Quote analysis regarding the American Dream in DOAS

Maile Danilchik 

4/29/17

IB Language and Literature 

“Without a penny to his name, three great universities are begging for him, and from there the sky’s the limit, because it’s not what you do, Ben. It’s who you know and the smile on your face! It’s contacts, Ben, contacts! The whole wealth of Alaska passes over the lunch table at the Commodore Hotel, and that’s the wonder, the wonder of this country, that a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!” (Miller, 86). 

This quote from Death of A Salesman shows how Willy Loman perceives the American Dream to be. He emphasizes the “rags to riches” idea of how the dream operates. Many people believe that the American Dream is founded on an opportunity for education and quality of life that allows one to be successful and rich in business. Willy talks about his son, Biff, being sought out by “three great universities”, incorporating the idea of education be a launching point for success. However, many people think that you must do something worthy of fulfilling the American Dream, for instance, many immigrants believe that you must work hard in order to be successful in this society. Others think you must be intelligent. Willy, on the other hand, tells Ben that someone needs connections to others and charism in order to be successful in America. Despite the possibility of his son going to a good university, Willy stresses how important “the smile on your face” is to get the opportunities. He also highlights that contacts are important, which we see later when he tries to work with Howard Wagner to obtain more money and he uses his connection to Howard’s father as a claim of worthiness. According to Willy, charisma and personality will lead a man do “end with diamonds on the basis of being liked”, meaning that because someone is likable they will forage more relationships in business, resulting in more connections for the future. 

Word Count (excluding quote): 242

Generational Differences Seen in Death Of A Salesman and Patrick MacAleeman's Article

Maile Danilchik

4/22/18

IB Language and Literature

In Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, the reader is exposed to the dynamic of different generations through Willy Loman and his sons, Biff and Happy. Willy wants his sons to take after him, being able to handle different tools and be proficient at skilled labor to the point of harassing Bernard, Biff’s childhood friend, for being “too” studious. However, he is also conflicted when he scolds Biff for working on a farm and wants Biff to be a grownup man while telling him that he is “too young to be talking seriously to girl.”(Miller, 27) In the play, it is seen how Willy is having the struggle that many parents with generational differences from their children are having, with understanding the changing times and wanting their kids to be like them.  

 I think that while Patrick MacAleeman has a point that with the access to the internet that Generation Z has had for all of their lives can cause differences in how people are able to function in society. He claims that they are less “wise” meaning that they do not know as many facts or comport themselves the same way as the generations before them. However, I think that many of the points he raises, such as being extremely active on social media, are very large generalizations for everyone within the generation. Of course, it is impossible to account for everyone’s personal tastes and lives but taking his generalization from one quote “I’d say 95% of my time is spent on the internet” to represent an entire generation is disproportionate and an inaccurate way of portraying an entire group. Additionally, MacAleeman only focuses on one--albeit large--aspect of Generation Z’s life, he does not focus on non-internet related issues as much, such as how politically active this generation is in relation to others.

 I think as someone who leans toward the Generation Z time frame, there is definitely a separation of the era between figures in Death Of A Salesman and what I am used to. For instance, the atmosphere was different, with post-WWII America and a refocusing on national goals from abroad to domestic issues. The dynamic between people, such as Willy and his wife Linda, are seen by me as Willy being a disrespectful husband, but perhaps then it was seen as normal marital conduct. However, I think that being a different generation also helps me analyze the book better through history and being able to connect it with contemporary times without it being too detached. I find that my experience reading books about past generations rather than potential future ones is easier because it allows me to gather insight about our history and how events can affect individuals in similar ways despite a separation in time. 

Word Count: 463

The Significance of Automobile Production during the 1940s in Death of A Salesman

Cars are mentioned frequently in the Death Of A Salesman, where Willy and Linda discuss driving in the first section and the Chevrolet company is also referenced. This is significant to the setting and invoking the spirit of the era. The play is placed in the 1949 post-war America. During the war, the auto industry was focused on supplying troops with the necessary vehicles for war, but afterward, the public was able to gain access to new and improved cars rather than making do with rationed gasoline and more rudimentary models. Companies such as Chevrolet and Ford were in a tight competition to be the first to sell their improved automobiles to the public. The 1964 Ford ended up being the first to be available with a completely new look and updated engines. The postwar period led to a skyrocketing boom in production rates, with 450,000 new manufactured cars off of the assembly line in a year. This added detail of mentioning cars and different automobile companies at the time is important for setting up the time period and the sentiment towards materialism. Willy Loman and Linda are talking about cars at the beginning of the car, with Willy saying, “I was thinking of the Chevy. Nineteen twenty-eight…when I had that red Chevy today…Remarkable. Ts. Remember those days?” This shows a comparison between the industrialization and modernization of the post-WWII United States and the post WWI.  Just this nuanced mentioning of automobiles within the play shows how this epoch is different from others, with new revolutions in capitalism and materialism.

Word Count: 263