This week, as we read Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, consider the role of societal pressure in the play and in your life. What effect does living in mid-twentieth century society have on Willy, Linda, Biff, and Happy? How does each one of them respond to those pressures? Without revealing too many personal details - this blog is not meant to be like a group therapy session - discuss how the pressures the Lomans feel are similar to or different from pressures you face (as a student, as an artist).
Please comment before class time on Monday, March 29.
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ReplyDeleteSocietal pressure is a combination of many different aspects of life that people are pressured into doing certain ways and thinking of in the “correct” or socially approved ways to think. Everyone wants to fit in and to be well liked which is why we give into “normality” and what others expect of us. Societal pressure can include living up to expected gender stereotypes, financial expectations, or even peer pressure. I think that all of the characters in this book have manifested attitudes and actions that show they are affected by some form of societal pressure. The difference is that in the setting of the play, the “expected normality” of society was different in many ways than it is today.
ReplyDeleteWilly I think is pressured into being the family’s source of income, the one who makes the final decision and is responsible for the family. That puts pressure in his work since he has to support his family. Biff when he is young has to be this sporty kid who is really popular and he is very much pressured my his father to keep his popularity, even if it means to treat others badly, because that is the only way he will become successful. Once he is older he has to find himself because it is expected that a 32 year old needs to have found himself. He is expected to settle down and earn money working as a salesman or businessman. Happy is under the pressure, when he is young to fill his brothers shoes. He has to be just as “amazing” as his brother so that he too can be successful. Once he is older, he is expected to settle with one girl, he is getting to old to not start thinking about marriage according to society. Although not compared with today’s morals and ideals, Linda is expected to be this perfect housewife that is helpful, kind, caring and respecting to her husband. We don’t get to hear about any of her problems, she takes care of Willy and the boys and she doesn’t complain; maybe because it would be unacceptable for her to do so.
I think that at Walnut Hill there is a lot of pressure put in peoples’ talents. Since we are all being trained in our arts, we have expectations of what is good or bad, strong or weak, and I think that sometimes people can get pressure from being judged and being expected to be at a high level of excellence in their art if they want to succeed.
Gabrielle
One aspect of societal pressure that is present in both the Loman's and my life is advertisement--literally and figuratively. We saw in class ads for Marlboro and ETrade, just as Willy Loman saw ads for refrigerators and Chevrolets. On a larger scale, society advertises a way of live, values to live by, etc. WHAT DOES SOCIETY TELL US THAT WE NEED? And naturally, we strive to reflect those "needs" until we become advertisements as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is not necessarily a bad thing. Students at Walnut Hill, for example, are the best kind of advertisement for the school because they exemplify the talent and the determination that is cultivated here.
For the Lomans, however, there seems to be one way to live. Be WELL-liked, not just liked. Have lots of money. Have a nice car. Have a football-star son. Sell, sell, sell--yourself and your product, or the product of yourself. Even when things are falling apart, Willy tries hard to maintain the image of success and popularity that he holds in front of his children. He strives to be an advertisement for the values of society, when in reality he is failing.
Similarly, much of my life has been geared toward this kind of success. Find happiness in wealth, have three kids that all play a different string instrument, etc. Walnut Hill was a big move for me because it opened up a different path, a way to not become an advertisement for society, but to give back to it--to illuminate things that it needs rather than responding to what it thinks I should attain. Yet, even at Walnut Hill, societal pressure is still quite present.
-Kevin
I think that Willy is struggling to accomadate societal pressures, pressures he puts on himself and also the pressure he feels from individuals around him (Ben, his father). Superficially he has tried to build his life after societies standards (house, providing father, two kids...) yet we see when Ben comes to visit how hungry Willy is for Ben's "different", individual lifestyle. And still Ben has succeeded in fulfilling "societies" box: be rich and happy. Willy also struggles with himself. I think he wants to be a good father, be succesful at his job and so he is constantly comparing himself to others (Charley) and is easily offended, "(He said) something about - walrus. And I - I cracked him right across the face." (pg. 37 in my book) Obviously his own self condemnation and criticism is influenced by society. And so here is my big question. WHY DO WE LET SOCEITY TELL US WHAT TO BE?
ReplyDeleteMoving into the 21st century, we continue in this tradition. Society's standards are a bit differeny, but we still strive to be skinny, beautiful, fast-paced, accomplished, technologically advanced, attending top name schools. If anything, I would think we are more influenced by society today because of the imensly broad reach of media.
I agree with Kevin: Willy (and thus his family) are failing as advirtisements from 1940's society. But I think it is because they set out to do it by following society's step-by-step manual. Does that make sense? See Ben accomplished Society because he diverted from the manual, and Willy failed because he followed it. Is it possible that what Society WANTS is not the "bad" thing, but the way to get there, the way to USE it, the RULES, are?
-Vangie
I believe social pressure does exist in both 2010 and back in 1949. The Lomans had it hard on themselves. For example, both Happy and Biff have there father putting so much pressure on them, from the time they are seven years old to be the best that they can be. Biff is pressured by his father years later to be successful, and to be on the football team, to have the girl and in the end, it doesn't work out. Happy on the other hand, I would have to agree with Gabi on this one, that he feels he needs to fil Biffs shoes. He has to be that "amazing" person. For both Happy and Biff when they are older, have the pressure of woman, work, money, pretty much all things in society to be great. It's as if people are throwing out stereotypes and they need to match them. It also goes along with Willy, he has the pressure of being perfect at his job so in the end he can make the money. He has the pressure to take care of his family, and the financial side of things as well. I have to go agree with Gabi and Kevin, societal pressure is present in Walnut Hill. We have the pressures of being the "best", also to get into the best school, to get the most out of our training, to be SUCCESSFUL once we graduate. In the end, there really is no "best" student, all you can do is get better.
ReplyDeleteAndrew
Going off of what keivn said Societal pressure is outrageously present here at Walnut Hill and in the artistic fields we all are interested in. In dance society, for example, girls are told that the only way to become part of any company is to be stick thin, have perfect turnout, perfect feet, and perfect technique. In some aspects striving for perfection is a motivational tool however it can also be demeaning. This is how I believe Biff feels about socieital pressure. He has had all these jobs and opportunities yet he always finds himself back at home because something just isnt quite right, not making enough money for example. By not finding what he believes perfection is in a job or a lifestyle he does feel mocked and disrespected by his father. This brings me back to the idea of pure perfection that is present in all our art forms. If we don't fit certain molds that are created for us to fill, do we let the societal pressure stop us from dancing, writing, singing, ect.? or do we try and create are own personal versions of what we believe perfection is and ignore uncessesary pressures from society.
ReplyDelete-Catherine V.
I think that Linda is a prime example of societal pressure in 1949. We see her as the “perfect” housewife (there’s Catherine’s point about perfection again) carrying the laundry basket around the house and telling Willy that he is “the handsomest man in the world” (24). However, we also see what I think are small glimpses of who she really is in the flashback to when Ben is visiting and messing around with Biff and Happy, Linda protests, “Why are you fighting?” (34). Also, at the bottom of the page when Ben takes her hand while leaving she gives him what seems to be an icy response in the stage directions while her words are polite because society would frown upon her saying anything nasty to a man. I think that Linda’s censoring of her own thoughts is a great example of what society can force us into, even today, because there will always be something that you “can’t” say and most often people will just say whatever society expects them to.
