https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p Made with a curious mind en-us 2019-01-15 12:43:00 UTC 2025-11-19 14:03:18 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Cornershop.png igwikee https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860314 In our session, we compared and contrasted two different voices during two different time periods. In "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, we hear the positive, American Dream. In this poem, Walt tells of different people in their own professions, "singing his as he....." for every profession. This shows how every American serves the economy and society equally and how we each find purpose in America. We also know of the time period because of how women are portrayed; cooking, sewing, washing, etc. These were the orthodox roles of a women back then. "I Hear America Singing" is a beautiful piece depicting the wonders America has to offer for every individual. Langston Hughes has a different perspective. He wrote in a time where change dominated the norms in America, and the social code was being questioned constantly. Civil Rights Movements, for examples, were dominating the headlines with it's stark and bold message. In the poem, "I, Too" Langston tells of a "darker brother" who is shooed away, but continues to act like he is accepted when company comes. this could be pointing the discrimination that was obviously present in America, and that Walt Whitman did not fully depict the image of America. The darker brother then tells that in a "Tomorrow" that he will sit at the table. I believe that this depicts the acceptance of others and new ideas that was happening in America. When he finishes with "I, too, am America", I believe this means that in the end, anyone, whether it be of different race, culture, religion, and idealistic preferences, is worthy of the American Dream, and can sing along with the rest of America in their national song. 

]]> 2019-01-15 16:45:05 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860314 juliajanuszewski45 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860510   The poem "I Hear America Singing," begins with "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear". The poem "I, too," begins with "I, too, sing America," as if it were a response to the first line of "I hear America singing". "I Hear America Singing," discusses how everyone in America is singing a joyous sound to represent how our beautiful nation is made up as a whole. It states, "Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else, the day what belongs to the day-at night the party of the young fellows, robust, friendly, singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs". On the contrary, "I, Too," discusses how he is "The darker brother," and that "They send him to eat in the kitchen when company comes". This shows that the person narrating the poem is discriminated against and not appreciated. It is as if "I, too," is showing that "I Hear America Singing," may not be completely accurate since it doesn't consider those that aren't given these equal rights.]]> 2019-01-15 16:45:26 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860510 dhansen2019 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860542 I think that they are similar because they are both talking about how America is singing and the American dream I could tell this because in "I Hear America Singing", it talks about everyone one doing their roles in society and working hard as well as saying "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear" which shows the diversity and everyone working together. This is similar to "I, Too" because it says "besides, they'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed, which depicts how the person in the poem i showing his/her hard work and America with regret not being equal.  They are also different because t
he first line says "I, Too, sing America.I am the darker brother." This compares to the other poem because they are both talking about america singing and what it is like, however in "I, Too" the author takes a twist and goes directly against what the other author of "I Hear America Singing" says because he describes the issue of discrimination in America as the author of "I Hear America Singing" depicts America as their is no issue and everyone works in harmony.]]