Literature Analysis #2

Death of a Salesman


1. Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is a story about the Loman's.  The main character, Willy, is always travelling because of his job as a salesman. He and his son Biff were very close when they were younger, but Biff began to slack and was really struggling at school and refused to try and do better. This really upset Willy. Willy eventually loses his job. He is so devastated about losing his job, because being a salesman has been such a huge part of his life.  He starts thinking about death and tries to kill himself a couple times.  Willy is also constantly day dreaming and this is how the reader learns more about him and his family.  The story ends with Willy dying in a car crash and few people mourning at his funeral.
 
2. Death of a Salesman is full of betrayal. Willy betrays Linda’s love and Biff’s trust with his affair. As the chief betrayer himself, Willy is preoccupied by the fear of betrayal. His frequent accusations that Biff is spiteful reflect his understanding that Biff’s failure in business is a rejection of Willy’s own dreams of success, and that Biff’s inability to keep a job is related to Willy’s love affair. Even outside of his family, Willy feels that his boss is betraying him by firing him, but Howard says that there’s no room for feelings of betrayal in the business world.

3. The tone in the play is mostly serious and sad. Willy reminisces about when Biff and Happy were younger and they had a closer relationship. No one was ever happy, and Linda seemed to always be worried about Willy.

4.Symbolism was displayed by the seeds that Willy would plant in his garden.  If Willy can suceed in making the seed grow and become something, maybe he will suceed as a dad and as a salesman.  Another form of symbolism is the rubber hose, which Willy uses to try and attempt suicide.  This is also ironic because the thing that he tried to kill himself with is also what he used in his home for his family's health and comfort.  A different element the author uses is hyperbole and Willy exagerates "the american dream."  His whole life is based on this idea and it overtakes his existence. Flashbacks are also used so the audience can get important background information.

Tools That Change the Way We Think

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)


Answer this not-so-simple question: How does extensive Internet/media/technology use change the way you think? Focus on your memory, your ability to concentrate, your sense of time and priorities, and the subjects/topics that interest you most. If you find "thinking about your thinking" difficult to assess, try the following strategies: compare yourself with older people who did most of their formal learning before smart phones and 2.0 existed; compare yourself with contemporaries who don't use those tools much today; read up on what education leaders and thinkers have to say about generational differences in thinking (and remember to cite your sources).


I've found that extensive use of internet, media and technology have made me lazy and distracted. Not only am I distracted by text messages and facebook, but also music. I personal have Itunes running at all times and tend to put on music which is very distracting. I zone out very easily. For example, right now I am on my laptop playing music with facebook on the next tab and a muted tv right in front of me. This is where I start getting lazy. With all these distractions it makes it hard for me to do my work because I know I can be doing so many other things which are more fun. I start rushing my work because of the amount of other things I could be doing. My parents always say I have it easy because if I need an answer it's always a click away and they didn't have that advantage when they were kids. I think it's a disadvantage because yes we have all the answers to our homework available on the internet, but we also have to deal with all the distractions that technology brings.

(No sources to cite, I just used personal examples)
Nathan Seidenberg
P. 3

In Search Of

I learned that search engines filter out what they "think" we don't care about and only feed us what we want to see. This creates our own little bubble of information that is unique to our own preferences. This information makes me think I'm ignorant to what else the internet has to offer. I don;t like this filtering because I don't like the idea of a computer knowing me. What else is technology capable of? It is scary to think about how many advances we've made and how much more we can do. I will try to search a bigger variety of things. The computer can't stereotype me if I am interested in everything.


When I re-did my search, I made it much more specific. I also found that a good way to get unique information is to go pages far into your search. That has information that google tried filtering to the back because it thought you didn't want to see it.

Notes on Hamlet

I have always heard that the worst part of senior year is Hamlet. So from the beginning I've been dreading it. I was pleasantly suprised by how much I actually enjoy figuring out what it all means. It reminds me of breaking down a song I like and trying to figure out all the metaphors the artist put in, and try to understand what the song means as a whole. When the book first started I was already interested, and my first impressions of most of the characters were accurate to how they turned out. I think Hamlet will finish what he started. He seems pretty set on killing the king and I think thats what will happen.

Who Was Shakespeare?

In my research I found that Shakespeare's identity is a mystery for the most part. We know minor details about him, but that's all. He was born in 1564, the third child and first son of John Shakespeare and his wife Mary Arden, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and they had 3 children. We don;t know exactly what he looks like, but we have some good guesses. When most students think of Shakespeare, they think "boring." At least that's what I always thought. Now that I have actually tried to understand his art, i appreciate it a lot more. I understand most of his slang now, but I still struggle putting it together.

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

My initial impression of Facebook was that it was the "cool" thing to have. When I first heard about it, it was for college students only. I was into Myspace but always wished i could have a facebook. Facebook helps you connect with people you wouldn't otherwise be able to, but it also does that in a way that isnt very safe. Now that i know a thing or two about Facebook, I'm not so in love with it. I didn't realize how much Facebook invades your privacy and it just seems a little bit sneaky the way they do things.

(Don't) Be Hamlet

Hamlet’s dilemma is not one that I or anyone else I know is to familiar of. He has a huge problem ahead of him and recites a soliloquy talking about his problems. The issues he faces include suicide and murder, life and death. Hamlet has a problem with over thinking and I can see why with the problems he has.

In the speech, Hamlet considers suicide. His character is clearly shown in this speech. The speech itself shows that he thinks too much. He is wavering between the two extremes: life and death. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them". He wonders whether he should live and suffer or die and end the suffering. He believes that life is just him suffering. The "whips and scorn of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th'unworthy takes" are all the suffering he sees in life. He contemplates whether or not he should endure these pains of life. "To die, to sleep -no more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks...To sleep, perchance to dream". If he chooses death all his pains and heartaches would end. He would not have to worry about Claudius, Gertrude or any other aspect of his life that bothers or causes him stress.

The only thing keeping him from death is what is after it. The "dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will" and keeps people from choosing death due to the fear of what lies after death. His entire monologue compares the two extremes: life and death. He analyzes both situations and thinks over it too much. This occurs not only in this speech, but also later in the play.

In the soliloquy, "To Be or Not To Be," Hamlet shows his character to be confused, unsteady, and an over thinker. He shows this by his attitude towards life and death. How he compares the two and analyzes them both shows that he over analyzes everything that he does. His character is not only shown in this monologue, but in other parts of the play too. If I were there to help him choose, I would convince him to kill his father. It is a perfect situation because commiting a deed such as killing the king would certainly be similar to suicide since he would be killed for it. He would get everything he wants. His troubles would be over and he could finally sleep (die) without worrying about his problems.