Death Of A Salesman - Arthur Miller

main characters: Willy, Linda, Biff, and Happy Loman. These four are the main characters that the story revolves around, particularly Willy. Bernard and Charley are son and father, respectively, who are the Loman's good friends and next door neighbors. Uncle Ben is Willy's older brother who had died a few years before this particular time.

previously known info about the topic: I honestly didn't know much about the early 1900's until I read the footnotes that referred to significant people of that time period.

what i can imagine that is not specifically outlined: I can understand Biff's frustration in the beginning of act one when his father is constantly jumping Biff's case. I know what it is like to not be completely sure of who and what you were destined to be. And then when you have someone who keeps pressuring you to be just like them it becomes a very stressful situation. I can also imagine how furious Biff was with Willy towards the end of act two, when the guys were having it out at one another. Biff was so hurt and didn't know how to say what he truly felt to Willy. It was painful for me to read because I wished it wasn't such a struggle for Biff to get the things off of his chest that he needed to express.

my opinion on the reading: I loved the story and I loved the meaning behind the words. Miller stressed the importance of time when he constantly referred to Uncle Ben checking the time on his watch. It seemed to me that the significance of time related to the fact that Biff and Willy had this internal, and external, conflict with their relationship. Neither one was going to live forever. I felt like Miller was trying to show that living life to its highest and happiest level is the most important thing and that you should civilly mend broken relationships, especially with family.

my emotional response: I felt connected with a few characters. Biff I felt pity for because he was just a lost soul. He didn't know who or what he was supposed to be and felt like his life was wasted away, and nobody should have to live like that. I felt sorry for Linda because Willy treated her poorly and talked down to her all the time. But at the same time it made me mad because she should've stood up for herself. It was a sad story and made me a bit sorrowful because it was the "American Dream" gone all wrong. These people just wanted the "perfect" life and never got it.

what I want to learn more about: I want to know about how society looked at families like Willy's and if they thought less of them because everything wasn't exactly perfect. I want to find out about how hard salesmen had to work to earn a living.

my reaction if it were me: I probably would have felt the same exact way as Biff if I were in his position throughout the whole story. If I would have found my father cheating on my mother with another woman I probably would have turned my back on him for a long time, instead of just saying nothing. I would have told my mother as soon as I got home because nobody deserves to be treated like that. If I were Linda, Willy would have NEVER talked to me the way he did because I am the kind of woman who rarely lets people walk on me. I would have gotten a job to help pay for the bills that were piling up and would have worked hard to help out my sons if they needed it. But, there are differences in age, and I know that typically the women rarely worked in the business world. They were designated to house keeping and raising a family.

reflecting my life: I have had my go-abouts with plenty of people in my life, especially my father. There really wasn't a steady period of time when my dad was there for me 100 percent of the time. We have had our fights and it is sad to see how parents only want the best for their children (most parents), but sometimes make life hell because they push too hard. I understand not knowing what and who you are destined to be, because I still feel that I am not completely sure what God has made for me (sorry if anyone disagrees with "God") and what path I am supposed to take. I know its a diverse one, and one that not many others have taken.


****after class discussion****


info about the author: Arthur Miller came from a German Jew family in Manhattan and "Death of a Salesman" was one of his most famous works. He stressed how society looked at the American Dream back during World War II.

my favorite section: my favorite section of the play was when Biff stood up to his father and told him the truth about who he was and that his father would never be happy and satisfied with him. It showed that he had courage and independence.

summary of discussion: Throughout class we discussed how the "American Dream" has changed with the ideals of Americans after World War II. We also talked about how certain characters held specific roles and personalities that made the story go on. The story was about a torn family that is trying to find its way. A father and son battle their relationship until death.

evaluation: I liked the story because it showed that not everyone is perfect and people find their happiness in their own ways. I would recommend this play to anyone. The story gave a new insight to how reality is.