The Dysfunctional American Dream in Death of a Salesman by...

The Dysfunctional American Dream in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller In the American society, it is thought that if you work hard, no matter what circumstances, you can become rich and powerful. You can overcome deep poverty to become the richest man alive. This superhuman absurdity is what is referred to as the American Dream. Day after day, Americans struggle to achieve fame and prosperity, only to find failure and heartbreak. The American Dream in todays society is dead and is proven several times through plays, poetry, and essays. The perfect example of the dysfunctional American Dream is that of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Willy innermost desires result in lies and extreme failure.†¦show more content†¦He goes to such extremes that he fools himself into a deep state of depression (Clurman, 133). The Dream that Willy strives so badly to achieve is one filled with flaw upon flaw. First of all, hes dreaming of all the wrong things. Biff says He had all the wrong dreams. All, all wrong, he never knew who he was (Miller, 177). Willy is a man of confusion and distress (Clurman, 134). He should be longing for things such as love and companionship rather than money (Garrison). Willy led a meaningless life where his wife was a part of the problem rather than the solution. Her supposed undying loyalty and love only fueled the fire rather than solve the problem (Garrison). In her admiration of his dreams, it is lethal. (Garrison). In the essence of support, Linda is Willys n umber one fan, but to no prevail, she only feeds his lies. Another problem of Willys dream is that he gives himself too much credit. He continually goes on in the play about how he is well know in all of New England as a great salesman (Miller, 121). But in actuality, he is a mediocre, aging has-been. He puts on a mask for the most detrimental person: himself. It is the lying to himself that kills Willys soul. His constant striving of a goal that a man of his nature just could never achieve is extremely harmful to his sanity. Biff says, Pop! Im a dime a dozen, and so are you! Willy replies, I am not a dime a dozen!Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Arthur Miller s The Death Of A Salesman 1325 Words   |  6 PagesArthur Miller is one of the most successful and enduring playwrights of the post-war era in America. He focuses on middle-class anxieties since the theme of anxiety and insecurity reflects much of Arthur Miller’s own past. The play addresses loss of identity and a man’s inability to change within him and society (Miller 16). The American Dream has been an idea that has motivated society for centuries. It often times becomes the main theme for many movies, novels, and poems. In, The Death of aRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1387 Words   |  6 Pagesthe famous American play-write Arthur Miller, is undoubtedly Death of a Salesman. Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949 at the time when America was evolving into an economic powerhouse. Arthur Miller critiques the system of capitalism and he also tells of the reality of the American Dream. Not only does he do these things, but he brings to light the idea of the dysfunctional family. Death of a Salesman is one of America’s saddest tragedies. In Arthur Miller’s, Death of a Salesman, three majorRead More The American Dream Conspiracy in Death of a Salesman Essay1728 Words   |  7 PagesArthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman tells the story of the f ailure of a salesman, Willy Loman. Although not all Americans are salesmen, most of us share Willy’s dream of success. We are all partners in the American Dream and parties to the conspiracy of silence surrounding the fact that failures must outnumber successes.(Samantaray, 2014) Miller amalgamates the archetypal tragic hero with the mundane American citizen. The result is the anti-hero, Willy Loman. He is a simple salesman who constantlyRead MoreDeath of a Tragic Hero in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller836 Words   |  4 PagesDeath of a Tragic Hero in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Since the beginning of time, man has endeavored to become something more, to grow as a society. This has been accomplished through many extremes from war and conquest to science and exploration. The struggle endured during these events has indeed been great, but there is no greater struggle, nor one that reaps more reward, than that which the individual goes through to discover himself. Benjamin Franklin once said, â€Å"ThereRead MoreThe Jagged Edges of a Shattered American Dream in Death of a Salesman1377 Words   |  6 Pages The American dream is an ideal for all Americans to get the best out of life. It stands for an easy and comfortable life, which makes you independent and your own boss. Historically, the American dream meant a promise of freedom and opportunity, offering the chance of riches even to those who start with nothing. This is something that Arthur Miller conveys in his play Death of a Salesman. Before the Depression, an optimistic America offered the alluring promise of successRead MoreA Comparison of Tennessee Williams ´ The Glass Menagerie and Arthur Miller ´s Death of a Salesman1158 Words   |  5 Pages The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller are two of the twentieth century’s best-known plays. The differences and similarities between both of the plays are hidden in their historical and social contexts. The characters of The Glass Menagerie and the Death of a Salesman are trapped by the constraints of their everyday lives, unable to communicate with their loved ones and being fearful for their future. There are a lot of comparisons thatRead MoreThe Strength of Family in Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun1198 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream is a vision of economic opportunity available to all those who work for it, regardless of race or class. However, as seen in Arthur Miller’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman† and Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, perverted conceptions of the American Dream convince certain characters that they are entitled to the fruits of miracles. Despite their best intentions for supporting their families, Walter Younger and Willy Loman encounter unsurpassable obstacles and are unable to fulfillRead MoreDeath of a Salesman - Dysfunctional Family845 Words   |  4 PagesA Dysfunctional Family from Death of a Salesman â€Å"We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house.