"After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive." (II, pg. 1603)
I thought this quote was interesting because it demonstrates how invaluable Willy thinks life is. He believes that when he dies, he will be worth more to his family because of the money they will receive. This could have been a big factor into Willy's suicide. He just wanted to make his family happy. Some of his flaws are that he is too proud, wants to be well-liked, and he wants the American dream. He is willing to do anything to try to get this American dream. Society's flaws, as well as his own, contribute to his downfall. Society demands so much of him, but he couldn't do it and didn't accomplish his dreams.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Death of a Salesman - 2
"Don't say those things to him! Enough to be happy right here, right now." (II, pg. 1594)
Willy is most likely the protagonist in this play because the audience sees all the action in his perspective. The audience sees the daydreams, flashbacks, and Willy talking to himself because his character allows them to see that. In the daydreams, Willy acted as if Ben, his dead brother, was there and allowed Ben to control what he what going to do. The antagonistic force in this case would be his career because it is trying to take him away from his family. Jobs try to get him to move away from his family, but Linda refuses for him to accept these jobs. If Biff is the protagonist, then the antagonist is not the same. The antagonistic force would then be his lack of success in his life. When he failed the math class, that forced him to be ineligible for graduation and ruined his life's goals.
Willy is most likely the protagonist in this play because the audience sees all the action in his perspective. The audience sees the daydreams, flashbacks, and Willy talking to himself because his character allows them to see that. In the daydreams, Willy acted as if Ben, his dead brother, was there and allowed Ben to control what he what going to do. The antagonistic force in this case would be his career because it is trying to take him away from his family. Jobs try to get him to move away from his family, but Linda refuses for him to accept these jobs. If Biff is the protagonist, then the antagonist is not the same. The antagonistic force would then be his lack of success in his life. When he failed the math class, that forced him to be ineligible for graduation and ruined his life's goals.
Death of a Salesman - 1
"First time in about thirty-five years we were just about free and clear." (II, pg. 1629)
This quote shows how many problems that this family has had through in the past number of years. They were never very content with the relationships within the family until Biff told Willy that he loved him. This action cleared up all the negative in their relationships and made the family "free and clear" of problems.
In this play, Willy can be considered the tragic hero as he has admirable characteristics and noble motivations. Some of his admirable characteristics are that he is hard-working and that he has good intentions. These qualities help others to see as such a hero. He is also noble because he commits suicide in order to help his family. By dying, he gives his family the money they need to survive and possibly enough money for Biff and Happy to start the business that they dreamed of making. After he finds out that Biff loved him, Willy is willing to sacrifice his life for his family.
This quote shows how many problems that this family has had through in the past number of years. They were never very content with the relationships within the family until Biff told Willy that he loved him. This action cleared up all the negative in their relationships and made the family "free and clear" of problems.
In this play, Willy can be considered the tragic hero as he has admirable characteristics and noble motivations. Some of his admirable characteristics are that he is hard-working and that he has good intentions. These qualities help others to see as such a hero. He is also noble because he commits suicide in order to help his family. By dying, he gives his family the money they need to survive and possibly enough money for Biff and Happy to start the business that they dreamed of making. After he finds out that Biff loved him, Willy is willing to sacrifice his life for his family.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Glass Menagerie - 3
"I didn't go to the moon, I went much further - for time is the longest distance between two places."
First of all, I want to elaborate on this quote because I like the wording. This quote had me think about how quickly time passes us by without us even realizing it. It also made me realize that as time goes on, people and things change, and there is nothing we can do about it.
I thought this play was interesting in that Tennessee Williams put so much stage direction in it. Shakespeare had very little stage direction and allowed the play director to have a little freedom. In this play, hardly ever is there a place where a little creativity can be shown. The lighting, music, characterization, and setting are all pretty descriptive. I also read somewhere that Williams put a glimpse of himself in the play in the character of Tom. They both have similar backgrounds, and Williams wanted to include a character like himself. I thought this was really cool and creative for him to do this.
First of all, I want to elaborate on this quote because I like the wording. This quote had me think about how quickly time passes us by without us even realizing it. It also made me realize that as time goes on, people and things change, and there is nothing we can do about it.
I thought this play was interesting in that Tennessee Williams put so much stage direction in it. Shakespeare had very little stage direction and allowed the play director to have a little freedom. In this play, hardly ever is there a place where a little creativity can be shown. The lighting, music, characterization, and setting are all pretty descriptive. I also read somewhere that Williams put a glimpse of himself in the play in the character of Tom. They both have similar backgrounds, and Williams wanted to include a character like himself. I thought this was really cool and creative for him to do this.
The Glass Menagerie - 2 - Characters
"[Amanda]'s characterization must be carefully created, not copied from type. She is not paranoiac, but her life is paranoia" (Characters, pg. 1234).
Tom is a character that has a double role in the play. He is the narrator but also one who acts out what he describes to the audience. In the role of the narrator, he tries to be focused and informative. In his role as a character, he likes to be laid back and not as strict and proper. I would say that Laura is the protagonist in the play as she is the only character that is compassionate and generous towards others. I don't remember a time where she was the mean character in the play. The antagonists in her way are Amanda and Tom. Amanda is Laura's mother who is in constant control of what Laura does. Tom is Laura's brother who Jim is a minor character who kind of just moves the play along with his interactions with the main characters. Tom's character continues the action of the play without creating much of a disturbance.
The Glass Menagerie - 1
Throughout the play, nonrealistic qualities are displayed. In the first scene, the stage is dimly lighted to make it seem like a dream because "the scene is a memory" (stage direction for scene 1, pg. 1235). Another nonrealistic convention demonstrated is a character talking to the audience. Tom begins the play by giving a little background information to the audience, but people don't talk to those who they believe might be watching in real life. The Glass Menagerie has a narrator which is also a nonrealistic convention. Another nonrealistic aspect is that most of the scenes fade out with music being played. The play is probably on the more surrealistic side of the spectrum because of some of these nonrealistic qualities like talking to the audience. I haven't noticed any breaks from the norm yet except the fact that some of the scenes do not have directions to fade the scene out and play music. I don't know what the significance is, but hopefully I will find out.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
As You Like It - 3
The amount of time covered in this play cannot be very long. There are not many occasions where the time or days are mentioned so they sort of run together. There are some events in the beginning that occur offstage, but most of the play's events occur onstage. One event that is spoken of which the audience just has to take the character's words for it is the scene in the forest where Oliver is sleeping under the tree. "A green gilded snake had wreathed itself, who with her head nimble in threats approached the opening of his mouth.... A lioness, with udders all drawn dry, lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch, when that the sleeping man should stir" (IV.iii.pg 64). Oliver must explain the details of this event as it did not happen onstage. I do not believe that there is a meaning in which actions are dramatized and which are reported. I thought the play's structure was pretty tight as the events happened right after another with no real breaks besides scene changes. Overall, I thought the play was O.K. I deemed it sort of unreal because as soon as Rosalind and Orlando saw each other, they were in love. This sort of thing happens many times in Shakespeare's plays so I was not really surprised.
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