> 2019-01-15 16:45:29 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860542 siemersemma https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860549 I think "I, Too" is adding to the meaning of "I Hear America Singing." In "I Hear America Singing" the author writing about the different opportunities in America, but forgetting about how minorities didn't have all of these opportunities. In "I, Too" the author is almost adding on to the other poem, saying that the minorities are fighting for equality and not all of America has these opportunities. in the poem "I Hear America Singing" Whitman says, "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear." He then goes on to describe that the various carols he hears are those of different workers, not those of different races. In the poem "I, Too" Hughes says, "I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother." The quote, "I am the darker brother," is most likely talking about the minorities in America. He also says, "I, too, sing America," pointing out that Whitman left out the minorities, and saying that they sing America, too. ]]> 2019-01-15 16:45:30 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860549 graekwiatkowski https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860550 Both poems are similar in different ways. The poem “I, Too” is responding to what the author is saying in the other poem. When Whitman says, “ I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear”, Hughes responds to him saying, “I too, sing America.” However, there are some differences. When Whitman is talking about all of the carols he hears, he is only talking about the white men and women singing about the joy and happiness of America. He says, “ Each singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.” Hughes responds to the poem by writing that Whitman forgot about one voice. Hughes says, “I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen. When company comes,”. We can use evidence to show that Whitman doesn’t talk about any colored or African Americans in his piece of writing. Hughes is telling him that our world is full of discrimination and segregation, and that our world cannot be classified as just perfect and happy all of the time. Hughes want all voices to be heard no matter the color of their skin or what religion they worship. He wants our world to be one and come together to sing the carols of America with all of the white people and all of the African Americans. These are the many similarities and differences in the two poems. ]]> 2019-01-15 16:45:31 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860550 ceciliarose https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860622 Based on the two poems, it is prevalent that they differ on who sings in America, or at least who they include. In "I Hear America Singing," Whitman has an upbeat and positive tone. He speaks of workers rejoicing in their labors. In "I, Too," Hughes wrote, "I, too, sing American." This leaves the thought of who else sings? The perspective that is gotten from the text is that this poem touches on racial discrimination in America. It shows that not everyone has the seat at the table and some people's voices tend to get drown out with all the noise and confusion. In "I, Too," there is the specific line of "I am the darker brother," which later in the stanza, leads to, "And eat well and grow strong." This leads to the belief of the poem being told from the perspective of someone who is not white. Based on the era the poem was written, it is plausible to say assume that the eating and growing is the Civil Rights Movement. Hughes is trying to point out that not everyone who sings in American is a white man who  works and is seen in a town by everyone, but also people who sing from the background. People who we used to be ashamed of. People who grow stronger everyday and move forward to rise up.

]]> 2019-01-15 16:45:40 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860622 elsiekmecak16 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860735 Both poems are about the lives and hardships of Americans, but each have their own unique tone and meaning. For example, in "I Hear America Singing", Whitman describes this America and its people as "singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs." He is trying to tell the reader that he sees America as a big melting pot where everyone's voice is equally heard. Whereas in Hughes' "I, Too", the reader can clearly tell that the America he is describing is not nearly as diverse and accepting. For example, the second and third lines state, "They send me to eat in the kitchen, when company comes," These lines are describing the hardships and discrimination against African Americans and other minority races during this time. Another line from "I, Too", is "Tomorrow, I'll be at the table when company comes" Hughes is letting the reader know that he is not going to stand for inequality against his race. Therefore, Langston Hughes' poem, "I, Too" directly targets Walt Whitman's poem "I Hear America Singing" by letting readers know that America was never completely equal and diverse, and that not all voices have been heard. ]]> 2019-01-15 16:45:53 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860735 19msenn https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860817 The in-class discussion provided many interesting views on the correlation between “I Hear America Singing” and “I, Too.” I feel that, in a way, Hughes is providing a “sequel” or even a retaliation to Whitman's poem. In “I Hear America Singing”, a very archetypal view is provided on the roles of people in America. During the Victorian Era, everyone had their place in the society. This included both the race and gender of a person. In the first stanzas, Whitman wrote, “The carpenter singing