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ELIT 48C Class 31

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Chair Poet?

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.”

― William Wordsworth, Lyrical Ballads

+AGENDA

Death of a SalesmanHistorical ContextDiscussion

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Death of a SalesmanHistorical Context

Lecture

+ When World War II ended in 1945, the United States entered

an extraordinary period of economic success. Non-farming businesses flourished, and housing construction became a prosperous industry.

However, the economic situation did not improve for the poorest Americans. High inflation kept poorer people from saving money, and small farmers faced difficult times because of administrative policies that advanced larger, corporate farmers.

The lowest-paid workers in the country were the migrant farm workers, with sales clerks and unskilled laborers (such as gas station attendants) not far above them. Happy, a sales clerk, and Biff, a farm worker, represent this segment of the American workforce in Death of a Salesman, and each of them struggles to retain his dignity in the face of his lowly position in a largely affluent society.

Because Americans felt financially secure during this time, they began using credit to purchase the products and services they desired.

For the first time in history, automobiles were more often purchased on credit than with cash, and the use of long-term credit, such as home mortgages, also rose dramatically.

Willy Loman suffers from the effects of relying too much on credit, struggling to keep up his payments while trying to provide the necessities for his family.

The post-war role of “superpower” led to greater responsibility for both the American government and the American people. Suddenly we shouldered the responsibility of keeping the world safe for democracy by protecting it from the other world "superpower," the communist Soviet Union.

Americans felt a need to prove that capitalism was better than communism during the Cold War era. Americans felt obligated to achieve economic success, both as a way of defeating the Soviets and as a way to show their gratitude for the freedom they were privileged to possess by virtue of living in a democratic society. Willy's preoccupation with his financial status and his position in society reflect this Cold War attitude.

Beginning with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, government became more influential in the daily lives of Americans. That, combined with the spread of mass communication media, made Americans feel more like a large, connected society.

With this new-found sense of belonging came a new-found desire to conform to the accepted norms and values of the majority. Instead of being a nation of rugged individualists, the United States became a nation of people who wished for acceptance by their peers. Willy displays this wish for acceptance in his preoccupation with being "well liked," which he views as the ultimate measure of success.

In The Lonely Crowd (1950) David Reisman argues that prior to the Cold War era, Americans were driven by strict morals and rules of conduct, but following World War II, they became more motivated by others' perceptions of them. They altered their behavior according to acceptable social standards. Reisman classified the pre-Cold War behavior pattern as "inner-directed," and the postwar pattern as "other-directed.”

Reisman maintains that "other-directed" people, like Willy Loman, have no established sense of identity because they look to other people to determine their self-image. This idea is reflected in Biff’s comment at the end of the play when he says that Willy "didn't know who he was."

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DiscussionDeath of a Salesman

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Discuss how Miller communicates Willy’s outlook and emotions to the reader. Note Willy’s words, his appearance, Linda’s reactions, the set design, and other means.

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Describe how Willy has taken Ben’s life and his philosophy of the “jungle” as models for success. How has Willy shaped that philosophy to encompass life as a salesman?

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Linda says that “attention must be paid” to Willy despite his faults. Do you support Linda’s claim or disagree with it? If Willy is a “fake,” as Biff calls him, then does he deserve respect?

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Examine how Biff and Hap’s adult lives show the influence of their childhood as seen in the flashback.

+QHQ

1. Q: Where did life start to fall off the rails for poor old Willy Loman?

2. Q: Could [Willy’s] childhood contribute to his mentality drifting away from reality?

3. Q: Is Willy cheating on his wife because he’s unhappy with his family and their financial status?

4. Q: Is Willy’s craziness making him believe that he is a successful person?

5. Q: Is Willy a tragic character, or to blame for his disappointing life?

+QHQs

1. Q: In what ways are the son Biff and father Willy foils for one another?

2. Q: What special significance do diamonds have in the story?

3. Q. How is the American Dream shown in “Death of a Salesman”?

+Exam #2: Classes 18 to 32

Loy Pound Williams Stevens Faulkner Hughes Hurston Postmodern

Manifestos Ellison Miller

Part 1: Rules of WritingPart 2: Fill in the BlankPart 3: Passage Identification: Name the work and the author Part 4: Character identification (list of choicesPart 5: Who said it? Name the person or the character who said these words. Part 6: Essay portion: Choose one (of four choices) short essay (3-4 paragraphs)

+HOMEWORK

Send Essay #1to palmoreessaysubmission@gmail.com before 9pm Friday.

Read Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman Act 2 and the Requiem 238-303

Post #31 Contrast Willy with Ben. Willy seems to think that he

leads a life somehow like Ben’s. Besides the fact that Ben is rich and Willy is not, what separates them?

Describe why Willy believes committing suicide will provide a better life for his family. Will his plan work?

Explore the difference between Biff and Hap’s reactions to Willy’s death.

Or QHQ Begin to study for exam #2