ReplyDelete-Catherine Keller
I believe the relationships between the men in this story all revolve around success; that society functions as a negative force, fostering all the competition between them to become successful. I think the success comes in the form of financial, paternal, even social as well as the success of being a “self made man”. Society pressures Willy to be the most successful businessman he can be in order to have lots of money to support his wife and kids meanwhile he’s comparing himself to Charley or Ben, the more successful businessmen. He also tries to prove to Ben that he is being a good father, just as good as theirs, especially when he says, “That’s just the way I’m bringing them up,Ben-rugged, well liked, all-around.” (53) He is pressured to be a great father that will make them grow up to be great members of society. Finally Willy is also concerned about himself and his sons socially, that his colleagues will respect him and that his sons will be well liked.
ReplyDeleteBiff and Happy on the other hand have a whole other set of societal pressures but there is still this element of competition like there is with Willy and his peers. Happy seems to compete for approval as a child repeatedly mentioning, “I’m losing weight, you notice, Pop?”(36) Meanwhile Biff tries to be a football champion for his father, later in life Biff even feels like he’s being mocked by his father and still wants approval. So far the brothers want to be successful by making money, finding love, making their father proud etc. and in this society they are really struggling.
I would say as an artist there is a great sense of pressure from society to be successful especially financially. Whenever you tell someone you want to be a painter they scratch their head and wonder how you’d make enough money to get by. It’s an added pressure that the words “starving” and “artist” form a well known pair. I’d say in society even though it is getting better, it is still thought of as a stretch to want to pursue being an artist and not have a “real job” to fall back on as some people say, whatever that means.
-Emily Schulert
As others have said one pressure that was there then and is here now is the expectation to be "perfect". "Perfect" has changed a lot over the years but no matter what standards are being held people still expect it.
ReplyDeleteI think Willy has fallen into the trap of wanting to be the perfect father figure. He wants to have a great relationship with his sons where they want to spend time with him over their friends and he wants to be able to provide for his family. Not only does he want these two things but he also wants them to think that he is this superman that he is not. He feels so much pressure to be the perfect dad that he lies to his family which makes him far from perfect.
Another way the "perfect" changes is based on age. Both Biff and Happy want to be the perfect son, teenage boy, and older or younger brother. They were so focused on being one way for other people throughout colleges that now they have gotten lost. Trying to be the person everyone else wants you to be in high school takes some effort but it is a lot easier than being out in the real world and trying to be what millions of people say you should be.
I think we all feel the pressure to be perfect, whether it is the perfect dancer, singer, create the best artwork or how we look, we all feel those expectations. I know for me I went through a hard time in middle school and sometimes even now where I feel embarrassed to ask questions. And when you think about it that makes no sense because I want to know the answer and in some cases really just needed a little help. I asked myself why I felt that way freshmen year and realized it is because I felt like I should have known the answer and that not knowing the answer made me unintelligent or farther from perfect. But when we look at reality there is no possible way that someone could know everything without asking questions in the first place.
So I wonder do we want to be perfect for ourselves or because that is what society says we should be? And how can we ever reach perfect if the standards of perfect are always changing?
~Madeleine
~Madeleine
Lomans and I are in a similar condition in terms of making progress to accomplish one’s dream and to achieve one’s ambition: Willy wants to be successful at his business, Biff wishes to have a steady job, and I hope to be a good musician. It is also true that both Lomans and I do face pressure along the way, though kinds of pressure may be different from another. For example, Willy, as a salesman and a father of a family, desires to sell many things and to persuade people to buy products in order to support his family, Biff, as a son and an older brother of Happy, still wants to be a success, while I, as a student learning music, wish to make beautiful sounds and to polish music even more and more to be able to share the great power and the secrets of music with many audiences. In each different case, societal pressure does exist. However, often times Willy does not seem to have much process of putting best effort as possible to find a solution or ways to settle a problem regarding his work either by himself or by having open conversations with people around him like wife Linda and Charley, his close friend. In fact, he often lets the opportunities fly away, blames himself, and even traps himself into the society where “competition was maddening” (7).
ReplyDeleteAny kind of pressure in any sort of form did exist in the past, does exist both in Lomans and my circumstance, and will exist in the future as well. But I think one important thing is the ability to respond well to the pressure, which I would observe from each character in the rest of the story.
I would like to talk about Biff’s societal pressure from which I found a connection between the Lomans and my family.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the play, Biff looks quite confused and lost and I think this is because Biff also feels societal pressure from his father Willy.
I realized that Willy puts more attention to his first son Biff than to the younger one Happy. For instance, on the first flash back scene that starts from page 16, Happy’s lines are only interrupting in between the main conversation between Willy and Biff. From this awkward conversation, I could infer that Happy is trying to grab attention from his father since most of whom Willy talks about is Biff but not Happy. In my family, too, my parents focused their attention on my older sister. They have made my older sister study really hard since she was very young, and they’ve expected a lot of things from her: academic honors, excellence, and reputation. Unlike her, I was not bound to study anything particular. I was allowed to try whatever I wanted to, which is one of the reasons I have become an artist now. (In Korea, there is a common idea that the first child should be an “academic” person.)
This attention, of course, began with good purpose: encouraging and complimenting on children. On the flash back scene of the play, Willy showed his positive attention toward Biff by saying good things to Biff over and over again. Even when Biff took a football from a locker room, Willy said, “Coach’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative!” (18)
Since Willy was much more lively and courageous before, Biff might have not noticed any pressure back then. However, being contradicted by himself – “I don’t want a change!” (6) – Willy has changed. Since Biff was not capable of satisfying every single expectation of Willy, his attention toward Biff grows to big concern about Biff and his economic income, which I know well from my older sister’s case. Even though I think Willy is still taking care of Biff more than of Happy, (I know this by a Willy’s line on page 7: “Did Biff say anything after I went this morning?” He asks about Biff but not about Happy.) his attention is mostly based on the negative aspect of Biff. The exact same situation happened in my family too. Mom and Dad’s grown concern made my sister so nervous at everything. She often told me how mom and dad were expecting too many things from her. Just like her, Biff is stressed out by his father’s pressure. Biff used to be an active football player and a troubleshooter for his peers when they are stuck with something. He was much more confident than he is now. Now he seems lost and confused.
My older sister is now a 3D design major in Rhode Island School of Design despite our parents’ desire to make her a typical model of a first child in a Korean family. She wanted to be an artist since she was young, and so she spoke up to mom and dad in her middle school year in order to convince them. As a result, my older sister achieved what she’s always longed for. Then she got her confidence again. Same as my older sister, I think Biff should also speak up to his own father and then he would actually “find” himself.
I think that in the book, societal pressure plays a huge role in the Loman family; the pressure of being successful is almost overpowering and especially for the men in the family, there is a question of what being successful exactly is.