his…”, “The mason singing his…” etc. Jobs that required manual labor were given a male connotation, while all of the housework jobs such as cooking and cleaning were assigned to women. Although Whitman does not specify anything about race, based on the orthodox views that were provided, it seems that African-American were still disregarded at the time the poem was written. “I, Too”, is written more progressively. Hughes writes that he will one day gain the freedom to sit at the table with everyone else. I feel that Hughes is making an attempt to break away from the ideas that African-Americans do not deserve respect or basic human rights. When he writes, “Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed- I, too am America.” it portrays the message to me that although he is darker than the others, he is still beautiful and is also deserving of the ability to sing with his brothers in harmony.]]> 2019-01-15 16:46:01 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320860817 fourmanns2009 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320861597 In "I Hear America Singing" Walt Whitman gives off a positive, happy vibe. While in "I Too" Langston Hughes gives off a more dark, almost depressing side. When Walt Whitman says, "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear."It's saying that the world was peaceful and everyone worked as one and all got along. But, In "I Too" when Langston Hughes says "I, too, sing America." He is saying that he may be different from the rest but he still is American and deserves to be welcomed. Based off of the time periods of both the poems, "I Hear America Singing" came first. In the 1800's not as many problems were happening as they were in the 1900's. In the 1900's people were being segregated and not being treated equally. African Americans and Whites had separate bathrooms, schools, drinking fountains, etc... In "I Too" you see the happy mood from "I Hear America Singing" change to a more serious mood. Langston Hughes wants to show that even though he was different from the rest of the people at the table, that he is still beautiful and he is an American, even though other people might not think so]]> 2019-01-15 16:47:23 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320861597 zentnere https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320861849 I think that Langston Hughes is critiqueing, maybe even insulting Whitman’s work. Though all the voices do seem to come together for a common goal of Americia, In “I Hear Americia Singing,” clear bigotry is projected. In this work, men are doing hard, honest work while women are just “sewing or washing,” the complimenting harmony to the melody of the men’s song. Hughes’ “I, Too” blatantly opposes this view, giving encouragment to those working toward steering away from these values. This poem illustrates a person whose voice hasn’t been heard, which has been unnoticed, potentially by the same people whose voices drowned his out in “I Hear Americia Singing”.]]> 2019-01-15 16:47:50 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320861849 crazybones129 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320861860 The in class discussion provided many Ideas and opinions about the poems “I Hear America Singing” and “I Too”. The main idea about both of them was how different people viewed america and how they were treated in America during different time periods. The Poem “I Hear America Singing” described America as a wonderful large mixing pot where everyone is singing and working in prosperity. While the other Poem described America as a place where only some people are singing and that the other people are being ignored and discriminated. The second Poem while written in a different time period, directly contradicts the first. The Second poem which is written by Langston Hughes describes America as a table where only certain people are able to eat and the others are forced to eat in the kitchen. It’s almost like those who are eating at the table are embarrassed to be seen around the others and those who are sent to the kitchen just want the same privileges as the people at the table. That almost directly depicts what has happened throughout america's history, where at first only some people are happy while the others are discriminated and those who are discriminated against are tired of what is happening so the start to fight back just like in the second poem where the darker brother eats well and grows strong. It shows that even though he has less privileges he still works hard to obtain a better life for himself and the others just like him so maybe one day he will have the same rights and will be able to sit at the table. Both poems describe the American dream from two different viewpoints and show how america has changed throughout history. ]]> 2019-01-15 16:47:51 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/320861860 srolli1 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324002055 Please share your reactions to Act One. Also, add 1-2 significant pieces of textual evidence from Act One that you collected. 

