kind of inner confusion that many people have and reflects the hardships in the lives of many people living today.

c. If not, who do you like the most and why?

5. Predict whether Biff's business ideas will be successful. I don't think they will be, because "Death of a Salesman" is supposed to be a tragedy. Even if they are successful, I'm sure the plans will soon collapse.

5: Why is Willy's house so important to him? Because it's a house he's earned money for 25 years to pay off the mortgage for, and it's a house he wants Biff to have in the future.

6: Why do you think Miller often shifts between the past and present? What is the effect of this technique? I think Miller shifts between the past and the present to present different sides of the character as the story moves along. I think the slightly confusing factor adds to the atmosphere of the play because a lot of the main characters aren't sure of themselves... and they have a lot of confusion about their lives themselves.

7: What does WIlly's reaction to the sight of Linda mending socks show about him? It shows he is guilty about his relationship with the other woman I also think it means something about he doesn't like being reminded that they don't have any money to spare

Because it's a house he's earned money for 25 years to pay off the mortgage for, and it's a house he wants Biff to have in the future.
 * 1: Why is Willy's house so important to him? **

I think Miller shifts between the past and the present to present different sides of the character as the story moves along. I think the slightly confusing factor adds to the atmosphere of the play because a lot of the main characters aren't sure of themselves... and they have a lot of confusion about their lives themselves.
 * 2: Why do you think Miller often shifts between the past and present? What is the effect of this technique?**

Willy thinks it’s his fault that Biff didn’t go to summer school because when Biff came up to Boston to see him, The Woman had just been in the room. Because of this, the fact that Willy had been having an affair with another woman was revealed. This was a huge shock to Biff, who had always respected and admired his father. He fell into despair upon learning that his father was not the man he had always looked up to. I think that Willy’s self-blame is justified on this aspect, because it is his fault that he was having an affair with another woman. However, I think that the fact that he was having an affair was, no matter how wrong, very understandable, because loneliness is a very hard emotion to deal with.
 * 3. Why does Willy think it's his fault that Biff did not go to summer school? Comment on whether you think Willy's self-blame is justified.**

I think that Willy turns down Charley’s offer of a job because first of all, as Charley said, he’s jealous of him and doesn’t want to feel like he’s bowing down to him by working under him. A lot of it has to do with pride and self-respect, but then he ends up always borrowing money from Charley anyway.
 * 4. Why do you think Willy turns down Charley's offer of a job?**

Happy goes quite high and sees everything rather optimistically, and keeps ranting on and creating an image of success for Willy. Biff gets somewhat disorientated by the alcohol, but overall he still sees things quite clearly, and tries to get his point across to Willy that he didn’t even get to see the person. However, with Happy and Willy plowing on about his success, he has a very hard time saying what he wants to say, and is often swayed back and forth into saying things he doesn’t really mean.
 * 5. How does alcohol affect Biff's and Happy's grasp of the truth?**

It shows he is guilty about his relationship with the other woman I also think it means something about he doesn't like being reminded that they don't have any money to spare
 * 6: What does Willy's reaction to the sight of Linda mending socks show about him?**

I think he made up his mind to commit suicide since right after he realized he got fired. I think the only thing that could have changed his mind was if Biff had landed a big job, but after Biff finally gets to tell him that he didn’t get a job, I think his mind was set. Although later we have that scene where Biff gives Willy a piece of his mind and breaks down crying, and Willy realizes that Biff was never trying to spite him at all, I think this only solidified his decision more. I think this incident would have made Willy realize that his sons actually did respect and love him, and he would be able to be remembered and respected even after his death.
 * 7. When does Willy make up his mind to commit suicide? Explain whether anyone could have changed his mind?**

It means that he doesn’t have any possessions anymore; he doesn’t have any hope anymore; it represents his gradual loss of sanity; he’s reminiscing about the old days and wants to go back to the old times
 * 8. Willy worries because, "Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground." How might this statement be symbolic?**

I would probably respond by first descending into a hissy fit and have a shouting match until my voice gave out. I usually like to think of myself as a rational person who has a clear mind, but unfortunately, I seem to have recently taken on one of my mother’s traits in being easily offended/freaked out even when the other person doesn’t mean it. When that happens, I can often remind myself not to do that, but if my kid suddenly started yelling all these things at me, something inside of me would probably snap (sigh… it is true that kids grow to be like their parents, after all). However, later I would probably calm down and start listening to what they are telling me about themselves. I think that after I calm down, I could accept things quite easily.
 * 9. Biff confronts his father with some very harsh truths. If you were Willy, how would you respond?**

Requiem
1. Which character in the play has the best understanding of the truth about Willy? Explain why you think so. ** I think Biff, at the end of the story, has the best understanding of Willy. Biff knows about his father’s faults and his pride. Biff knows how much Willy loved his family, and how much he’s sacrificed for the family. He knows about his father’s financial situation, and what lies he’s told to spare his pride. He knows about his suicidal thoughts and he understands his father’s misconceptions.