ReplyDeleteFor happy, he has a steady job, makes money but is still unsatisfied. Biff is trying different things that make him happy but then realizes that there is no point to what he is doing, and Willy is unsatisfied because his life isn't the way it "could have been" and he is not making enough money. Ben and Willy say their father was succesful but my question is was he really? I mean there might be a comparison between the thoughts of young Biff and Happy of their father and the thoughts of WIlly and Ben of their father; they think they are great and successful but in reality aren't...I wonder if that could be the case.
In our world social pressures motivate everyone for example here at Walnut Hill: what college one gets into, the talent of a person and how successful they are in the department and then in school academically are all pressures that us students try to handle. I feel like the only solution is to keep focused on yourself and not others. (in both here and in "Death of a Salesman")That is the only way to keep outside pressures out...the internal pressures I'm not so sure...and I feel like that also effects the characters in the book.
Along the lines of advertisement and its societal impact I feel like in addition to just ads I feel at least today movies and TV shows impact the way society pictures things. Everyone these days watch movies and tv shows and often times this is where society gets their image of what is socially accepted and what isn't. A movie or tv show creates a "perfect" story where everyone knows what should happen for example in every disney movie you always know that it will end happy. This affects society because it gives its audience what they want to see but at the same time it allows society to believe or think that they could too have a happy ending. I'm sure back in 1949 movies and tv shows weren't as huge of an influence as they are today, but I'm sure there was some influence on its society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Catherine, Linda has indeed become the best example of a "perfect" housewife. Everyday and all day she has to clean the house and do house work while at the same time she needs to be there for the boys and her husband. I feel like Willy is pressured not only to bring home the income but in addition to be the perfect father for his 2 sons and be their superman hero when maybe he can't be. Biff feels as though he has to be like in the movies the popular jock who is popular and followed and loved by everyone (the one who ends up with the cheerleader). Happy is pressured not only to satisfy his father but like someone else had mentioned he has to follow in the footsteps of his well liked and popular brother.
I feel like today we are pressured to live a similar life to those in a movie when in reality we cannot. I agree with everyones view on the pressures that Walnut HIll and the expectations that we are supposed to fulfill. Pressure not only come from the school but also from our parents. They are paying a lot of money for us to come here and I know at least for me i feel like I need to make the most of their money and keep striving to get even better and better everyday.
Living in the mid-twentieth century places many types of societal pressure upon Willy, Linda, Biff and Happy. For Willy, the biggest pressure he faces stems from a desire to be successful. Perhaps he flashes back to the past because he is at a point in his life where he feels that his success is in the past.
ReplyDeleteWilly's definition of success is focused primarily upon wealth. There are many references to money during the first few pages of this play. Willy's pressure on his children to be successful (ie rich) is very much like the peer pressure that our society faces today. He places pressure on them to be well=liked, because as he says, a well-liked man will never face problems.
Willy wants to live the American dream and places pressure on his family to help him achieve this. A societal expectation is to have a happy family. Willy lives in the past because his family was dependent upon him. He felt that his family needed him, and perhaps no longer feels this way.
The pressure that Willy places on his family manifests into pressure that Biff and Happy place on themselves. They are both pressured into satisfying their father, and also concerned with making income.
Many people today feel pressure from their families to succeed, but there is also a lot of pressure from society and not being viewed as a "failure". Both of of these themes are present in this play.
Societal pressure, which urges people to fit in to the social standards and to be “approved,” has existed in all ages; I see it affecting both of mine and Willy’s life, though it might take different forms.
ReplyDeleteWilly, who lives in mid-twentieth century society as a salesman, is striving to make an ideal family that the society demands. He thinks that his family should have financial stability, fame, and recognition by others. He responds to the societal pressure by denying the reality he faces: concealing his business failure, and exaggerating his, or the family members’ achievements. And because he is obsessed with this idea, he fears the image of the “perfect” family being tarnished. When Willy hears from Bernard that Biff does not study, steals things, and might not be able to graduate high school, Willy even shows brutality towards his son, by repeatedly saying “I’ll whip him, I’ll whip him!” (26). I think the pressure of making a happy family is partly coming from the time setting, as Willy dwells in post-Great Depression era. The economy has been badly shaken by then, and the society might have been emphasizing the images of the ideal household. (As we see those in the advertisements for Chevy and the fridge.)
Biff and Happy, like their father, care much about what others see. Biff tries to have a high-paying job in the city to gain Willy’s approval again, even though what he really wants is to continue working in a farm. Happy, hearing Willy talking to himself, says “I don’t know what to do about him, it’s getting embarrassing” (15). This is shocking, as in the past time he is respecting Willy and trying to draw his attention; as soon as Willy loses the image of the “perfect” father and doesn’t seemed to be “well-liked,” he turns away from his father.
As a student, I am also exposed to the societal pressure the society creates, just like Biff, Happy, and Willy are. And I am pretty sure that many of other seniors in high schools are feeling it, too. However, as an artist I need to overcome the pressure, learn how to be myself instead of forcing me to fit into the social standards. Just like Willy needs to break the pressure and face the reality.
One aspect of societal pressure is the ever-present expectation of the "American Dream." There is a great amount of pressure that Willy puts on himself, Biff and Happy to fulfill the "American Dream." There is societal pressure to make money and live a "happy" life. Willy has a lot of expectations for his kids regarding their jobs and future. "In the beginning...I thought.. a young man, it's good for him to tramp around, take a lot of different jobs. But it's more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week!" (5). Willy is feeling stressed about Biff and the fact that he is barely making any money. Biff and Happy are not really on the same page as their father is, in terms of the "American Dream." It is definitely not the top priority for them to make a lot of money and to impress and please their father. "Maybe we could buy a ranch. Raise cattle, use our muscles" (12). The amount of pressure that Biff and Happy feel is surprisingly low due to the extremity of their fathers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Ashleigh mentioned earlier how Happy is under pressure to follow in the foosteps of his well-liked brother Biff. Like Biff, Happy does not really give the reader the impression that he cares too much about living the "American Dream" that Willy is striving for so much.
There is certainly societal pressure now, even to live the stereotypical "American Dream." Also, everyone is always striving to be like what they see on TV and magazines. Most of the population is under pressure to look perfect, act perfect, live in a perfect house with a perfect job, when in reality no one lives like this. At Walnut Hill this exists as well, but on a smaller level. The "perfection" exists in our art and our grades. We are under pressure from our teachers and our parents to get the best grades and our arts teachers to perform our best every day. The pressure from them comes from societal pressure that they are receiving. In a way it is pushing and motivating, but also overwhelming sometimes. To some degree, societal pressure is good, as long as it doesn't get out of control.
~Rebecca
Each character has a huge amount societal pressure placed upon them. In America there is a lot of pressure to be the best at what you do, and if you're the breadwinner for the family, to have monetary success. The American Dream is all bout moving up and becoming something better than you were. So far in the book there has been a good amount talk about money and jobs. Willy feels the pressure to achieve success more then the other characters so much so that he even lies about his success to his children. Linda has become a kind of subservient housewife. Biff and Happy talked a lot of about their own American Dream, but it was all revolving around jobs.