† This quote is said by Biff Loman himself. Willy Loman is the father of Biff and Happy Loman, and the husband of Linda. The Loman’s are an average working class American family. In the play, The Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, the Loman’s go through very difficult circumstances throughout the play. These circumstances are not exactly obvious but they are shown throughoutRead More Dreams and Success in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay1748 Words   |  7 PagesDreams and Success in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman  Ã‚        Ã‚  In Arthur Millers play, Death of a Salesman, Miller probes the dream of Willy Lowman while making a statement about the dreams of American society. This essay will explore how each character of the play contributes to Willys dream, success, and failure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy is the aging salesman whose imagination is much larger than his sales ability. Willys wife, Linda, stands by her husband even in his absence of realismRead MoreDeath of a Salesman Analysis675 Words   |  3 PagesNovember 10, 2012 English P5 Death of a Salesman Essay Like Father Like Son In Arthur Miller’s play, Death of a Salesman, Miller reveals what happens when a dream, especially the American dream, dies, as seen through the life of Willy Loman, a pathetic, self-deluded salesman. The play follows the family through painful conflicts, significant issues such as national values, and the price of blind fate while working toward the ‘American Dream’. The major problem woven into the plot discusses

Applying Motivation and Emotion Theories - 2483 Words

Applying Motivation and Emotion Theories in an Analysis of Scrooge s Behaviour Motivation and Emotion Theories 2 In the past many theories have been put forth in an attempt to understand the motivations of an individuals behaviour and the emotions involved. According to Reber Reber (2001) emotional states tend to have motivational properties and the elements of a motivation will often have emotional ties. In addition, theorists have identified that physiological structures usually appear to exist in a motivational and emotional context (Heilman Bowers, 1990; Reber, 2001; Strongman, 1973; Weiner, 1985). Some of the more well known ideas put forth by theorists include locus of control, intrinsic and extrinsic†¦show more content†¦When Christmas arrives once again Scrooge s locus shifts due to loneliness he admits to resigning to the fact that this is the way he will be from now on- alone. This resignation indicates a belief of fate influencing his position which is one of the traits of an external locus. Also a trait of an external locus of control is an individual s suggestibility involving others opinions. In this case, Scrooge quickly comes to rely on the opinions of the Christmas spirits that visit him. As illustrated by Scrooge s cont inual change in locus, it can be seen that an individual s locus range does indeed change- with keeping this in mind their positions can be roughly measured. The opponent process theory of motivation was developed mainly by Richard Solomon, and it is in a sense a homeostatic theory of emotion. Suggested is that every emotion generates an opposing emotion that acts to control it, existing after the original emotion has dissipated (Mook, 1996; Reber Reber, 2001). And with this dissipation, a drive to reach the initial emotion is created. An example, illustrating this theory is how an individual s luxuries soon turn into necessities. In order to reach the initial effect the object in question needs to be increased. This theory can be applied to Scrooge s need for money.Show MoreRelatedResources: Ch. 7 8 of Discovering Psychology and Motivation and Emotion – Interactive Tutorial758 Words   |  4 PagesMaterial Motivation and Emotion Worksheet Resources: Ch. 7 8 of Discovering Psychology and Motivation and Emotion – Interactive Tutorial Discuss the following as a team and provide a brief summary of the each discussion. The word count for individual answers may vary but your responses should total 500- to 800-words for the entire worksheet. 1. Describe three approaches to motivation. Explain how each approach affects motivation. There are many different types of motivations; some areRead MoreThe Theory Of Emotion By James Lange Theory And Cognitive Appraisal887 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent emotions in one single day. 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Cause and Effect in My Life Essay Example For Students

Cause and Effect in My Life Essay Many people believe that everything happens for a reason, although sometimes one may not know or see that reason. Years ago, when I was in elementary school, I did not believe that there was a reason behind events that took place in my life. I was bullied in the sixth grade by a group of girls in my grade. The bullying was caused by a rumor that was spread about which caused me to lose my friends. The school got involved and then the truth was later told and ultimately led to me gaining back my friends. The adolescent stage of a young women’s life is comparable the to motion of a roller coaster. The ups and downs definitely made it hard to forget what the years brought upon me. When I was in the sixth grade, I had a fairly large group of friends. Recess came along, and it seemed as though time moved fast when I was having fun. Going to class was surprisingly joyful, considering I had my friends in the same class as me and was able to pick where I wanted to sit instead of being placed like I had to do in fifth grade. Moving up a grade meant one was mature, and with maturity in elementary school comes attitude and drama. Someone had told my friend, Amanda, that I said she did not look good in UGGS. The old he-said/she-said game that