]]> 2019-01-24 16:29:17 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324002055 crazybones129 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324698210 After reading act one I have many opinions about the book. Since this is a play in book form it was a little hard to comprehend, but once I reread parts of Act one I was able to understand it much better. I felt that the book started off very static, but by the end of Act one it became more interesting. At first It was only all of the characters talking to each other providing background knowledge and foresight on what might happen later in the story. For example Happy and Biff are both talking to each other before bed about how they could open a ranch together and raise cattle, this provides background knowledge that Happy and Biff are very close and trust each other. Even though the beginning isn't the most interesting it provides a lot of important information. Near the end of act one it became much more interesting and the part that really caught my attention was when willy started going crazy near the end of act one and Linda kept denying that anything was wrong. This shows that Linda is Hopeful and tries to view everything in a positive way even when things aren't going the greatest. I am really enjoying this book and I am very excited to finish the book.]]> 2019-01-27 16:59:42 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324698210 juliajanuszewski45 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324712759 I found Act One very interesting. It took me a few read-throughs to fully comprehend everything happening. Since this is a play, it is difficult to tell the difference between events happening in the past, Willy’s visions, and events happening in the present. I found  many significant pieces of text, but one that specifically stood out to me was when Linda was talking to Happy and Biff about Willy struggling. Linda says, “Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He’s not allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person.” This excerpt shows how much Linda cares for Willy, and how she notices that Willy is struggling and attention must be paid to him. Another excerpt from the text that I found significant was on page 41 when Willy describes how he wishes he would have gone to Alaska with Ben. Willy says, “Why didn’t I go to Alaska with my brother Ben that time! Ben! That man was a genius, that man was a success incarnate! What a mistake! He begged me to go.”I found this piece of textual evidence important because it shows how Willy dwells upon the past. He wishes that he would have gone with Ben, and if he would have done so, there is a possibility that his life would have a larger meaning and purpose in his eyes because he would have been more successful. ]]> 2019-01-27 18:49:00 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324712759 graekwiatkowski https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324757519 I found Act One very interesting, sad, and unique. To me this play was a little bit hard to comprehend because of the different time jumps the play took. It was kind of difficult to tell the difference between when it was present day and when things were happening in the past. I thought it was kind of different when Willy had the visions of Ben and of the woman because it was not something I would have guessed would be in a play type book. I was not very excited to read this book when I first started, but as the play went on it got more and more exciting. Realizing that Willy was suicidal was a big turning point because it made the boys more aware of the situation and helped me realize why he was having all of the visions and hallucinations. It helped bring Act one together and make it more interesting and suspenseful to read because you are wanting to know what is going to happen next. One part of the story that really stood out to me was Willy said. “I am awfully tired Ben,” and Charley responded, “Good, keep playing; it’ll help you sleep better. Did you just call me Ben?” This part stood out to me because it helped me realize that Willy was having a vision. When it came to the visions, those were the parts that really confused me, but that time it made it clear that Willy was actually having a vision about his brother Ben even though he had died. Another section that really stood out to me was when Linda said, “He’s dying, Biff,” and Biff responded, “Why is he dying?” This was a huge part. It made me really sad to learn that Willy was dying, however it made it clear why he was always seeing people who weren’t actually there. It also helped the boys understand why Willy was acting so crazy. When they realize he is suicidal they want to do everything in their power to make sure that he does not die. Biff even decides to go into the one thing he hate a lot, business. He does it just to stop fighting with his father and because it is something his father has wanted him to do. This part also was one of the parts that makes me want to keep reading because I want to know if Willy will end up dead or if the boys and Linda will find a way to stop him from killing himself. This is what I thought of Act One in Death of A Salesman.]]> 2019-01-28 01:30:28 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324757519 19msenn https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324767382 Act One was very interesting to me. I have never read a play before and it is definitely something to get used to. I found that it really was a challenging thing for me to distinguish the happenings in Willy’s mind and the real-life events because I was merely reading the script and I had no visual aid to help me. I had to do a substantial amount of re-reading before I was able to fully comprehend some sections of the act. At first, I was having a hard time getting into the story, but as I kept reading, Miller’s words kept pulling me in. There are many excerpts that I think are significant either to the plot, or to the comprehension of the play. First, Miller wrote in the stage directions “The woman bursts out laughing, and Linda’s laughter blends in. The Woman disappears into the dark.” after Willy had the vision about the woman (Miller 183). This excerpt helped me realize that part of the play took place in Willy’s head. Without this detail, I would have had a much harder time comprehending what went on. Second, when Linda said, “‘He’s been trying to 🤬 himself.’”, it really struck me and surprised me. I was not expecting the plot to unfold this way and in writing this, Miller set himself up for a very deep and climactic story. I am very eager to find out what happens in Act Two. ]]> 2019-01-28 02:49:01 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324767382 igwikee https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324782469 Act One was definitely a gripping beginning to Death of a Salesman. I found the paly unique in the way it swerved between past and present, and the unique characters. I'm not going to lie, I did re-read it to get the full meaning to some passages, but the play was just too good to pass up an opportunity to experience it again. I saw so many different lessons and ideas while reading. First, the way Willy was exhausted after years of work can show the utter toll America can inflict on someone. Willy was like many other salesmen in his day; fighting to get the money and the dream. Willy's home is also the most outright example of the American dream. He ahs two children, a house, and a job. Linda was the exact example of a faithful wife, and in the story we see multiple times the way she works herself for Willy just to keep him satisfied. Whether it be with cheese or agreeing with him or defending him against Biff and Happy. Biff and Happy definitely are example of those who wish not to be cooped up in an office , and rather be outdoors, mixing cement. As Biff says " Men built like we are should be working out in the open." if proves that some may defy norms when it comes to what they think is the American Dream. Another point in the story that struck me was the fact that Willy had tried to harm himself and take his own life. Was it because of his old age? Or maybe the fact that the life he had ben living was too stressful and listless. I am EXTREMELY eager to see what happens next.