ReplyDeleteThat pressure for monetary success is still a huge part of society. The drive for jobs that are well respected and that can pay well (doctor, lawyer, etc) is strong. Who hasn't heard someone say to a child that they could be a doctor when they grow up? Though, maybe with good reason, for a certain amount of monetary success is necessary.
I agree with Becca on what she said about how the pressure of the American Dream is much lower for Biff but I disagree that this pressure is the same for Happy. I think that Happy and Willy have the somewhat same idea of achievement because Happy does make a fair amount of money and is striving to be the manager of the business which is unlike Biff. I also get a sense that Happy is maybe unconvinced that Biff is happy in the farm and unconvinced if he would really like it out there. He also, like Willy, feels the need to prove himself to his coworkers "I gotta show some of those pompous, self-important executives over there that Hap Loman can make the grade. I want to walk into the store the way he walks in." (pg 24) and Willy says "Because the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead..." (pg 33)So in a sense, Willy and Happy have the same idea and Biff is the odd one out.
ReplyDeleteLike others have been saying, I feel this pressure, like Willy and Happy, to almost prove myself and show myself off especially when it comes to the college process. The whole point of the common application is to prove yourself to the admissions person that you are the "best" fit for the school and to show your best qualities so that they will accept you. It is a huge competition between you and the other two thousand students that want to go there.
I mentioned this quote in class already this week, but I still think it's worth mentioning again because I believe it's quite possibly one of the more revealing quotes so far when it comes to how societal pressures have shaped the Loman family. On page 10, we see Biff and Happy talking about their lives, and Biff admits, "I tell ya Hap, I don't know what the future is. I don't know- what I'm supposed to want." Personally, it's normal to question what you truly want out of life, I know I do it every day, but that's not what Biff is doing here; he's trying to figure out what he's SUPPOSED to want, as if there were a correct answer to that question...
ReplyDeleteThis adds on to the whole "American Dream" concept that Lauren and Becca were commenting on before. The Loman family is so intensely focused on what they think they're supposed to want: the ideal family, a great car, money, etc., but Arthur Miller, seems to have created these characters to be rather miserable even though at first glance they have what seems to be the "American Dream." In the first flash back, what we see is an ideal family with a perfect car and a successful husband that is bringing money back into the house, but as Willy speaks with Linda, we see these walls crumple down only to reveal the broken family underneath. Is this possibly Miller’s own way of insulting the idea of the “American Dream?” Is this his own way of telling the reader that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be?
Very frequently, I have to ask myself whether or not I want something because I’m SUPPOSED to, or because I actually want it. Especially in today’s world where we’re continually exposed to “perfect” images of people, things, and ideas, it’s increasingly important to be able to distinguish between what one wants and what society thinks one should want. It’s a constant battle, and I must admit that at times it’s hard to resist wanting something just because everyone wants it too.
I agree with Willy feeling so much pressure to fulfill the ideal of the ‘American Dream’. Possibly because Willy has never felt much success, he is always trying so hard to go above and beyond. It is not enough for his boys to be liked, they must be well liked. Not only is Willy feeling pressure from society but he seems to be in the shadow of both his father as well as his brother Ben. Willy has looked up to both these men and they have set the example of success. Both men were extremely successful and it seems as if they found their success easily. Willy believes he works very hard himself but can’t become successful. Since this is so different from what he grew up around he feels even more like a failure. He measures his success by comparing it to others. He lets society and his surroundings set the standards; similar to what Emilie previously said about society telling us what we are supposed to want. As artists, especially in the dance world, we are constantly being compared and measured against each other. Since there is no true perfect dancer, we are just rated amongst each other. This can be very frustrating and detrimental to progress because like Willy, if we do not find success like our peers, we in a sense automatically fail.
ReplyDeletePersonally I feel like I relate the most to Biff. In this world where woman are all supposed to act in some sort of stereotypical way and it is very difficult to actually be an individual. I don't tend to act in the way a normal teenage girl would. I feel like I should, at some points in my life, conform and act like the other girls I surround myself with. Biff tends to act in a way that makes his father proud. When he's younger he does what gets his father approval, however; when we are in the present of the play, Biff is over impressing his father. He begins to live life for him, whatever makes him happy, however; he still subconciously cares about what his father is thinking. I tend to be my own person and I always pretend to not care about what people think. In the end pretending makes it much harder. I am looking forward to seeing where Biff's journey leads him and, if in the end, I still see a connection.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the majority of the people that the role of societal pressure has an enormous effect on the Loman family in the play and that all the characters are always striving for 'perfection' to be accepted by society. I believe each character's idea of 'success' in society is very different from one another's as it is evident that each character has a different response to these pressures, however, they are never trying to achieve this 'success' for themselves; it is always to satisfy someone else.
ReplyDeleteTo Willy, success is to achieve wealth to satisfy the family. I agree with some others when they point out that he is also trying to be a good father for his sons but if you notice the way he is trying to prove to them that he is a good role model, you always notice how he is only using his job to awe them: him travelling all around New England, supposedly meeting the mayor, and even talking in violent language about how he 'slaughtered' and 'killed' in his job. It is obvious that he sees wealth as his point of success as he is trying to pass this on to his sons and it is the only factor he uses to try to prove himself as a good father.
In response to their father, Happy and Biff are now facing the societal pressure of their father: to satisfy Willy by achieving success in their careers. Happy and Biff's response to societal pressure is to be the 'perfect' sons of the family but when Willy is conscious of societal pressure and believes wealth is the answer to fit in with society, Happy and Biff are forced to believe that to please their father must mean to become successful and achieve wealth.
For Linda, I agree with Catherine Keller's comment; she is pressured by mid-twentieth century society to become the perfect housewife. The time era makes an important impact on her because like Kevin mentioned, the advertisements shown in class were from that same time period and portrayed the American family to be 'perfect', influencing their audiences to feel pressured to achieve that in their own families because people naturally strive for perfection in order to be accepted by society. In Linda's case, her response to societal pressure is to be the perfect housewife in order to satisfy Willy and it is evident in her caring yet obsessive attitude toward Willy.
The responses of the Loman family to societal pressure is not so different from ours to present day society: we all have a feeling to satisfy others more than ourselves, we all have a naturally need to feel 'perfect' in order to fit in, and we give in to societal pressure because we feel it is necessary to be accepted by society. Especially in my life, not only as a student trying to fit in to stereotypical high school standards such as popularity, cliques, academic achievements, colleges, and more, I am also an artist who is constantly pressured by casting, technique, teacher/director favorites, looks, and much more. In a business like show business, it is almost impossible to not feel pressured by society and to strive to achieve success and perfection in order to fit in with the society; the only difference in comparison to the Loman's family may be that becoming an actor is usually a more independent satisfaction to achieve success rather than for somebody else.