I see Willy as a tragic hero who dedicated his life to a business which he didn’t really understand, or have the right qualities for. He was a man of ideals, trying to live on his pride and principles.
 * 2. Explain whether you consider Willy a tragic hero or a failure.**

Free from debts/ free from Willy’s depression/ fre e from constantly having to worry about Willy
 * 3. Linda's last words are, "We're free...We're free...." How do her words have more than one meaning?**

Post Reading Interview Questions - You should be able to answer all of these questions in discussion with a group or partner

I think that Biff is the most important character in the story. Willy could have been switched with just about any other miserable father with his job close to dying on him, but Biff really… has to be Biff, because he is what the story uses to reflect on Willy’s nature and his past. Willy is central to the plot because he is the biggest of Willy’s inner conflicts and what has driven him to do many things in the past, what has caused him to act the way he does. Biff is important because the plot moves along by bouncing between him and Willy.
 * 1. Who do you think is the most important character in the play? Give reasons for your opinion.**

His image of himself is a person who is well-liked, proud, and important. He is torn away from this image of himself when he starts to make less and less sales, he realizes that people are talking about him behind his back, and in the end, his personality makes him unbearable to be around.
 * 2. Arthur Miller says that a tragedy shows the disaster of "being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world." What is Willy's image of himself> How is he "torn away" from his image?**

It’s hard to say exactly who, but if I had to pick a person who is responsible for Willy’s failure more than the others, it would be Linda. Linda, while always trying to be encouraging, only sought to cheer Willy up. However, because she didn’t fully understand his inner turmoil, she was never able to get down to the root of the problem and thus her words were never able to truly affect Willy – as far as we can see. Also, she always convinced Willy that he was doing well enough, and held him back from striving for bigger things – such as that huge opportunity to go to Alaska with Ben. However the biggest problem of all still lay within Willy, who was unable to see these problems for himself. Despite being a grown man, he couldn’t see past the surface of most problems and spent most of his time mired within his own confused reminiscences. One particular incident that stands out for me is the time when Biff confronts Willy at the end of the story. It’s not exactly a happy incident, but in a way it’s like… the resolution of the biggest conflict in the story. I like this part a lot because Biff was finally able to tell his father what he’d been trying for years, and Willy actually heard what he was saying, and accepted it. I think it’s talking about how distant the American Dream is, and how so many people die without ever being to reach it. That’s what it is, a dream.
 * 3. Who or what do you think is most responsible for Willy's failure?**
 * 4. Does any particular image or incident from the play stand out in your mind? If so, describe the image or incident and why you find it significant. You can also discuss one of these items:**
 * Willy's discussion with Howard
 * WIlly's belief in the importance of being "well-liked"
 * Linda's insistence that "attention must be paid"
 * Willy's funeral
 * 5. What do you think this play says about the "American Dream"?**

Biff – he has a very good recognition of Willy’s sorrows, troubles, and his personality. He also has a pretty good recognition of success and failure, as can be seen from his discussions with Happy and Linda about his own desires, and about what his father has done. Charley – he knows about Willy’s financial situation very well Bernard – he knows about Willy’s financial situation and about his problems with Biff.
 * 6. "Anagnorsis" means "recognition of truth." Comment about which character(s) in the play recognize the truth about Willy and about personal success or failure.**

