A Critical Look at Death of a Salesman

A Critical Look at 'Death of a Salesman' Have you ever loved a rock band that had lots of great songs you cherished? But then the band’s hit single, the one everyone knows by heart, the one that gets all the airtime on the radio, isn’t a song you particularly admire? That’s the way I feel about Arthur Millers   Death of a Salesman. It’s his most famous play, yet I think it pales in comparison to many of his less popular dramas. Although it’s by no means a bad play, it certainly is overrated. Wheres the Suspense? Well, you have to admit, the title does give everything away. The other day, while I was reading Arthur Miller’s esteemed tragedy, my nine-year-old daughter asked me, â€Å"What are you reading?† I replied, Death of a Salesman, and then at her request I read a few pages to her. She stopped me and announced, â€Å"Daddy, this is the world’s most boring mystery.† I got a good chuckle out of that. Of course, it’s a drama, not a mystery. However, the  suspense is a vital component of tragedy. Sure, when we watch a tragedy, we fully anticipate death, destruction, and sadness by the play’s end. But how will the death occur? What will bring about the destruction of the protagonist? When I watched Macbeth for the first time, I guessed that it would conclude with Macbeth’s demise. But I had no idea as to what would be his undoing. After all, he and Lady Macbeth thought they’d never be â€Å"vanquished until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.†Ã‚   How the heck is a forest going to turn against them?! Therein lies the suspense because, sure enough, the forest comes marching right up to their castle! The main character in  Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman, is an open book. We learn very early on in the play that his professional life is a failure. He’s the low-man on the totem pole, hence his last name, â€Å"Loman.† (Very clever, Mr. Miller!) Within the first fifteen minutes of the play, the audience learns that Willy is no longer capable of being a traveling salesman. We also learn that he is suicidal. Spoiler! Willy Loman kills himself at the end of the play. But well before the conclusion, it becomes clear that the protagonist is bent upon self-destruction. His decision to kill himself for the $20,000 insurance money comes as no surprise; the event is blatantly foreshadowed throughout much of the dialogue. The Loman Brothers I have a hard time believing in Willy Loman’s two sons. Happy: He is the perennially ignored son. He has a steady job and keeps promising his parents that he’s going to settle down and get married. But in reality, he’s never going far in business and plans to sleep around with as many floozies as possible. Biff: He’s more likable than Happy. He has been toiling on farms and ranches, working with his hands. Whenever he returns home for a visit, he and his father argue. Willy Loman wants him to make it big somehow. Yet, Biff can’t hold down a 9-to-5 job to save his life. Both brothers are in their mid-thirties. Yet, they act as though they are still boys. The play is set in the productive years following World War II. Did the athletic Lowman brothers fight in the war? It doesn’t seem like it. If they had, perhaps they would be completely different people. They don’t seem to have experienced much during the seventeen years since their high school days. Biff has been moping. Happy has been philandering. Well-developed characters possess more complexity. By leaps and bounds, the father is the best part of Arthur Miller’s play. Unlike many of the show’s flat characters, Willy Loman has depth. His past is a complicated tangle of regrets and undying hopes. Great actors such as Lee J. Cobb and Brian Dennehy have mesmerized audiences with their portrayals of this iconic salesman. Yes, the role is filled with powerful moments. But is Willy Loman truly a tragic figure? Willy Loman: Tragic Hero? Traditionally, tragic characters (such as Oedipus or Hamlet) were noble and heroic. They possessed a tragic flaw, usually a bad case of hubris. (Note: Hubris means excessive pride. Use the word hubris at cocktail parties and people will think you’re ever-so-smart! But dont let it go to your head!). In contrast, Willy Loman represents the common man. Arthur Miller felt that tragedy could be found in the life of ordinary people. While I certainly agree, I also believe that tragedy works best when the main character’s choices become whittled away, much like a masterful yet imperfect chess player who suddenly realizes he is out of moves. Willy Loman has options. He has a lot of opportunities. Arthur Miller seems to be criticizing the American Dream, claiming that Corporate America drains the life out of people and casts them away when they are no further use. Yet, Willy Loman’s successful neighbor continually offers him a job! Willy Loman declines the job without ever explaining why. He has a chance to pursue a new life, but he wont let himself give up his old, soured dreams. Instead of taking the decent paying job, he chooses suicide. At the play’s end, his loyal wife sits at his grave. She does not understand why Willy took his own life. Arthur Miller would claim that the dysfunctional values of American society killed him. However, I believe that Willy Loman suffered from senility. He exhibits many of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Why couldn’t his sons and his ever-attentive wife recognize his failing mental condition? It’s a mystery to me.