I agree with what everyone has said. I think that dealing with pressure in the Loman family is definitely harder than the pressure dealt with here, in that the Loman family is already out in the 'real world', whereas at Walnut Hill the pressures we deal with are experienced internally, that is, within the campus during arts classes. Also, because Walnut Hill is a pretty tightly knit community, we are all supportive of each other and encourage each other; there is always a positive vibe from everyone. It is quite different from the society that the Lomans live in - people they interact with, (Willy especially) are usually motivated by money, and therefore will do anything to have something to their benefit. Very much unlike Walnut Hill and it's community, the society that the Lomans live in does not care about their wellbeing, and are therefore not caring or supportive of each other.
ReplyDeleteAs a few people have mentioned before, I believe societal pressures, especially in Willy's life comes from the idea of having a perfect life. I even have seen this in my own life. When I look in magazines or watch movies this idea of how we should be is planted in our brains which causes us to think and live our lives a certain way. Even if you think adds or movies don't affect you, they really do.
ReplyDeleteWilly for example is persuaded by what he see's as the right kind of life. Willy strives to have the perfect job and make alot of money for his family, when in reality, it does not happen the way he planned for. These pressures to be someone else or live your life a certain way only make his life worse.
As a family the Lomans each are so focused on living and having the perfect life that it takes a way from there own lives. Willy especially responds to these pressures by faking it. It almost seems he is living by the motto "fake it till you make it". In the end they all end up lost and confused. Trying to live up to these pressures only make their lives worse.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Madeleine in her statement about Willy wanting to be perfect. I believe he has good intentions but the execution of those intentions is how it just makes the situation worse. For example when he told Biff that it was ok that he stole the football because it showed the coach that he had initiative. His actions told Biff that stealing was ok as long as it was for a good reason. Willy had a need to be the perfect, well-liked father figure and that is why I think that Biff never really succeeded. He was the golden child in the family and never really had to work at all. He was so well liked he even got his friends to clean his basement.
ReplyDeleteIn my life I have seen society push for that "perfect" life. As previously stated by other writers it's all over the news and in magazines. Everywhere you look there's something that you can buy to make your life better somehow. There's really no way to avoid it.
I think an interesting dynamic that exists within this play is the pressure on both Happy and Willy that results from each of these men constantly being compared to their seemingly perfect brothers. Willy seems to not have very much faith in Happy, especially as we read Willy's flashbacks to the time when his boys were high school-aged, it seems that Happy was constantly being overlooked, disregarded, and ignored due to the fact that Biff was seemingly the perfect son.
ReplyDeleteWe later learn, when Ben is introduced, that Willy was very much in the same position as Happy during his childhood - the second-favorite to his extremely successful brother, Ben. To me, what is especially interesting about this relationship is that although Willy fully understands what it is like to be in the "second favorite" child role, he still puts Happy into that position where he constantly is pressured to live up to his brother, Biff. This creates an unparalleled amount of pressure for Happy because he is constantly being compared to someone who is extremely close to him.
I think this forced interfamilial competition is very similar to that of the dance world in that these brothers cannot escape this pressure much like there is no way for a dancer to escape the inherent pressure that comes along with the profession. The quality of a dancer is something that is totally relative, as Amelia mentioned, there is no perfect dancer so we are all just constantly being compared to each other. This leads to an inescapable source of competition and pressure to always compete with those closest to you - much like Willy and Ben and Biff and Happy, although close as brothers, were in constant competition because they were constantly being compared.
The characters Willy and Biff share the same concern with the concept of competition. One may share their concern more publicly than the other, but it still affects both of their lifestyles. Besides the fact that Willy has a very supportive wife (Linda), he enjoys gathering sympathy from her. When he does not succeed as well as others, he explains why it is not fair - claiming that he works very hard. Willy does show some type of disappointment towards himself during the scene when he lies to Linda about how much gross he made. Willy needs Linda to be his little 'cheerleader' that thinks he's the best, because deep down he knows he is not working as hard as he should be. He refuses to pay for his expenses probably because he is ashamed that he has to pay them in the first place. He thinks he can wait till the next day (and so on) before he completes all of his responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteBiff is constantly around Happy - someone who is quite successful, but not too proud. There is frequent competition between them, but it is never discussed. Biff is not employed, but Happy is. Happy may not be enjoying his life, but he has more independence than Biff, who is a grown man.
Biff and Willy seemed to be stressed over the idea of being better than everyone else. So instead of making a difference, they don't do anything about it. They're all talk. It confuses me why Willy isn't motivated. Willy has a wife who loves him and supports him no matter what. Maybe his own happiness is more important to him, and Linda is too used to his pity party that she just goes along for the ride.
Being in the Writing Studio, there are very few people and we are all very close and aware of each of our successes and fails (both inside and outside of the studio). There is definitely some competition about who gets in the Blue Pencil Print and sometimes egos clash; but I feel that I am too passionate about my work that there is no use to let any uneasiness interrupt me and my art.
- Dahvin
Like Morgan and Madeline, I agree in that Willy strives to be successful in life. Success for Willy is represented by Ben, who made a quick fortune with little effort. In turn, Willy influences Biff and Happy that success and happiness do not come from hard work but rather from the approval from others.
ReplyDeleteBiff, in particular is influenced by Willy. He is concerned primarily by what he should be doing rather than what he is doing now. Biff considers a farm hand not to a road to success, which according to the Lomans is money.
In the era that this book is set there are many things that take control of Willy's, and his family's life. In a time where the dream of america was to be a great family man, responsible in business, and take care of all problems Willy is right there. Willy has a desire to be an entrepreneur not only because of the fact that his father was a great entrepreneur but because that is what was an acceptable job in america at that time. He was pressured with this idea of an idlic business man therefore his hopes and dreams revolved around that, he thought he was going to be this businessman he saw in his head. This also influenced his view of family values, he thought his kids had to be strong men who could fend for them selfs rather than a smart person who can get a good job. At this time in America it was all about selling things, who could sell the most and the newest, it was the era of advertising. This gave Willy and his family the idea that they had to be personable, easy to talk to in other words. This also transformed Happy and Biffs thoughts because they thought they had to be successful, yet as they got older they are starting to learn that it is not having a good job that makes you happy, (like america advertises) but its doing something you love.
ReplyDeleteIn my life there are many things like this, things that change my hopes and dreams. We are controlled not only by the propaganda around us but also the people. "Growing up" at Walnut Hill is different than growing up anywhere else, it shapes your beliefs and ideals. My life has been influenced by the openness of the people here and yet it has also been influenced by the out side world. I, as are many other people, a consumer of the world and it is advertising and views of people higher up than me that shape that.
We are all controlled by what is around us.
By living in the mid 20th century, the characters in “Death of a Salesman” have more of a struggle to meet up to everyone’s expectations. I feel like if one didn’t have a stable job, a happy family, and good money in that time period, then they wouldn’t meet up to the “typical” life style of living. However, I’m only basing this off of what I know of Willy, Linda, Biff, and Happy.
