"I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. 'Willy Loman is here!' That's all they have to know, and I go right through." Act 1, Page 1561
Be warned, Mr. Costello. This is a hate blog, my personal reflection, on Willy.
Willy Loman. The man with no plan. The man who wastes his entire life and ruins the lives of his sons, all to prove in the end that he is worth more dead than alive. He is immature, selfish, rude, mean, and inconsiderate. We see Willy's true character first in his treatment of his wife. He cheats on her, despite her being entirely in love and dedicated to him. He tells her to shut up when she speaks. Next, to his sons. He tears them down and seconds later builds them up. He makes their inferiority complexes by always telling them if they are not the best, they are nothing. He was a terrible father to them. Personally, he does not get much better. He is too prideful to take the job Charley offers him, though he is not too prideful to take his money. He is just a fake, a phony, just as Biff called it all those years ago.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Death of a Salesman: Protagonist & Antagonist
"BIFF: There will be no pity for you, you hear it? No pity!
WILLY: You hear the spite!" Act 2, Page 1624
As a reader, I found myself struggling to identify who the protagonist and antagonist were. They seemed to switch throughout the play. Technically, Willy is the protagonist. He is the main character around whom the story and its events revolve. This would make Biff the antagonist, since it is the two men's unceasing conflict that causes Willy's hallucinations and episodes. More than that, it is his mere presence that sets Willy off onto his self-destructive path. Yet Biff could also be the protagonist. He is a wanderer, who upon his return home finds no support or comfort from his family. His father is insensitive and rude to him, putting stresses and pressures upon him to become something he has no desire to be. This would make Willy the antagonist. It is up in the air. Either way it works. Although I still hate Willy.
WILLY: You hear the spite!" Act 2, Page 1624
As a reader, I found myself struggling to identify who the protagonist and antagonist were. They seemed to switch throughout the play. Technically, Willy is the protagonist. He is the main character around whom the story and its events revolve. This would make Biff the antagonist, since it is the two men's unceasing conflict that causes Willy's hallucinations and episodes. More than that, it is his mere presence that sets Willy off onto his self-destructive path. Yet Biff could also be the protagonist. He is a wanderer, who upon his return home finds no support or comfort from his family. His father is insensitive and rude to him, putting stresses and pressures upon him to become something he has no desire to be. This would make Willy the antagonist. It is up in the air. Either way it works. Although I still hate Willy.
Death of a Salesman: Social Commentary
"He cried! Cried to me. That boy- that boy is going to be magnificent!" Act 2, Page 1627
One of the questions following the play said that some critics view the play as a social commentary. I have a split stance on this take. On the one hand, this is indeed a social commentary on certain aspects of American life, the American dream, and family as a whole. This shows the brutal reality of competition in business, showing an example of a man simply not cut out for his job. He falls behind in sales. Consequently, even at the age of sixty, his salary is taken away from him for his poor performance. It also shows what hard work can do for an individual. Bernard, despite being ridiculed for his studious tendencies as a young man, grows up to be a very successful lawyer. Finally, it shows that all families are dysfunctional in one way or another. However, it certainly is not a social commentary on normal problems faced by the average American citizen, being as most Americans are not insane and excruciatingly immature.
One of the questions following the play said that some critics view the play as a social commentary. I have a split stance on this take. On the one hand, this is indeed a social commentary on certain aspects of American life, the American dream, and family as a whole. This shows the brutal reality of competition in business, showing an example of a man simply not cut out for his job. He falls behind in sales. Consequently, even at the age of sixty, his salary is taken away from him for his poor performance. It also shows what hard work can do for an individual. Bernard, despite being ridiculed for his studious tendencies as a young man, grows up to be a very successful lawyer. Finally, it shows that all families are dysfunctional in one way or another. However, it certainly is not a social commentary on normal problems faced by the average American citizen, being as most Americans are not insane and excruciatingly immature.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)