Post by Devin Cline on Mar 20, 2008 10:39:11 GMT -5
Devin Cline
500 words
The American System: Endless Preparation for the Future
In Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is representative of the average American. Though he continually fails at almost everything he does, Willy is motivated by his hope for the future and his vision of his objectives. It is not his failures that apply to Americans, but his tendency to base everything he does, or tries to do, around his future goals. Death of a Salesman is still relevant to our modern society because Willy’s concentration on his future goals directly relates to the American systems of education and business.
Today’s educational system is based around preparation for the next step of the process, rather than the learning itself. Willy’s methods of raising Biff are also focused on just getting to the next step of the process. When Bernard makes it apparent to Willy that Biff is on the verge of failing math, Willy just orders Bernard to “give him the answers” so that he will pass and be allowed to graduate (Miller 40). Rather than encouraging Biff to study and learn the material, which is supposedly the purpose of education, he tries to force him to cheat just to get by. Like today’s society, Willy believes that high school is just a means to an end, and that end is college. But in our society the cycle continues in college, as it in turn is meant to prepare one for a specific career through its infinitesimally specialized majors and programs.
The business system of modern America perpetuates these trends, just as Willy does with his sales job. Our society emphasizes the importance of the final destination of one’s career, rather than the process through which one reaches that destination. When Ben offers Willy an opportunity to join him, he responds by saying that he is “building something with this firm” (Miller 85). Even when Ben convinces Willy to admit that he has not really “built” anything, Linda urges him on by reminding him about the success of Dave Singleman. Singleman represents the future success that Willy aspires to achieve, and it is his main focus throughout his career. Willy is not a salesman because he enjoys selling things, but only because he wants to be as successful as Dave Singleman in the future, and he sees salesmanship as the path to that destination. Like so many people in today’s society, Willy does his job only because he dreams of transcending it someday.
Willy’s attitudes towards education and business keep Miller’s play relevant to modern American society. Each step of life in today’s world is no more than a preparation for the next step in an endless cycle of preparation for some far-off goal. Grade school is a preparation for high school, which is a preparation for college, which is a preparation for a career whose focus is the unlikely dream ultimate success. Society no longer emphasizes the importance of the process or the present, but only focuses on the end results of our actions in life.
500 words
The American System: Endless Preparation for the Future
In Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is representative of the average American. Though he continually fails at almost everything he does, Willy is motivated by his hope for the future and his vision of his objectives. It is not his failures that apply to Americans, but his tendency to base everything he does, or tries to do, around his future goals. Death of a Salesman is still relevant to our modern society because Willy’s concentration on his future goals directly relates to the American systems of education and business.
Today’s educational system is based around preparation for the next step of the process, rather than the learning itself. Willy’s methods of raising Biff are also focused on just getting to the next step of the process. When Bernard makes it apparent to Willy that Biff is on the verge of failing math, Willy just orders Bernard to “give him the answers” so that he will pass and be allowed to graduate (Miller 40). Rather than encouraging Biff to study and learn the material, which is supposedly the purpose of education, he tries to force him to cheat just to get by. Like today’s society, Willy believes that high school is just a means to an end, and that end is college. But in our society the cycle continues in college, as it in turn is meant to prepare one for a specific career through its infinitesimally specialized majors and programs.
The business system of modern America perpetuates these trends, just as Willy does with his sales job. Our society emphasizes the importance of the final destination of one’s career, rather than the process through which one reaches that destination. When Ben offers Willy an opportunity to join him, he responds by saying that he is “building something with this firm” (Miller 85). Even when Ben convinces Willy to admit that he has not really “built” anything, Linda urges him on by reminding him about the success of Dave Singleman. Singleman represents the future success that Willy aspires to achieve, and it is his main focus throughout his career. Willy is not a salesman because he enjoys selling things, but only because he wants to be as successful as Dave Singleman in the future, and he sees salesmanship as the path to that destination. Like so many people in today’s society, Willy does his job only because he dreams of transcending it someday.
Willy’s attitudes towards education and business keep Miller’s play relevant to modern American society. Each step of life in today’s world is no more than a preparation for the next step in an endless cycle of preparation for some far-off goal. Grade school is a preparation for high school, which is a preparation for college, which is a preparation for a career whose focus is the unlikely dream ultimate success. Society no longer emphasizes the importance of the process or the present, but only focuses on the end results of our actions in life.