ReplyDeleteWilly has a job, but doesn’t really pay that much attention to it. He’s always imagining the “what if” situations rather accepting the way his life is now. Linda is always on a mission to nurture Willy. I haven’t really found out what she does besides cook, clean, and make sure everyone is satisfied. Happy has a job, but is also unhappy with it and Biff just CAN’T keep a job. Based on the trend of this family it seems like they’re all reaching for the goal to make them selves or someone else happier and be successful at it (like everyone else is saying.)
Being at Walnut Hill, I could see how they relate to us because we’re always trying to meet up to someone’s expectations (whether it’s our teachers or ourselves). Just like we’re so judgmental on the characters, people in our society always judge us. So, I guess in that way we’re similar.
- ashante
Dayeon Choi
ReplyDeleteThrought the beginning of the play which I have read, I soon figured out the aim of Willy Loman's family's lives. Starting from Willy's desire to be well- liked and be the best salesman to Happy's poor obsession to get attention from his family are something I understand.
The play is fictional, though it brought the truth and reality well. Being loved and respected is one's desire and dream in our society.
As for me, even when I was young, I played my violin just to earn the attention from my parents and my teacher. Coming to Walnut Hill brought my hope to be the best in my area of Art- similar to Willy Loman's dream. The play shows our society itself and human's deep desire; being well-liked, need of attention, and hoping to be the best of one's job.
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Societal pressure obviously plays a huge part in the play. It takes its toll on each character in turn, and almost never in a positive way, paralleling reality.
ReplyDeleteWilly, the main character, is perhaps most prominently effected. He is literally going crazy, having troubles discerning the past from the present, daydreams from reality, and even when he is actually talking to people versus when he is not. Willy's self esteem is also effected, causing him to feel foolish, and sad about his appearance. Trying to cope with the pressures, he tends to exaggerate the truth, even lie, in an attempt to measure up to what he believes he should be. It leads to some of his "dreamer"-like qualities, as well as his state of being worn and confused.
Linda is more effected by association than directly effected by societal pressures. Her family and their action effect her. She responds to Willy's moods and exaggerations, to Biff's feelings of being lost and useless, and to Happy's cockiness and unsatisfied state of being. She struggles to keep up, to maintain a household, to take Willy's craziness in stride, and to retain appearances to the outside world.
Biff is more like Willy - the reader feels inclined to pity him, especially when we glimpse his glory days of high school. Then, Biff could compeltely keep up with society's pressures - he practically set the bar for them. Then, in the real world, he gets a hard awakening, and realizes that he is wasting his life. In addition to this, he struggles day in and day out with having dreams, then not thinking that his dreams are good enough. Also, he doesn't have a good relationship with his father, something that used to be so easy.
Happy is an interesting case. He seems to be better off than the rest of his family. He is successful, therefore he should have an easier time dealing with societal pressures, right? However, Happy is also most aware of how far gone Willy is, and this makes it hard for him to be satisfied. At the same time, he is a player and is both happy with this, and longing for something more.
The Lomans, in one way, have universal problems. Trying to measure up to what you feel is expected of you, yet never quite making it, and beating yourself up for not making it. For teenagers especially, this is hard. Trying to figure you who you are and what "your best" means can be grueling. As a dancer, or any type of artist, these pressures are magnified - you don't only have to be successful at life in general, but also in a specific, super demanding area of life.
~ Laura Jane
I think that one of the reasons why Willy feels so much pressure to succeed is because his father and his brother were both really successful economically and he hasn't been so far, maybe making him feel inferior to them. And Willy in turn pressures Biff to be successful and it's very ironic that Happy is the one that ends up being economically successful when we see how Willy ignores Happy during his teen years.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience a lot of social pressure comes from people back home expecting me to be a lawyer like my father and be as successful as him, while my father used to sometimes pressure me to not pursue art as a career, in a similar but at the same time different way that Willy pressure Biff to become a businessman. My father has however changed his perspective and now supports me in whatever it is that I pursue (like Opera) even though there are many chances that I won't be financially successful, unlike Willy, who doesn't really mind whether Biff is happy or not, he just wants Biff to be wealthy and so far has not shown any interest to the fact that Happy is very successful which I find to be very interesting.
I agree with what has been said regarding the societal pressure to make a lot of money that exists now, and existed in the time of the play. I feel that in America there is not only pressure to make enough money, but also to make an excessive amount of money. What Kevin brought up about advertising has a lot to do with this, and I believe it is a firmly rooted aspect of American society. In Willy's society, it is not sufficient to make enough money to put bread on the table and supply all the bare necessities. He needs to have enough money to buy the best products, such as his car and the refrigerator, and the way he learns which products are "the best" is through advertisement. This same mindset has been passed on to Biff and Happy. It seems as if Biff would be happy with the money he gets, and the lifestyle he lives, if not for the disappointment it causes his father. Happy also has this idea that what he has is not enough. Again, this is because he has not achieved all the aspects of his father's life. Happy wants to have exactly what his dad has, and even wants to have the same kind of wife. He will never have enough until he attains this ideal life.
ReplyDeleteI think that many aspects of this "ideal" have changed over time. The ideal wife for a lot of people is no longer a submissive, dishwashing one, but rather an equal that can think for herself. Personally, I don't feel the same pressure that Happy feels to get a wife like Linda. On the other hand, consumerism in America is much greater now than then. The pressure to have an excess of wealth is exacerbated by the shows on TV and the extravagant lifestyles of the celebrities that we hear about on a daily basis. I think that Walnut Hill sets the bar really high for a lot of people, and the pressures here are to produce work and art at the highest level. This is a different kind of societal pressure than what the characters in Salesman have to deal with, but it is just as relentless.
Willy finds it hard to see the damage he is causing onto his family when he lies about the ways that people perceive him, and about how much money he is actually receiving in his job. His sons are unable to see that his success is artificial, and are therefore growing up creating a false-hero in their minds; thinking that their father is a close to perfect human being. Willy's need to appear successful and important in his sons eyes matters more to him than being a realistic and helpful father figure.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest struggle as an artist is seeing my individual talent without other people acknowledging it. Having to look internally to see my abilities as an actor has never come easy to me. At Walnut Hill, and in today's Society in general, it is hard for people to see their positive qualities and talent without having other people tell them so. To willy, and to many people even nowadays, lying about success (or other things) is the only way to feel needed/important. Most of the time when people are creating false scenarios and lies in order to receive attention, they very rarely are fully conscious to the idea that they are telling a lie. Their need to feel important dominates their will to do what is right.They see the reaction impressive lies get out of other people, (like Willy when he sees his kids melt with admiration) and do not connect the lie with being bad. On the contrary, connect the lie with receiving what they ultimately want; attention.
We see a lot of character in Willy from the very beginning due to his dialogue with Linda. Although the presence of pressure is clearly evident in Willy's tone, it's difficult to describe his weakness directly, for he seems more aware than conscious of his obstacles in his profession and purpose of life. I think that is already quite different from Walnut Hill, because we know that whatever activity we engage in wherever, we will always inspire art in those places beyond our school, becoming leaders of the world. I think we are similar to Willy in that we share societal pressure, something just as common as gravity. We can't avoid it, but we can, must, overcome it. We are very different in that Willy is an adult trying to successfully make money for his wife and children while we are young, trying to learn, experience, and grow, which is essential for our future.