I think that from Miller’s definition of a tragic hero, Willy Loman can be considered one because most of the mistakes he kept making were for his sense of “personal dignity” and in the end he died for it. From the site – Aristotle’s views on the Tragic Hero: Well, before Willy Loman died, he kind of resolved his conflict with Biff. That was a kind of increase in awareness. I think that once he gets over the grief and shock of losing Willy, he’ll be able to find work. Part of the reason he was having so much difficulty, is, I think, because of Willy. Willy was always depressing, and he put a lot of pressure on Biff. He and Biff were constantly having conflicts and it made life very hard for the both of them. On top of that, Happy was always trying to make Biff seem successful in front of Willy, and Biff always had a hard time pretending to be something he wasn’t.
 * 7. Miller believes that a tragic hero is "willing to lay down his life to secure one thing - his sense of personal dignity." Give your opinion about whether Willy Loman can be considered a true tragic hero. Also compare the creation of Miller's Willy Loman as a tragic hero to the traditional classical definition of a tragic hero at the following link: [|the tragic hero] . Discuss the similarities and differences of the definitions. Also discuss what you believe Miller's intentions were for creating the character of Willy Loman.**
 * // 1. The tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness. This should be readily evident in the play. The character must occupy a "high" status position but must ALSO embody nobility and virtue as part of his/her innate character. //**
 * Both Miller and Aristotle think that they need nobility and virtue, but Willy Loman did not have noble stature or greatness, and definitely did not have high status. **
 * // 2. Though the tragic hero is pre-eminently great, he/she is not perfect. Otherwise, the rest of us--mere mortals--would be unable to identify with the tragic hero. We should see in him or her someone who is essentially like us, although perhaps elevated to a higher position in society. //**
 * Willy Loman is very easy to identify with, because he is so imperfect. He probably is in a lower position than most people living in Shenzhen (meaning those working legitimate jobs). **
 * // 3. The hero's downfall, therefore, is partially her/his own fault, the result of free choice, not of accident or villainy or some overriding, malignant fate. In fact, the tragedy is usually triggered by some error of judgment or some character flaw that contributes to the hero's lack of perfection noted above. This error of judgment or character flaw is known as //**//** hamartia **//**// and is usually translated as "tragic flaw" (although some scholars argue that this is a mistranslation). Often the character's //**//** hamartia **//**// involves //**//** hubris **//**// (which is defined as a sort of arrogant pride or over-confidence). //**
 * Willy Loman’s “downfall” was definitely partially his own fault. He made mistakes to try and spare his pride. **
 * // 4. The hero's misfortune is not wholly deserved. The punishment exceeds the crime. //**
 * This is very true in Willy’s case. Willy never really did anything extremely bad. He was a man who made some mistakes (such as having an affair with another woman), but none of these things he did warranted his death. **
 * // 5. The fall is not pure loss. There is some increase in awareness, some gain in self-knowledge, some discovery on the part of the tragic hero. //**
 * 8. Predict what will happen to Biff.**

This is kind of hard… It really depends on your point of view.  On the surface it’s quite pessimistic – the death of Willy Loman right after the mortgage on the house was finally paid, right after he had made up with Biff – the tragedy for the others of losing a father and husband… but on another note, the death of Willy also kind of represents a new beginning – especially for Biff, because he is finally free to find work as he likes, without having to put up with Happy who was constantly trying to make him look like something he wasn’t. They are free from the depressing atmosphere that Willy had around him, free from his oppression, and free from debts.
 * 9. Give your opinion about whether the play ends on a hopeful or pessimistic note.**

I’m wondering -- how many people suffered the same fate as Willy Loman? Were there many families like his, or was his a special case? I think it would be an interesting project to make a comic strip of a special scene in the story. Each new American president chosen through the elections has the potential to drastically change the road to the American dream. They can change make laws that cut taxes or lower salaries… etc., etc., etc. The presidents are really the builders of the pathways towards the American Dream. The new president chosen through the elections can change laws and treaties which can greatly impact relationships with other countries. Also, they have a tremendous effect on the economy, which can affect the whole world through things like the currency exchange market, the stock market, shipping of goods, and price changes. When these things change, it can greatly affect how people live in their country. For example, if America decided to stop buying things that are made in China, it would be a huge blow to China’s economy, and many workers would undoubtedly starve to death.
 * 10. Has the play raised any questions in your mind, or have you learned something form it that you want to share with others? How could you develop those questions or ideas into a project?** 
 * Reflection on the American Election **
 * 1. What does this American Election have to do with the American Dream? Explain**
 * 2. How does this election affect you, the country you live in(China), or the country you consider your home nation? Please give some examples and explain how you think the election results might areas of your life and country.**

I think that Willy represents the despair of the present and the hope of the imminent future. I am a little worried about whether the new president will be able to make all the changes he’s said he would, but really I don’t fear anything except him messing up really //badly//. But I do think that since both candidates this time are so radically different from previous ones, whoever wins will definitely have a great impact on America’s image, and make it easier for future candidates to be elected.
 * 3. How does Willy or other characters in this play represent the hopes or fears of an American voter? How are your hopes or fears represented as you watch this election?**

