Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay Example for Free

Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, produced and published in 1949, still has a lasting effect today in the year 2001. The play which has won several awards and the Pulitzer prize, centers itself around a salesman and his family as they fight and sometimes struggle to make it big in this world. The play has been performed all over the world since its introduction in 1949, and it is still being performed and read in different languages and societies. The purpose of this paper is to show how Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman makes his American audience question their own lives and the society that they live in and why Miller would want the audience to question such ideas. Death of a Salesman is centered on Willy Loman who is a 63 years old salesman and has a wife named Linda and two sons, Biff and Happy. Arthur Miller creates the Loman family so that everyone in a way could relate to someone in the family in one-way or another. Many people in the late 1940s and the 1950s had lived through a very miserable depression, and it was during this time that the American Society and economy was changing as it was becoming more and more advanced technologically. Times were changing and the good old days such as the traveling salesman and other pastime occupations were being withered away. The American Society was changing in a way that people were becoming more and more materialistic and people would try to get to the top by any means. Arthur Miller tries to get the American Audience to question whether or not their new views on business and life as a whole are the right thing to do. Willy Loman was a father that instilled values into his two sons that you should win at any cost by the means of cheating, lying, and stealing. Willy made fun of the rather weak, his sons friend Bernard, who was a nerd at school, but latter became a lawyer trying out a case in front of the Supreme Court in Washington D.C., while his sons were still living in the past and amounted to nothing but useless, lying, womanizers, that couldnt hold a job. Willy Loman was a salesman that had worked for the same company for years and was fired by his bosss son because Willy had become too old at the age of 63. Willy had been loyal for so long, but was shown the door too easily. This is what Charley had to say about Willy at his funeral: Willy was a salesman; and for a salesman, there is no rock bottom to the life. He dont put a bolt to a nut, he dont tell you the law, or give you medicine. Hes a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine; and when they start not smiling back- boy, thats an earthquake.(Arthur Miller, The Death of a Salesman 138) Arthur Miller is provoking the American Audience to realize the struggles of Willy Loman the Salesman, but at the same time makes the audience reveal their own struggles and their neighbors struggles, as Willy Loman was no longer getting the smiles back. Willy Loman committed suicide because no one was smiling back any more. The once proud Willy Loman had quickly materialized to near nothing and his sons had done the same. The idea of success at all costs and human suffering presented in the play by Miller really make the audience self evaluate and contemplate themselves and the society that they live in, because these were some of the new views and ideas held by society in the late 1940s.

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The Journey of Knowledge In David Northrup’s Africa’s discover of Europe, he gives an overview of the encounter between Africans and Europeans from 140-1850. Africans played a huge role of the globalizing of cultural and economic transactions. The first encounters between the two continents were mutual. Both parties tried to gain from each other through their transactions. The purpose of this book is to inform readers that we shouldn’t look at Africans as the victim, rather as an active contributor in the African-European relation. Early encounters of Africans in the Western world and Europeans in Africa began to change the societies in Europe and Africa. The fifteenth century â€Å"marks the beginning of an era of continuous and increasing interactions between the two continents and their cultures† (Northrup 2). Also, â€Å"commercial and cultural interactions grew both Africans and Europeans made many adjustments in their ideas of each other† (2). In other words, the depictions of Africans in Europe began to change as Africans became more common in Europe, and â€Å"Africans were also expanding their knowledge and understanding of Europe† (3). One important aspect of the encounter between European and African precolonial nations was trade. Before the European voyages of exploration in the fifteenth century, African rulers and merchants had formed a trade link between the Mediterranean world and within the continent, there were local exchanges among regional neighbors which will later conn ect themselves in long range trade. For example, the supply of slaves from Africa into the Mediterranean Europe was increasing in the thirteenth and fourteenth century; â€Å"the number of â€Å"black† was rising among the Slavic and North African slave populations ... ...slave societies that emerged on Saint Louis and Gorà ©e. The emergence of slave societies created slave-owning merchants: â€Å"Gorà ©e and Saint Louis developed from a small society of signares, French merchants, and slaves into an urban slave society dominated by a slave-owning class of habitants† (Searing 107) due to the fact that slave society was an independent society from the Atlantic merchants and the habitants became obligatory intermediaries in the trade between the islands and the mainland (107). The urban slave population contained high proportion of skilled laborers and native born slaves who were less likely to revolt or run away (104). In conclusion, the relation between Africans and Europeans were mostly mutual. Africans should not be seen as victims of slavery as both parties profited and lost from each other, and were both victims in the Atlantic economy.