]]> 2019-01-28 04:48:39 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/324782469 elsiekmecak16 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/325065880 After reading "Act One" of Death of Salesman, I have many questions about the plot of the book. It definitely took me a few re-reads to understand what was happening. Reading a play is difficult because the reader tends to skip over important information like stage directions, which character is speaking, and who they are speaking of. For example, I didn't realize that Ben was dead and it was Willy's flashbacks until I re-read it. On another note, this play is a perfect example of what we have worked on for the past couple of weeks. Willy and Linda Loman's life is a prime example of the "American Dream". Even though Willy practically hates himself, and Linda is too supportive of Willy to confront him about anything, especially his affair. Willy and Linda live in a brick house in Brooklyn in the 1940s, have two boys, and Willy is a salesman. As I re-read "Act One" I started to realize Willy's "fatal flaw": Willy believes so much in the American Dream of success and wealth, but neither him nor his children achieve it. He also looks so far into the misconceptions he and other people have made for himself, that it drives him insane! Such as when Willy calls himself fat, and he remembers a time when another salesman said he looked like a walrus. during that time, Willy punched the man in the face. The reader can automatically tell that Willy takes those types of things to heart, and remembers them. All in all, Death of a Salesman has a lot of hidden meanings, and it can take some time to understand what is fully happening. Overall, I'm very excited to see what Arthur Miller has in store for us in "Act Two". ]]> 2019-01-28 18:03:05 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/325065880 dhansen2019 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/325129584 While reading Act One of Death of a Salesman, I definitely found it very hard to understand the entirety of what was going on in the script. I did Find it especially hard to know what was going on while it went between past and present without re-reading. The first scene that help me was when it said The "and Linda's laugh blends right in, then the women disappears into the dark." This just helped me understand that some of this was just like Willy remembering things in his head. This started to clear things up for me and I was able to understand what was happening, as well as making me want to re-read with my new found discovery which definitely helped. Another part that helped me was when Biff's mother said "He's dying Biff' and Biff said "Why is he dying" This just helped me understand the whole picture because it know made since why Willy was hallucinating and why Linda was acting the way she was. It also helped me understand why she kept snapping at Biff. Overall, The Death of a salesman started slow while giving information, however it was definitely necessary to help readers see the whole picture and let us into Willy's life.]]> 2019-01-28 19:53:10 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/325129584 zentnere https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/325169163 I found this play incredible. Arthur Miller moved his audience a great amount with so few words. Few individual aspects shook me as I read, but, upon finishing act one, the play evoked great emotion in me and I felt as though I knew the characters. I felt that they were real—that I could’ve recognized them in a crowd. Maybe this is because, though the characters themselves aren’t real, the struggles they faced are very much so. I was hugely impressed at how articulate Miller was able to be and how well he was able to convey his message, even with such basic vocabulary. I watched Act one in addition to reading it, and, after observing how different the image I mentally construed and the image on the screen were, I gained a new respect for playwrites. I thought Miller had astounding and specific characterization, but the images of the characters this play painted in my eyes were momentously different from the ones painted in the director’s. For a play with so little action, Miller was able to retain an incredible amount of suspense and I’m eager to read Act 2.]]