girls always seem to play was now becoming my worst enemy. Knowing I did not say anything, and knowing how offended my friend was at me for â€Å"saying† that, I tried to clear my name. Spending countless amounts of recesses trying to prove to my friend Amanda that was she heard was not true did not work in my favor. Before I knew it, there were too many rumors circulating around the classroom that I did not even know where to begin. I felt alone and helpless. I had seen what I was supposed to do when I was getting bullied on flyers and presentations around the school, but I could not tell my teacher what was happening. The situation became out of control and my teacher noticed something was wrong. Notifying the principal, actions were taken immediately. Name calling, rumor starting, pointing and laughing, etc. was not taken lightly. My school made that clear when I, along with the other girls involved, including Amanda, were put into a private room to discuss what had been happening. At first I felt as if I was backed up against the wall, but the moment I started to explain my side of the story I could see the look of guilt all over the girls’ faces. After a long day of sorting out the facts from the rumors, I was starting to see not only who started the rumors but why the rumors were started. Sara had made this whole thing up because she was not part of our science project group. Teachers, principals, all the girls along with me were relived when this drama was done with. They say things need to get worse before they can get better; this situation was an example how this statement is proven true. Losing my friends was the hardest part, but what was so great about being so young was that gaining them back made up for the loss. It was definitely a hard couple of months, as it would have been for anybody else. However, if that did not happen, if being made fun of and ignored to did not happen then it would be difficult to know the value of being honest or why it is wrong to spread rumors. I believe that the cause of getting bullied and the effects it had on me have greatly impacted me on in regards to some of the morals I have today.

Question and Answers on the American Criminal Justice Essay Example

Question and Answers on the American Criminal Justice Paper Explain why individual rights and public order perspectives are such contentious issues in contemporary American Society. Individual rights and public order have been contentious issues because it requires a constant balancing to uphold those individual rights, while also protecting our citizen. Execution of this balancing act is under constant scrutiny by two groups: individual-rights advocates, who want to protect the personal freedoms within the criminal justice system and public-order advocates, which believe the interests of society should take precedence over individual rights, under retain circumstances involving a criminal threat to public safety. In order to function in a society that people want to live within, this balance must be managed carefully. The individual perception of either category will influence the other and can lead to the issue we are seeing today, in Ferguson, MO over the shooting of teenager, Michael Brown (Schmeltzer, K, 2014). The constant use of the media, eager to display twenty second videos of police using excessive force or deadly force against citizens, is a contributing factor toward the disruption of this balance. It does not display the officer following he standard force continuum which led up to that moment of action. We will write a custom essay sample on Question and Answers on the American Criminal Justice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Question and Answers on the American Criminal Justice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Question and Answers on the American Criminal Justice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This lack of full disclosure creates a perception of rights violation and can disrupt public order. Hence, the reason many law enforcement agencies have taken steps to obtain on-body cameras. Loss of public order would create a different society from what we have today. There would be a sense of fear and people would not leave their homes, creating a domino effect that impact everything. Mainly schooling and education would not be there as we would not have qualified people to enforce and prosecute criminals. Freedom is not ere and in the absence of public order, only the strong would survive. Briefly discuss how the main components of the criminal justice system can at times complement each other and at times also be in conflict with each other. Provide examples. The criminal justice system consist of three main components: Police, who enforce the laws, protect property and maintain order; Courts, which pass judgment and prosecute accordingly; and Corrections, that house, supervise, and rehabilitate inmates. It also consist of TTY. Or major models, the consensus model, which states the three component work together toward a common AOL; and the conflict model, that says that each component work separately towards their own interest, which can conflict with one another and lead to the appearance of a non-system. Regardless, under either model, each component depends on what the other ones does and any changes in that process can have serious effects on the other components (Schmeltzer, F. , 2014). Under the consensus model where the components work together; you would see a smooth movement of cases through the justice system, from arrest, to court appearance to sentencing. But often time than not, the inflict model has its day in court, especially when there is a lack of understanding/interpretation of the law, along with adding personal emotions or complete disregard. When this occurs, it can affect many facets of the process and society perception. Police make the arrest and follow protocol, then have to worry about the courts dismissing their efforts, since they must place emphasis on the rights of the accused. Correction have to work to the best of their abilities to follow court ruling and deal with over population. This then of course leads to Correction having to review cases for inconsideration of early