Nora’s Individualism

Nora's Individualism Women in the 19th century live in the shadows of men. They don't have occupations. Their gender role was to cook, clean, shop for the household, and to care for the children. They were expected to find a suitor; this man would take care of the family financially. Women were submissive to their husbands back then. They didn't stand up for their rights or voice their opinions. Women catered to their husbands. Nora is submissive to Torvalds's needs. The play is about Nora's behavior to her husband. She submits to him and is a mother to their children.She is unhappy as a caretaker. She over enthusiastic personality throughout the play seems forced. She feels she has no purpose in life, being a mother or housewife isn't fulfilling her needs. She lacks being a mother the nannies constantly look after the children. She is searching for her true self subconsciously in the beginning of the play. Due to her upbringing, Nora has been raised to live under a man, to be submis sive to them. Nora doesn't know any other way than being an oppressed woman. The way Nora grew up influences her behavior now as an adult.She grew up wealthy, her father took care of her, and then she married Helmer at any early age. Nora says to Torvald † When I lived at home with Papa, he gave me his opinion about everything, she had the same opinions and if I didn't I keep my mouth shut he wouldn't have liked it. And then I came to live in your house. I was Just passed from Papa's hands to yours. You arranged everything according to your own taste, and I choose the same tastes as you. Or else I pretended to† (Ibsen 1167). Nora was raised by her father to live under a man.She transitioned from living with her father and now to her husband, Torvald. Through this realization she isn't content with her well-being. Nora appears to be happy on the outside, she is not deep inside. Her personality is over exaggerated to all. It's apparent that it is ungenuine. She is quite gi ddy about small things, such as showing Torvald the items she bought. Nora says, â€Å"But come here and let me show you what I bought. And all so cheap! Look a new suit for Ivar, and a sword, a horse and a trumpet for Bob, and a doll and a doll's bed for Emily' (Ibsen 1122).She doesn't ave anything exciting going on in her life, she has to focus on something no matter how minute it is. The only excitement she has is hiding the secret from Torvald. Which isn't excitement at all, she fears he will find out about it. That's why Nora keeps up her charade of shopping for her children and the household. That's what she use to do before borrowing the money. This loan has given her purpose; she has to find ways to pay it back. She has done side Jobs and started being more frugal about her money she gets from her husband. Through this experience she realizes she is nhappy in her marriage.Her husband's expectations of her are too high with a lack of love and care for one another on an intim ate level. She has to live up to her husband's standards of being a trophy wife. Nora is not satisfied with knowing that Torvald Just cares about the outward appearance ot ner and the tamily, and not the love they should share with each other. Torvald wants to have the appearance to others they are well put together. He focuses on small things like Nora dancing the Tarantella. It must be perfection in his eyes, he wouldn't settle for anything less.He makes her practice it numerous times and gets quickly frustrated with her when she doesn't perform the moves correctly. He should focus on her feelings, not worrying about his wife's outward appearance. Torvalds's narcissism makes it difficult for Nora to be happy in their marriage. She likes materialistic things but cares about her marriage more. She forged her signature on a formal document for a loan to travel to Italy to save her husband's life when he was ill. She shows her love to him by getting this loan in secret and by taking c are of their children.What has Torvald done lovingly for Nora? That is the issue; he hasn't done anything loving or romantic for her. Women need their love shown by spending quality time together, not by getting money to buy gifts. Torvald see's providing for his wife as sustainable to keep their relationship going. Women like to hear that men love them and to be shown that they are loved through actions. Nora is unhappy with Torvalds's behavior. Their marriage is for show and spurious in Nora's perspective, she is unhappy. She feels there is no substance or closeness there.They don't share intimate details with one another. Torvald is always concerned about work, while Nora is looking after the children or preparing for an event they will attend in the near future. Torvald isn't aware of Nora's unhappiness in the most of the play because Nora masks her feelings. She expresses herself when she can't hold her feelings in about their lack of a marriage anymore. Nora realizes that noth ing is going to change in her life and she won't settle for less. Nora has gone on for eight years doing what Torvald expects of her. She is willing to makes a change for her happiness.Nora begins to tell Torvald that their relationship lacks a good solid foundation based on trust and concern for one another mutually. Nora says you have never understood me. IVe been treated badly, first by Papa and now by you (Ibsen 1167). She has a husband who she hardly knows and won't accept it. She no longer has the interest in being a wife or a mother. She decides to leave it all to figure herself out. Nora tells Torvald, Duties to myself. I believe that first and foremost I'm a human being, Just as you are, or at least I have to try to become one.I can't be satisfied with what most people say or with what's in books. I have to think things through for myself and come to understand them (Ibsen 1168). Nora has decided to leave her old life to discover a new one. She is willing to sacrifice her c hildren for her happiness. What is more realistic? For a woman to have children and be in an unhappy marriage or abandon her children and pursue her desires? Nora pursues herself she no longer has interest in taking care of others. Nora leaving her husband in the 1800's is unheard of. Women didn't venture from their roles as a wife and a mother.Ibsen's play got negative attention, being that his main character did the unthinkable at the end of the play; leave her family for her goals. The play leads the audience to believe she doesn't need her husband anymore. That she is strong and will discover her needs and aspirations. Nora has gone through a transformation of being an oppressed women to now caring about herself. She has had to make a drastic change to start a new Journey to meet her new goals. I'm proud of Nora for standing up for herself. She went against the grain of all women and explor ed her dreams.