> 2019-01-28 21:39:45 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/325169163 graekwiatkowski https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/327882960 The theme of Death of A Salesman is denial and the inability to accept change. Willy Loman is a man who is all business and success. He wants the same for his children, so when Biff wants to move to Texas to pursue his dream of being a farmer Willy feels very betrayed and allows Biff to do what he wants even if it is not the greatest option for success. Willy and Biff fight because Biff’s Dream are very far from Willy’s. Willy wants his kids to follow in his footsteps and go into the business job industry, but Biff does not like the business industry and thinks that work is boring. Biff then decides to go into the business industry to make his father happy so that he doesn’t commit suicide. Another theme in Death of A Salesman is denial. All of Willy’s family knows that he is suicidal, but he chooses not to talk about it with anyone. He keeps it to himself because he doesn’t want it to affect the others. He is denial about the fact that he is suicidal and that he has visions of hallucinations. Going along with our course the major theme is the American Dream. Willy dreams of great success and and being well liked. He wants his job to be a success and make lots of money. He wants people to like him so that he has huge success with his job. That is what the theme of Death of A Salesman. ]]> 2019-02-05 16:52:52 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/327882960 juliajanuszewski45 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/327980972 The theme of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is the American Dream and Willy Loman’s incorrect perception of what the American Dream is. Willy believes that business depends solely on the physical appearance of the salesman, and whether or not he is well-liked. Willy is barely successful as a salesman, in conrast to Charley, Bernard, and his brother, Ben. Willy thinks he is doing all the right things, yet he still cannot obtain success. His sons, raised on the idea that success comes from your popularity and reputation, have the same problem as Willy when they grow up and are trying to make money. Biff could have been a wealthy football player making large amounts of money, but he didn’t work hard enough in school. Biff goes to Bill Oliver expecting to receive money that he didn’t do anything to earn. The Loman’s think that’s since Biff had a good relationship with Bill Oliver, that Oliver will pay Biff lots of money for practically no reason. Biff didn’t work hard to earn this large  amount of money, and the Loman’s don’t understand that you must also work hard instead of just being well liked and having a great reputation. Their perception of the American Dream is wrong, and that’s what leads Willy to become mentally unstable, and later commit suicide. It is also what drives Willy to ruin his relationships with his sons and cheat on his wife. Willy thinks he is doing everything correctly, and that it is unfair that he can do the same exact things his successful friends do, but he can never share that success. Truthfully, Willy has it all wrong, but he never realizes this. The main idea of this book is the Loman’s incorrect perception of “The American Dream”. ]]> 2019-02-05 19:23:57 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/327980972 19msenn https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328013448 In the Death of a Salesman, Willy strives to achieve his American Dream and achieve his false perception of success for himself. I think that Willy is much too concerned about the images of himself and of his family. In the play, Willy gets so upset by the fact that he is not successful like all of the other businessmen in his life (Charley, Ben and Bernard). In Act Two, Charley asked Willy a question that I think really is the root of all Willy’s turmoil in the play. He asked, “‘Why must everybody like you?’” (Miller 224) Willy doesn’t realize is that success is not reliant on image, but rather on hard work and dedication. For example, when Biff went to meet with Bill Oliver, Willy expected that Biff could get the money solely because he had a good relationship with Oliver. It seemed that Biff really did not put in the hard work to plan anything and just expected the money. On the other hand, Willy’s brother Ben was successful because he worked hard. He sought out work in Alaska and although he ended up in Africa, he still put in the hard work to become a prosperous man. Throughout the play, Willy ruminates over his lack of success and eventually, he cracks under the need to be successful man. 