ReplyDeleteGetting back to Willy, we already see narrow-mindedness, not just a conservative straight-mindedness:
"Linda. 'And, Willy...if it's warm Sunday we'll drive in the country. And we'll open the windshield, and take lunch...' Willy. 'No, the windshields don't open up on new cars'" (11-12).
(--end of conversation.)
Sometimes we see outbursts of hardship, such as this one: "Willy. 'There's more people! That's what's ruining this country!" (11).
These behaviors are results of the lack of passion. Is it because compared to us, who "make" our own artistic products, Willy's profession is to sell the works of others? Not necessarily; It all comes down to love. Does he love what he does? Is his success measured by happiness or money? His behaviors in the examples are very irrational, for they appear to have no direction and possibility. But I think that we as artists see and hear inside of him; living a rational life is the very last goal, in fact not even a goal, of human purpose. Our ideal societies, called societal or social pressures, are completely rational, "perfect." But life is not about right or wrong, rational or irrational. One judges another for being crazy. But he/she is crazy about life. He/she is just that excited, eager to share the amount of happiness. We're happy or not; There is no middle-ground. Willy realizes this, and his behavior reflects that inner stuggle and aspiration to breathe that air which celebrates the existance of life. Our hopes as readers, as we read this story, is that he realizes that life is not perfect but something greater.
Societal pressures play a huge part in this play as well as in real life. In the case of the Loman family it affects each person a little bit differently, but ultimately I feel that the family feels that in order to be socially acceptable and important they need wealth and a plan. I feel like Willy is under the most societal pressures. I feel like these pressures are coming from all over the place and creating a narrow view of what his life and every person of social importance life should look like. His view of being having money and being well liked in order to accomplish anything and make something of his life is passed on to his sons and does not benefit them in the end. He lies to them about being well liked and makes impossible summer plans with them just to seem to them as more than a salesman but to become a man of importance in their eyes. This makes Happy and Biff feel that they also need to make money and be well liked in order to live a successful life. We see that when they are older these pressures affect them each differently. Biff is more like Willy in the sense that he is lost and confused by his life. He doesn’t know what he is supposed to want. I don’t think you are supposed to want something but you are supposed to have a goal and dream to reach things. I feel that societal pressure has made Biff loss touch with his goals and altered them to fit what society has lead him to believe he needs to become. Happy on the other hand has seemingly reached these societal levels but is still unhappy. Its just interesting to see how these things that people are lead to believe will make them happy actually don’t when they reach them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what other dancers have said about feeling pressure to be perfect at what we do even though it’s pretty much impossible. All you can do is be the best you can and make yourself happy.
I think the pressure that the Lomans are going through so far in the play exists not only in the mid 20th century, but also today (in that everyone strive to achieve a successful life).
ReplyDeleteHowever, like everyone have already commented, the Lomans go through the pressure that each of them has to be perfect in one's role within and outside of the family.
The two characters who get the most pressure in the play I think are Wily and Biff. Willy, the head of the household, gets most pressure from his job, because he is not really a man, whom his wife and his children are expecting him to be at his job. He struggles in the situation where he wants to be the role model for his sons but he cannot be a good one. And as the eldest son in the family, Biff feels that he has to get a good job, earn a lot of money, therefore to satisfy his father who has a lot of expectations on Biff.
I think this pressure that the two Lomans get to be the perfect father, the perfect son or even a perfect person exists in every one in WalnutHill including myself. As a young artist,(yet a student)the "ideal perfection" is to achieve good grades and to produce good quality of art. I try to achieve the ideal aspects of the "perfect" artist every day,which pressure me alot(just like how the Lomans are pressured)
The majority of people have analysized the concept of Willy Loman's idealistic, WANTED, perception of perfection, his 'advertising' self, and his own fight to continually prove that his is the model of the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteHowever imagine with me a scenario:
(A street corner in Virginia, circa. 2010. Two young kids are eating ice-cream)
A: Dude did you hear about the Lomans? They're SO FIERCE!
B: I KNOW! Tots for sure, its like unredincudonculous!
A: For shizzle the nizzle. They're the top dogs in the town.
B: SOOOOO MUCH LOVE.
A: I wish I was them.
B (swooning): That boy is gna rule the world.
A: HE IS the BOMB.
B: And they are cha-ching cha chinged up.
A: Dang.
B: I wish I was them.
A: Yeah.
(fin.)
Now while this may seem slightly hyperbolic, it illustrates my point that regardless of time we judge people. And more importantly we use superficial, un-situational, biased judgements that more of than not ought to be very carefully scrutinized for their legitimate points and are not. Willy, and to a lesser extent the boys, has subjected himself openly to these assumed judgements and thereby lives vicariously through their remarks/highs and lows/attitudes etc. Consequently, he works to mold those judgements in a seemingly possitive fashion. While this, at some points, creates indeed outward, shallow, reflective postive judgements, it in reality gives him no opportunity to fulfil the deeds that these judgements so prophesize and expect. This, as I said, is just as prevelant now - in our modern, 'babelicious', worlds- than in 1948.
I believe that the pressure from society during the time of "Death of a Salesman" was for the adults to appear as perfect as possible at all times, even in front of their children. When Willy came back from his trip, he greatly over exaggerated his profits at work to appear more successful than he actually was. It wasn't until after Biff and Happy had left that he revealed how little money he actually earned. He later speaks very highly of his adventurous brother, Ben, so that his family appears more fortunate as a whole and that his children need to be successful to follow in his pretend footsteps. This also occurs in the beginning of the play during adult Happy and Biff's conversation about their current lives. Biff reveals that although he appears to be successful, have any woman he wants, and was popular in high school, it's not all it's cracked up to be. He still isn't satisfied and he is still trying to live up to his father's business successes. And it clearly runs in the family with Happy, basically spending his entire life trying to impress his father and being in Biff's shadow. His name blatantly suggests that he's supposed to be Happy and I wonder if he will ever reach that ultimate goal, his ultimate perfection.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJenny brings up this interesting point of "appearing as perfect as possible at all times." Someone else also mentioned the "fake it till you make it." I think a big problem in our society is the idea of having to leave the house "perfect." We have a large issue accepting a disheveled or less than "perfect" appearance. This can be seen in a tabloid frenzy over a celebrity leaving the house without makeup, or teenagers waking up two hours before school to primp away all imperfections. It seems as though in "Death of a Salesman" this pressure to be perfect is quite apparent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what people said about societal pressure, how Willy strive for success and perfection. As the head of the household, Willy works hard to put food on the table for his family but he tries to hide his struggle from his family to motivate himself to work harder. In regards to what Antonio said earlier, Willy’s lies creates false hopes of becoming successful and well-liked to Biff and Happy, but it seems to me that he only impresses his family to keep his pride. As we see through Willy’s past, Willy was always lacking behind his brother, Ben. Ben traveled west in hopes of finding riches and gold, as well as being the pioneer. Ben’s adventures have urged Willy to become successful like him as well as being acknowledged. We also see that he acts the “perfect father” to young Biff and young Happy, telling them how he “slaughtered” and sold the products. When they’re gone; however, Willy reveals that he did not sell as many as he lied. Willy lies so his family would not be disappointed in him and not see their father as a loser. I feel Willy’s pride has gotten the best of him and made him blind to see that he is his own enemy.