Compare and contrast the following two poems Essays

Compare and contrast the following two poems Essays Compare and contrast the following two poems Paper Compare and contrast the following two poems Paper Write an essay of 1500 words, in which you compare and contrast the following two poems: Samuel Taylor Coleridges Frost at Midnight and Joanna Baillies A Mother to her Waking Infant.  In comparing and contrasting the two poems, it is logical to firstly acknowledge the titles, and to think about how they shape the way we read, and how they set the readers expectations. Baillies title of A Mother to her Waking Infant is very clear and factual, and fully describes the stanzas that follow. The term of A Mother is quite impersonal, and alludes to the lack of emotion conveyed in the first four stanzas. It also leaves the reader with the impression that the poet isnt necessarily speaking about her own child. In direct contrast Coleridges title of Frost at Midnight does not hint at all that it is a poem about childhood, or that Coleridge is speaking about his own child. It does however, depict a romantic winter scene, and you feel that there will be a release of strong feelings to follow. The form and structure of the poems are very different. Frost at Midnight is written in four stanzas without rhyming, and A Mother to her Waking Infant is written in eight stanzas with regular rhyming. This gives the poems a very different meaning and effect.  Coleridge employs a conversational style, and he uses very personal and intimate language which enables the reader to conclude that he is describing his own situation. He points to my cottage, left me to that solitude and at my side my cradled infant slumbers. The regular use of enjambment draws the reader into the poem and adds to the conversational effect. The owlets cry Came loud and hark, again! Loud as before appeals to the reader to listen, and firmly gets your attention in the first three lines. Enjambment also helps to set the slow calm pace for example Tis calm indeed! So calm, that is disturbs and vexes meditation with its strange and extreme silentness. We can see the use of caesura in this line which creates a strong pause and also controls the pace. This technique is clearly identified in the poem by the words followed by exclamation marks in the middle of the sentences. In comparison Baillie uses the regular rhyming of aabbcc in seven out of the eight stanzas, and aabbccdd in the fifth and only eight line stanza. This rhyming effect is a balladic form and this is pointed to in line six by That I should sing of thee? and again in the final line by Thou dost heed my lay. Most of the lines comprise of eight metrical feet with the exception of the final line of each stanza which has seven metrical feet, this formally ends each stanza and leaves the reader to think about the meaning of the poem. The regular rhyming also controls the pace of the poem and helps to command the way we read. Poetic inversion is evident in the first stanza with, lip awry and chrystal spread which serves to maintain the consistent rhyming scheme. Baillie does not seem to identify with the feelings that belong to a parent; this is demonstrated by the lack of emotional language and empathy in the first four stanzas, like helpless thing! What do I see and shapeless limbs nor step nor grace. Her descriptions could be of any baby, and are quite ordinary and matter of fact. There does however seem to be a turning point in the fifth eight line stanza. Her language becomes softer with the use of warm, grace and kindness. The infant described by colours rosy cheek, pinky hand, and gold tipped ends brings the poem alive and the reader is at last presented with some powerful, vibrant images. The additional two lines indicate the turning point in the poem too.

Contemporary issues in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contemporary issues in business - Essay Example Being headquartered in United Kingdom, it serves the customers in the market of United Kingdom efficiently. As a result of which, the brand image and profitability of the financial organization of Lloyd's bank enhanced with a significant extent thereby amplifying its popularity. Along with this, due to the presence of varied types of products such as insurance schemes, deposit schemes and many others, its range of customers and brand value enhanced thereby amplifying its popularity and reputation in the market of United Kingdom among many other rival players. And so, the demand and total revenue of the financial organization of Lloyd's bank enhanced by ?19,673 million resulting in reduction of the threat of new entrants. Apart from this, due to the presence of value-added services, it expanded in more than 30 countries, from Argentina to United States of America, comprising of approximately 16 million employees. This acted as the prime cause that helped the organization of Lloyd's ba nk to amplify its profitability by ?2,803 million and market size by 6% in the market of United Kingdom among others (Lloyds Bank, 2013). Therefore, in-spite of tough competition and stiff economic downturn, the organization of Lloyd's bank maintained its sustainability in the market of United Kingdom among many other rival players. This essay is mainly divided into five parts highlighting the importance and background of Lloyd’s bank in the market of United Kingdom. Along with this, it also discusses the impacts of contemporary issues over the image and popularity of the organization of Lloyd's bank. Moreover, it also discusses the negative effects of the contemporary issue of unethical use of labor or staffs within the financial organization of Lloyd are thereby enhancing the rate of switchover costs. 2. Discussion 2.0 Drivers of Change (PESTLE) In order to analyze the external environment, competitors and market opportunities of Lloyd’s bank, the most popular analyt ical tool named PESTLE is used. 2.1 Political- As, the political scenario within the regions of United Kingdom, Europe and America is extremely stable, so it proved quite beneficial for the organization of Lloyd’s bank among others rival players. As a result of which, the profitability and brand value of the organization of Lloyd’s bank enhanced thereby amplifying its range of customers. It is extremely essential for any organization to retain its portfolio in the market, in-spite of numerous existing contenders ( Xu, 2005, pp. 478-536). 2.2 Economic- Global inflation acted as a curse for the organization of Lloyd’s bank thereby reducing its effectiveness to a significant extent. This is mainly because; inflation enhanced the level of unemployment and poverty thereby reducing the preference for depositing huge-amount of revenues within the financial institutions. Along with this, the consumer price index (CPI) also reduced by 3.5% that proved extremely worse for the country of United Kingdom. As a result of which, the living standard and life style of the citizens of United Kingdo