David Comparision Essay - 843 Words

David Comparision Today, just as Homo erectus did eons ago, modern man strives for expression through art. The evolutionary paths of man and art parallel one another; in that, the complexities, which have accompanied the millenniums, also have brought exponentially progressed forms of art. Sculpture is an art form that maintains a high quality of expression. Two examples of this are the Davids done by Michelangelo and Bernini. Michelangelo’s David and Bernini’s David represent their different time periods and artists while remaining similar. Michelangelo was born in 1475 near Florence. At an early age Michelangelo’s interest in art eclipsed that of his studies, and so he began apprenticing at 13 in lieu of regular school. His†¦show more content†¦The work shows a conflict between line and form with the muscles of the adolescent frame and the flat planes. The dynamic emotion is conveyed through the tightened muscles and wrinkles upon the face in concentration, just as those of every man before a fight (Hart 112). David’s large hands represent his strength and are characteristic of the later mannerism style, while the rest of his form is somewhat true to the conventions of the High Renaissance (Shaked 1). Michelangelo’s work embodies the influences of his time just as Bernini’s. Bernini born was in Naples in 1598 and was turned on to art at an early age by his father. He grew up with influences such as Hellenistic nudes and Classicism, but his most important artistic factor was be ing in Rome during the Baroque movement (Dexter 1). Bernini took a different and fitting approach to sculpting David. It was Bernini’s first major work, which he completed at the age of only twenty-one over a period of only seven months. Shakard writes, â€Å"[Bernini] depicted David as an artist (of war), using his hands as the means of his art (1). The work depicts him with his slingshot cocked back, his armor on the ground behind him because of it’s weight and his harp shrouded at his feet. Through this Bernini conveys David’s smaller stature and that his life is not one of a warrior. He wants to strike Goliath from afar. David’s face vividlyShow MoreRelatedThe Media Effect : Donald Trump Campaign Case Study Essay1669 Words   |  7 Pagesbacklash in how they have portrayed Donald Trumps campaign and image through attempting to create a specific agenda at hand. An example of Buzzfeed doing such would be the articles and quizzes on Buzzeeds onli ne website that feature controversial comparisions to Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler that frame a negative connotation about the President-Elect. Framing, as argued in Theorist Robert M. 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