]]> 2019-02-05 20:26:54 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328013448 elsiekmecak16 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328379981 As I was finishing the play, and thinking of our writing prompts. I brainstormed some themes that would compliment the play quite well. The one I thought was the best fit was, “the American Dream can not be determined by want, but by hard work and success”. What made me think of that particular one, was Willy Loman’s disappointment in life when he could not make a living on personality alone. I think what deluded him, was this big idea of a great life with two sons and a supportive wife, and instead he got an affair, two disappointments, and a dead-end and exhausting job. With this, I think that Arther Miller is trying to teach the readers that, if you just live your life thinking everything you want will come magically for free, you are sadly mistaken. This is the tragedy of this story. ]]> 2019-02-06 17:28:11 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328379981 dhansen2019 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328482016 After thinking over the play I think it was an important process for me to understand the central issue and main idea of the play, both of which relate to the American Dream.  This really helped me to understand that the theme is the perception of the American Dream.  I believe this is the theme because Willy believes that to live the American dream you have to be well liked by everyone and make good money, however Biff's version of the American Dream is almost the opposite as he does not care what people think about him and just wants to like his job rather than just being successful. That is where I think I found the theme, in two opinions and Willy thinking that there is only one way to live the American dream. ]]> 2019-02-06 20:19:55 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328482016 fourmanns2009 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328534407 The theme of Death of A Salesman is the inability to accept change and denial. Willy Loman(the main character) is a man who cares all about business and wealth. Willy has two sons, and he wants them to be concentrated on the same things. When Biff says he wants to pursue his dreams of being a farmer in Texas, Willy is disappointed and tries to change his mind. Even though it might be the greatest option for Biff, Willy allows him to do anything he wants. Biff thinks the business life is boring but still goes into business so his father doesn’t feel betrayed and commit suicide. Biff and Willy argue often over this topic and this shows Willy’s inability to accept change. Another theme in Death of A Salesman is denial. Willy denies he is suicidial even though his whole family knows. Willy doesn’t take the initiative to talk to anyone about his problems so it continues to get worse. He experiences many weird hallucinations but denies all of them and just says he’s tired. The main theme of Death of a Salesman is The American Dream. Willy wants great success and wants everyone to like him. He wants to make a lot of money and become very wealthy. He wants to have a big joba  nd be successful like Charley so he can show his children its possible. Those are the themes of The Death Of A Salesman. ]]> 2019-02-06 23:14:06 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328534407 igwikee https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328560476 The theme of Death of A Salesman is very complex. In the book, Arthur Miller explores many topics that are based off of the American Dream. A prominent factor to the theme is the fact that Willy Loman (the main character) cannot accept the obvious changes in his life. His two boys, Biff and Happy, are grown up. They don't adore Willy like they used to. The soil, the town, the world around him is unrecognizable. Everywhere is industrialized, and its almost as if the world he knew slipped away. Willy constantly has to battle this startling fact throughout the play. Another major theme is the American Dream itself, and the fact that even though many aspire for it, not everyone can achieve it. The Dream was what Willy Loman was chasing all his life; to have a successful job, a wife and kids, a home, and a vast amount friends was what he desperately wanted, but never fully received. Death Of A Salesman also explores the question: When are we at our wits end? Willy still wanted to work, but his mind has gone off its rocker to the point he was seeing things, doing things, and saying things that weren't sane, and Willy definitely wasn't fit for work. This could have been because he had overworked himself physically and mentally his whole life. In his mind, he was living the Dream, but in reality he was struggling to get along, in a sense of his expectations. This could have been agonizing. The central theme, I believe, in Death of A Salesman is the fact the American Dream is aspired by many, but not always achieved, as I said before. This can cause the people who dream and not receive to fall into to "agony", or at least frustration. It could even lead to the death of their dream, or even of their ambition, hence why I think the title is Death of A Salesman (allegorically, of course). Though the story was complex, and to be honest, took a couple of rereads, the play is a brilliant work of literature, and its central ideas are worth