Post by rachaell02 on Apr 4, 2008 18:43:42 GMT -5
The American family in the 20th is mirrored through society displaying unhappy and dissatisfied people. Through the plays Death of a Salesman, The Glass Menagerie, and Fences the theme of separation is examined and how it is frequently passed down from parent to child. The American family in the 20th century faced abandonment which caused separation and depression among family members and seems to encode itself into the personalities of future generations.
In Death of a Salesman Willy Lowman tries exceptionally hard to create a closely knit family, unlike his own father who abandoned him; however Willy, through lies, creates an entrenched denial among members of the family. Willy vows, through his actions, not to abandon his family like his father. He tries to create bonds with his sons, playing ball and giving them advice on how to succeed. Through this bond he tries to relay the importance of his dream to them, sheltering their minds to the world. He, also, repeatedly lies to his wife Linda, concealing an affair, contradicting his wish to create a close family. Linda accepts his lies, encouraging him naively, thinking she is helping the situation. Her actions as well as Willy’s dishonesty creates a system of denial, which leads to emotional separation and abandonment. This denial of the truth visibly affects Biff who physically removes himself from the family. He is unable to deal with the overwhelming denial Willy has created in the family. Biff like Willy separates himself from his family denying the problem to a certain extent. Willy is visibly unhappy because we see him attempt suicide multiple times. His denial has negatively affected his will to live and he ends up committing suicide.
The Glass Menagerie examines the abandonment and the negative effects it has on family which causes them to struggle yet seemingly, the future generations follow in the footsteps of their parents and their tendencies. The father of Tom and Laura abandons the Wingfield family causing them to live poorly and rely on Tom, the narrator to live. Tom, heavy with the burden of responsibility toils endlessly in the shoe factory escaping only to the movie theatre and his poetry. The reader sees the buildup of Tom’s emotions until he finally decides that the only way out of the work factory is to abandon the family and make a living for him. Tom, like his father abandon’s his familial responsibilities in order to pursue more engaging and worthy aspects of life. Biff is much like Tom in that he adopts similar habits as his father and feels that the only way out of difficult situations is through disconnection. Willy’s inclination to avoid or deny situations has been passed down to Biff as Biff avoids his family for years, opting to work out west. Both younger sons experience unhappiness and bouts of depression due to the lack of a father figure. The separation both experience from the family causes
Fences explores the relationship between father and son and how the overall effect of abandonment affects the family as a whole as fathers’ actions turn into sons’. Troy’s traumatic childhood and abusive father affects Troy’s ability to provide for his family as he emotionally separates himself from them causing unhappiness and depression. Instead of turning toward his wife Rose for support he turns away and has an affair with Alberta. Troy’s emotional absence in the family causes Lyons to become dependent on him for money. Troy never gave fatherly support to his sons because for most on Lyons childhood he was in jail and did not know how to act like a father during Gabriel’s childhood. Willy is comparable to Troy because both characters try to become worthy fathers but are plagued by their own father’s customs which has hindered their ability to become decent fathers.
The American Family in the 20th century was one in which abandonment and separation were very much present. Today in the 21st century ideas have not changed much. The divorce rate is up and families rarely sit down at the dinner table, together, anymore. Children are kept busy from the minute they wake up to the minute they go to bed leaving no time for family bonding. Mothers and fathers have become more preoccupied with their jobs, shifting priorities from family to careers. This has lead to separation because no one takes the time to check in with one another. Our society has become one about the ‘self’ disregarding the importance of family.
In Death of a Salesman Willy Lowman tries exceptionally hard to create a closely knit family, unlike his own father who abandoned him; however Willy, through lies, creates an entrenched denial among members of the family. Willy vows, through his actions, not to abandon his family like his father. He tries to create bonds with his sons, playing ball and giving them advice on how to succeed. Through this bond he tries to relay the importance of his dream to them, sheltering their minds to the world. He, also, repeatedly lies to his wife Linda, concealing an affair, contradicting his wish to create a close family. Linda accepts his lies, encouraging him naively, thinking she is helping the situation. Her actions as well as Willy’s dishonesty creates a system of denial, which leads to emotional separation and abandonment. This denial of the truth visibly affects Biff who physically removes himself from the family. He is unable to deal with the overwhelming denial Willy has created in the family. Biff like Willy separates himself from his family denying the problem to a certain extent. Willy is visibly unhappy because we see him attempt suicide multiple times. His denial has negatively affected his will to live and he ends up committing suicide.
The Glass Menagerie examines the abandonment and the negative effects it has on family which causes them to struggle yet seemingly, the future generations follow in the footsteps of their parents and their tendencies. The father of Tom and Laura abandons the Wingfield family causing them to live poorly and rely on Tom, the narrator to live. Tom, heavy with the burden of responsibility toils endlessly in the shoe factory escaping only to the movie theatre and his poetry. The reader sees the buildup of Tom’s emotions until he finally decides that the only way out of the work factory is to abandon the family and make a living for him. Tom, like his father abandon’s his familial responsibilities in order to pursue more engaging and worthy aspects of life. Biff is much like Tom in that he adopts similar habits as his father and feels that the only way out of difficult situations is through disconnection. Willy’s inclination to avoid or deny situations has been passed down to Biff as Biff avoids his family for years, opting to work out west. Both younger sons experience unhappiness and bouts of depression due to the lack of a father figure. The separation both experience from the family causes
Fences explores the relationship between father and son and how the overall effect of abandonment affects the family as a whole as fathers’ actions turn into sons’. Troy’s traumatic childhood and abusive father affects Troy’s ability to provide for his family as he emotionally separates himself from them causing unhappiness and depression. Instead of turning toward his wife Rose for support he turns away and has an affair with Alberta. Troy’s emotional absence in the family causes Lyons to become dependent on him for money. Troy never gave fatherly support to his sons because for most on Lyons childhood he was in jail and did not know how to act like a father during Gabriel’s childhood. Willy is comparable to Troy because both characters try to become worthy fathers but are plagued by their own father’s customs which has hindered their ability to become decent fathers.
The American Family in the 20th century was one in which abandonment and separation were very much present. Today in the 21st century ideas have not changed much. The divorce rate is up and families rarely sit down at the dinner table, together, anymore. Children are kept busy from the minute they wake up to the minute they go to bed leaving no time for family bonding. Mothers and fathers have become more preoccupied with their jobs, shifting priorities from family to careers. This has lead to separation because no one takes the time to check in with one another. Our society has become one about the ‘self’ disregarding the importance of family.