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What is Willy’s dream? What is he
searching for throughout the play? Why doesn’t he find it? Did he ever have a
chance of fulfilling it? Biff says of Willy: “He had the wrong dreams. All,
all, wrong” (111). Do you agree? Does Willy have the wrong dreams?
Inappropriate attitudes? Is he a born loser or a tragic hero who stands in his
own way to success?
I was at first confused as to what Willy's dream was; I came to conclude his dream was twofold. Firstly, Willy wanted to be well-liked. He wanted to be liked because of his work, his belongings, his appearance, and his sons. Secondly, Willy wanted a legacy. Through the constant imagery of the seeds, and how Willy wanted "something in the ground" we see how desperate Willy is to have his memory of a successful man be carried out in his sons(96).
This dream fails for many reasons, the main one being that his legacy of being successful could not have been carried on because he was not successful himself. In this way, I believe that his "wrong dreams" were the ones involving having a legacy, because he was asking to have a legacy carried on that had never really begun. Beyond that, I think his dreams failed because in order to be successful Willy had to define success, something which I think he did incorrectly. Willy chose to value popularity and materialistic ideals over hard work and solid relationships (such as in his marriage, a case in which he was unfaithful), and in the end his lack of the latter led to his life collapsing around him.
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Why does Miller combine scenes from the
past and Willy’s hallucinations alongside the current action of the play in the
present? How does this movement between past/present/ and Willy’s imaginings
add to the dramatic effect of the play?
Miller's use of the numerous "hallucinations" in the play were for me the strongest part of the play. I found that as an audience member I was dragged further into Willy's mind with these flashbacks, increasing my understanding. They were frequently part of swirls of dialogue that blended reality and nostalgia, confusing the audience. Why is confusion good? Because the confusion is what Willy was experiencing, and thus Miller forms a subliminal form of empathy for Willy form the audience. We experience his muddled mind and we understand his delusion.
The hallucinations are also a way to implement a sense of suspense in the play. The flashbacks are disjointed, and leave the audience wondering of the outcome. We don't find out about key events like when Biff catches his father mid-tryst until one of the final scenes. By disguising the past in his delirious flashes of nostalgia Miller can introduce the audience to background information gradually, which makes for an engaging text and suspenseful performance.
Miller's use of the numerous "hallucinations" in the play were for me the strongest part of the play. I found that as an audience member I was dragged further into Willy's mind with these flashbacks, increasing my understanding. They were frequently part of swirls of dialogue that blended reality and nostalgia, confusing the audience. Why is confusion good? Because the confusion is what Willy was experiencing, and thus Miller forms a subliminal form of empathy for Willy form the audience. We experience his muddled mind and we understand his delusion.
The hallucinations are also a way to implement a sense of suspense in the play. The flashbacks are disjointed, and leave the audience wondering of the outcome. We don't find out about key events like when Biff catches his father mid-tryst until one of the final scenes. By disguising the past in his delirious flashes of nostalgia Miller can introduce the audience to background information gradually, which makes for an engaging text and suspenseful performance.
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3
What do you
notice about the use of music, sound effects and lighting in this section of
the play? Note any specific instances that struck you and discuss how these
aspects were used and for what effect. How did these dramatic techniques reinforce
the action and meaning of the play?
I would like to focus in on the final moments of this play when discussing the theatrical effects used. The use of sound and music in combination with the staging creates a memorable and stirring effect onstage.
Miller builds the music and speech together to a dramatic climax on the last few pages. The repeated shushing done by Willy is juxtaposed by Miller's stage directions of "Suddenly music, faint and high... It rises in intensity, almost to an unbearable scream" (108). This leads us to recognize the peak in Willy's mental instability as he is trying to be quiet when the atmosphere is loud and hectic. The insanity of the scene is furthered when Linda begins crying out "Willy, answer me! Willy!...No!"(109). The final combination of the car speeding off and the music "crashing" completes the image that we do not see onstage. The dramatic turn from the frenzy to the singular cello string leaves the audience with a sense of loss, not just of volume but of Willy himself.
I would like to focus in on the final moments of this play when discussing the theatrical effects used. The use of sound and music in combination with the staging creates a memorable and stirring effect onstage.
Miller builds the music and speech together to a dramatic climax on the last few pages. The repeated shushing done by Willy is juxtaposed by Miller's stage directions of "Suddenly music, faint and high... It rises in intensity, almost to an unbearable scream" (108). This leads us to recognize the peak in Willy's mental instability as he is trying to be quiet when the atmosphere is loud and hectic. The insanity of the scene is furthered when Linda begins crying out "Willy, answer me! Willy!...No!"(109). The final combination of the car speeding off and the music "crashing" completes the image that we do not see onstage. The dramatic turn from the frenzy to the singular cello string leaves the audience with a sense of loss, not just of volume but of Willy himself.
4 What would you say are the false values
which the play reveals? What are the true values which the play upholds? Here,
consider Miller’s commentary on success and failure, the business world,
identity, dreams, popularity, integrity. What is one key understanding you’ve
taken away from the play that relates to your own life and why?
I would say that Death of a Salesman to me has pretty didactic and useless themes in relationship to me. I could be obvious and state that Willy is an aging Caucasian male in the early 20th century who has little in common with me. But I believe this book is irrelevant for different reasons. First of all, Miller talks repeatedly about dreams and having the wrong ones, or the wrong ways of achieving happiness. I have always had the right dream, and the few times I strayed away and dreamed of stardom or other goals that would ultimately leave me unfulfilled and dissatisfied with life, it was not Willy from Death of a Salesman who changed my mind, it was me. I am not about to take life advice from Arthur Miller. Miller also talks often of how prioritizing popularity is the wrong choice. Obviously this theme doesn't apply to me either since I have few friends, and unlike Willy I chose to have a few strong bonds rather than worry over public opinion.
In conclusion, I would say that the only understanding I could take away from this book is the futility of giving up. This book was written when a lot of people were in desperate situations, and Willy's case was the "what not to do when times get hard" scenario for many to learn from. So, in my life, I've chosen to apply it by not giving up on Arthur Miller. He wrote The Crucible, which I really did like, so I guess it's worth a shot. Besides, since Willy died in vain with no insurance payout, I would give up on this play in vain and receive a poor English grade.
In literature, the parallels are endless...
I would say that Death of a Salesman to me has pretty didactic and useless themes in relationship to me. I could be obvious and state that Willy is an aging Caucasian male in the early 20th century who has little in common with me. But I believe this book is irrelevant for different reasons. First of all, Miller talks repeatedly about dreams and having the wrong ones, or the wrong ways of achieving happiness. I have always had the right dream, and the few times I strayed away and dreamed of stardom or other goals that would ultimately leave me unfulfilled and dissatisfied with life, it was not Willy from Death of a Salesman who changed my mind, it was me. I am not about to take life advice from Arthur Miller. Miller also talks often of how prioritizing popularity is the wrong choice. Obviously this theme doesn't apply to me either since I have few friends, and unlike Willy I chose to have a few strong bonds rather than worry over public opinion.
In conclusion, I would say that the only understanding I could take away from this book is the futility of giving up. This book was written when a lot of people were in desperate situations, and Willy's case was the "what not to do when times get hard" scenario for many to learn from. So, in my life, I've chosen to apply it by not giving up on Arthur Miller. He wrote The Crucible, which I really did like, so I guess it's worth a shot. Besides, since Willy died in vain with no insurance payout, I would give up on this play in vain and receive a poor English grade.
In literature, the parallels are endless...
