2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present
activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must
contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which
you show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work
as a whole.
In Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, the main character Willy Loman is frequently reaching to the past, reliving memories both good and bad until he can figure out where he went wrong with his life. This causes dysfunction in his family, as he interacts with them as if nothing has changed between the past and present. Because he can not be content until he accepts responsibility for his past mistakes, the play conveys a universal message that one can not simply bury bad memories in the back of their mind; rather, one must face reality and learn from their mistakes lest they become trapped in the past.
At any moment throughout the play, Willy Loman may be mentally teleported to a past memory without warning. He recalls his son, Biff, when he was in high school and remembers Biff's popularity and success with sports. When he comes back to the present, Willy speaks to Biff about how well-liked he is an insists he go get his old job back. This is just frustrating for Biff because that part of his life is over and his father's statements are inaccurate.
Because Willy resists remembering his big mistake--which was having an affair that Biff witnessed--for much of the play, he doesn't understand why his relationship with Biff isn't what it used to be. He continues interacting with Biff as if nothing is wrong, which really offends him and only hurts their relationship even more. It's not until he finally faces that memory that he can really talk to his son.
After facing his past regrets, Willy is able to move forward in his life. Unfortunately, this means he is finally able to finish his goal of committing suicide. While he was avoiding dealing with his past he was stuck in life, and his interactions with his family were inappropriate and based on their past situation instead of the present. After he deals with his past problems he can finally understand his family's dynamic and find peace for himself. This suggests that one must contend with their past in order to move forward.
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteNice job! I think Death of a Salesman was a really smart choice for this essay. Willy fits the prompt pretty perfectly.
Your thesis is great! I think it provides a really strong outline for the rest of your essay, which is always good. You followed that outline pretty closely, too, leading to a well-structured essay. However, I think you could have used some more evidence for some of your claims. For example, in your introduction paragraph you mention that Willy "can not be content until he accepts responsibility for his past mistakes," but you never really provide evidence that he does accept responsibility. You say he faces his past, but don't really say how he does so. I think adding that would help a lot!
Other than that, though, I think you did a really good job on this prompt. Nice work!
Overall, good essay. You begin with a clear thesis statement. I think your first body paragraph is a bit weak though; you need to relate it better to your thesis. This paragraph is talking about how Willy remembers the past, but you need to emphasize how Willy doesn’t learn from his past. You could easily do this by adding a little bit more analysis or just adding a sentence or two at the end. As for your second body paragraph: you say that Willy’s big mistake was allowing Biff to witness his affair, but I think Willy’s mistake is having the affair in the first place. If Biff had never witnessed the affair, I think Willy would still feel guilty and would still realize that having the affair in the first place was the wrong thing to do. You start and end strong and you have good ideas, but just need a little bit more work on the body paragraphs. Again, overall, good essay!
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