remembering. ]]> 2019-02-07 01:27:21 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328560476 siemersemma https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328820822 The theme of Death of a Salesman is that sometimes the path to success has too many downfalls along the way to complete it. Willy Loman has spent hi entire lie tryin o become successful. He works constantly, strives to keep his marriage and family healthy, and attempts to still spend time with his friends and family. He works hard to have a good life, but as he gets older, his life gets increasingly difficult. He is fired from his job, his marriage is crumbling, his sons are disappointments, and his brother has died. Willy becomes desperate. He begs for his job back, offering to take much less pay than he needs to support his family. Willy gives up hope and begins to try to harm himself. When his family finds out about it and confronts him, he denies everything to protect his family from the truth. After Willy learns that his son Biff won’t go to get a loan because he stole from the banker, he becomes even more disappointed in his son. He gives up hope on him and they fight. At this point, Willy has sufferered so much that he has reached the edge. Willy’s path to success became so difficult that he takes his own life.]]> 2019-02-07 16:18:51 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/328820822 crazybones129 https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/329489691 Every story has a main theme and I believe that the main theme of Death of A Salesman is the American dream and how we choose to view it. I believe that the reason why Willy failed at achieving the American dream was because he could not accept the prevalent changes in his life. Willy was trying to achieve the American Dream the way it used to be instead of the way it is now and he was trying to force his children to also do the same. The world around him was industrializing and Willy could not keep up, which caused him to lose part of his sanity. I always want people to set and try to achieve high goals, but I want them to set achievable goals. I believe that Willy set an unachievable goal and once he realized that he had failed he just gave up which eventually led to Willy’s demise. In order to achieve the American dream you must never give up and if things don't go as planned try again and change the way you do things. Willy could have achieved the American dream if only he had never given up and changed how he acted and viewed things, but Instead he ended up taking his own life. He used a permanent solution for a temporary problem and ended his chances at achieving the American dream completely.]]> 2019-02-09 14:19:02 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/329489691 zentnere https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/330196586 What is the American dream? What is hope? What does success even mean? These are some of the ideas explored in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. From the very beginning of the play, Willy has great faith in his country, calling America “the greatest country in the world,” but it’s the country in which he’s so obviously failed. Biff said that Willy had all the wrong dreams, but “A salesman is got to dream, it comes with the territory.” I think the American dream proves there aren’t any wrong dreams, but instead, Willy excluded one crucial step from the achievement of his dream—hard work. He said, “a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked!” However, even if he were well-liked, Willy knew this wasn’t true. America is known as the land of the free, but, despite his pride in his country, Willy lives and dies in bondage, he’s weighed down by: His mortgage, which he never paid off, his sons’ lack of success, the need for constant deception in light of his affair, and his lack of success and popularity; the truth could set Willy free, but it’s in an unceasing struggle with wishful thinking . Willy wants to be popular and successful, so he says he is. Truth is a main theme--even Linda, who takes the role of the voice of reason, isn’t honest with herself, saying, “But where are all the people he knew?” at Willy’s funeral, when she knew that Willy hadn’t been honest about his alleged popularity. Willy’s bragging is ultimately a self-deception, but, as Bernard shows us, not everyone does this, there are two kinds of people, those who brag, and those who do. Willy shows us that those who do are often ridiculed for it, but the juxtaposition is obvious, and Charlie, the doer, was successful, but Willy, the braggart, wasn’t. Dishonesty leads us to another major theme: betrayal and abandonment. Willy was first abandoned by his father, then by his hero, Ben, he betrayed Linda with “the woman,” he loses Biff, and, somewhere along the way, he decides that his suicide, the ultimate abandonment of everything, is justified. Much of the adversity in the story is because of the initial abandonment, by Willy’s father and brother. They supposedly left to peruse success, so Willy may have grown up with the idea, perhaps subconscious, that abandonment and success are correlated. And Willy follows this in an extreme way, thinking he’s granting success to his sons through his life insurance, but we know even this was futile, financially and emotionally. ]]> 2019-02-12 05:17:43 UTC https://padlet.com/srolli1/xnr2ei77rf0p/wish/330196586