release, which is in conflict with the court system and potentially affects -a separate topic; public safety (Schmeltzer, R, 2014). Of the various stages of the American criminal justice case, which singular stage, in your opinion, is most critical from the crime control perspective, and which stage from the due process perspective? Explain why. In the various stages of the American criminal justice process, arrests are most critical under the crime control perspective, as having high numbers in this stage reflect: tighter control over crime, reduces the crime rate, increases public order/safety and ceases additional attempts -of followers;to act out in similar manners. Lack of critical awareness in this stage leaves an open invitation for criminals to act as they desire, which puts the public in danger and disrupt the order. Law abiding citizen would then feel unsafe and feel the need to defend themselves at all cost, leading to additional crime and disorder. Speedy arrests, under the proper procedures and protocols and ensuring the arrest are efficient, will lead to convictions, which also supports the crime control model (Schmeltzer, R, 2014). With that, leads to the most radical stage under the due-process model, as being the preliminary hearing. At this stage the accused has already been advised of their rights in their first appearance and its now onto determine innocent based upon probable cause and the evidence being presented. As this stage does focus upon the accused and their rights, it also creates scrutiny upon the police. Determining whether grounds for probable cause were substantiated and determine the strength of the evidence and is it was collected in accordance with the law. This fairness procedures -due process model; best opportunity to consider al the facts is during the Preliminary Hearing. Presenting at any other stage after is not exactly too late, but this is the first opportunity to address innocence, as the evidence is being evaluated and determination on further action is being addressed (Schmeltzer, Z, 2014). Identify and discuss the differences between the two major sources of statistical data about crime in the United States. The Uniform Crime Report (LACK) has been around since 1929 yet it has never been a program to truly capture trends accurately. Even after the transition of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBS), the program was teeter enhanced to identify discrepancies and address issues which hindered the original CAR. NIBS enhanced crime data collection and improved the methodology in collecting data, but were still complications. Not only were there issues with the two programs matching older data with newer data, this program obtains its information from law enforcement crime reports by victims of crimes. An issue with that is not all crimes are reported to police and another is how it has been founded that departments have been known to downgrade a crime to reflect improvement to the crime rate. According to Schmeltzer, F. 014), a 201 2 study of nearly 2000 retire New York police Department officers found that the manipulation of crime report has become a part of police culture (p. 30). When this occurs, it creates a difficult task to determine dangerous societal trends. To assist in this the National Crime Factorization Survey (NCSC) was established to complement the I-JAR by collecting information on a national level through household, victim self- reports. It is seen to provide a more accura te account of crimes, since it considers both crimes reported and not. Both these programs are the two major sources to measure crime. Individually they are not truly able to capture the true societal trends since each of these programs serve an individual purpose toward different aspects of crime. When they are combined, however, there is a better understanding in capturing actual statistics and the nations crime problem. Updating to address evolving new trends would make it more efficient but for now serve its purpose in capturing baseline patterns (Plants, M. , Longboat, L. , 2014). Of the many special categories of crime, which singular special category crime do you think poses the most critical concern in contemporary American Society? Explain why. Of the many special categories of crime, the one which poses the most critical concern is high technology and computer crime. Cybercafà © is on the rise and we are starting to see more incidents of this crime throughout the world regarding theft of services, piracy or forgery, electronic vandalism and financial institute hackings. Recent events show even greater concern with the hacking of a U. S. Rene in Russia (US News, 2014) and the hacking of a Department of Homeland Security contractor -who does investigative background check;being breached for his information (The Washington Post, 2014). All these are simply a snap shot of what these cyber terrorist/ hackers are able to do, but the greater concern in this category should be the vulnerability our critical infrastructure. According to Mike McConnell, who was th e National Intelligence Director from 2007-2009, he testified to Senate in 2010, If the nation went to war today, in cyber, we would lose. Were the most vulnerable. We are the most connected. We have the most to lose (P. W. Singer A. Friedman, 2014, p. 151). Our infrastructure is more at risk now than it was a decade ago, due to the fact that many systems are no anger independent, but interlinked to one another. From that comes the vulnerability to cybercafà ©, as system ties us all into one entity and that is how dependent Americans are to the internet and modern technology. Cyber enemies -foreign and domestic;have the capabilities to significantly disrupt our critical infrastructure or shut them down completely. It would only take a cyber-attack upon our critical infrastructure: transportation, electric power grids, financial institutions, communications systems or pipeline access for gas and oil to inflict incapacitation or death toward America and putting us n a cyber. As seen in the case of Student Irans nuclear facility;where a virus internally attacked the heavily protected facility which cause their uranium centrifuges to malfunction (Film Media Group, 201 1).