ReplyDeleteAs a student at a performing arts school, I feel a similar pressure compared to the Lomans. Like the Lomans, I make my own path and try to fill in the shoes. Sometimes it isn't easy to become what I aspire to be but as much as there is confidence, I can make myself believe that can work.
Hi it's Quinn
ReplyDeleteThe effects of living in mid twentieth century societ.
Willy: Has the american dream of working for a big corporation as opposed to moving west, is pressured to support the whole family. Responds by trying his best but not accepting his failures.
Linda: Has the role of being the mother/wife of the house. Responds by playing her role perfectly.
Biff: Has the pressure to be the perfect first son. Responds to pressure by trying to hard to be robust and free of spirit, etc. and doesn't develop alot of normal social habits, such as not stealing, or being responsible enough to at least to some homework.
Happy: Also has pressure to be a perfect son, and responds in a similar way (takes to courting women, even if they're already 'taken')
As and american student, I feel a lot of pressure to do as well as I can in my academic classes, along with pressure not to pursue a carreer in music. This pressure is similar because it A) forces people to do things they don't want to do and B) fits everyone into the same mold.
There's something to be said for Miller's choice of a family setting- he creates an uninhibited envrionment for these characters. However, I'd like to propose that familial pressure is greater than any sociatial pressure there may be. As an artist, I have been taught that nothing works without formal cooperation- in all senses of the word- As a Colombian daughter however, the sole lesson that has always been repeated, no matter the phase and no matter the situation, "You must always put yourself first." What kind of message is that when you're also taught to fully sacrifice for one another as a "familia."
ReplyDeleteI think that's alot of the pressure that Biff might be feeling- there's something about having to keep a good image of yourself amongst the family and still fulfill an environmental need. The two aren't mutually the same.
I was taught to never sacrifice for anything that wouldn't last- whether physically or in my mind.
What happens when Biff is put with the same question?
After looking at all of the comments, I definitely agree that Willy wants deeply to be successful. Does he want the work with that needs to come with it? I don’t think he does. As an artist, you must put real work in to get a result. If Willy does not do this, which it seems so fart that he is not, he is insane. The definition of insane is doing the same action over and over again, expecting a different result. He is not in touch with what is happening right now; current reality.
ReplyDeleteBiff is also not in touch with current reality. As Sarah says “Biff believes a farm hand not to a road to success, which according to the Lomans is money”. If Biff could stop thinking about how this job couldn’t get him anywhere in what he wants to do, this farm gig might just be able to get him somewhere. I have to work a job this summer that is not theater, but I am looking on the bright side of it and how it can help what I need to do with my life in the future: what I can learn from it and how I can use it to benefit me in the future - a connection.
As far as societal pressure in the book is concerned, I think they’re all whiners. I really do. None of them (Biff or Willy) get up and do anything about their lives. They don’t get out, get up and Live it! That’s not a good quality if you want to get somewhere in life and it seems like they do, so just go for it. Yes there may be pressure, peer pressure, family pressure, inner pressure, or emotional pressure. However, in the end you just have to do what you want to do to be successful. I agree with Dahvin entirely in “I feel that I am too passionate about my work that there is no use to let any uneasiness interrupt me and my art”. There is absolutely no use. It will just slow you down. Do what you passionately want to do and do it now and success will come soon in some form or another.
Much like what a lot of other people have said I see a lot of the societal pressures coming from the perception of perfection and the idea of the American Dream. Of all of the Lowman’s I believe that Willy is the most effected by this need to be perceived as perfect / conforming to standards. A perfect example of this is when Willy has returned from his travels and tells Linda the amount of produce he had sold , she quickly tots it up realizing the vast amounts of money he has made. Very quickly afterward he took back his comment saying he had slightly exaggerated it and he had actually only made about a quarter of what he had said he did. Much of what we see in the text specifically in the Lowman family is the constant need for positive affirmation of everything that they do, they want to be told they are great all the time and be perceived as perfect.
ReplyDeleteIn coming to America this was something I realized quite quickly, this same ethos is quite prevalent in American society, the need for constant praise and affirmation. This was a very different concept coming from Ireland because people are quite the opposite, rarely will people tell you what you are good at , rather they will tell you what your not so good at and what you need to work on and assume that what they don’t comment on isn’t a problem.
Like other people already said, the Lomans family is under the societal pressure and it keeps them comparing themselves to other people who are doing better. To respond the societal pressure, Biff came back to his home where he believes that he will be protected from pressures and will have less competition from outside although he sees competition with Happy later. And Happy, who is living in harsh world and himself is very competitive trys to get a girl who would make his states higher in order to escape from the societal pressure althoufh he doesn't want her. Willy, who seems to be under a lot of the societal pressure than anybody else, is dreaming and remembering the good days (I would say better days since I see he was struggling of getting money in the past too) to heal himself, and now he is not being able to tell if he's in the reality or dream. He tells Linda why he can't make money, but I see him trying "excuse" himself by blaming his personality and appearance so that Linda will comfort him as always which makes him look very immature.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone knows, it's very very hard to be a professional musician and make money and live by playing music because you need to be a "good" musician. I already worry about myself in the furure and under the pressure since no one can tell me if I will be a good musician but I'm the one who decides to be the one or not. However, I'm truly happy and enjoying to play cello as my future career so I believe the pressure I have now is not as serious and heavy as the one Loman family has.
-Joy
I think the most important point(or reason) of societal pressure is when someone doesn't live the life that he/she wants. This happens very often in the modern era, both in mid-20th century and 21st century, as the society and its role model changes faster than human instincts. And that is when human faces a great pressure, thus lethargy, due to not being able to do what he/she wants to do.
ReplyDeleteMany people mentioned above (or not, to be honest I didn't read all of it), that these pressures are like those general ones, like being a good parents and family. However I think many of the characters in the play faces different type of pressure. As I explained above, the pressure is due to the difference between the society's role model and each characters' role model. For instance, Willy always gets pressure of being a good father and a good salesman from the society, but what he truly wants to be is a hunter, a strong example of "a true man". This is why Willy keeps having dreams and hallucination of Uncle Ben, who was a wild man who went to Africa and became rich. We can also see this in Biff's example, where he wants to just work in the field, being a cowboy, but the society forces him to be something else 'normal'. This, the difference between different role models, is why these characters are under so much pressure. Therefore even if these characters met the expectations of the society, like being a good father and a successful salesman, these characters still won't be happy.
I guess many men would feel the same. I guess that's why people midlife crisis, doing crazy things during their teenage years, etc. For instance, I want to get a Ducati and doing 200 mph on highway, but in reality I can't even get a car in this school. And what the society, or school at this case, wants is being a A+ student, but even if I become a A+ student, I would still want my Ducati.