Its Hard
Paper Two Final Draft
In Death of a Salesman in light of Fences, their society’s compared in the issues of national identity, family, and the gender roles of their times. National identity is blatantly seen within these two plays but the roles families’ played is completely different. In the 1940’s the average household was trying to live the American Dream and we see the consequences of focusing on the American Dream too much through the role of Willy Loman. While the Loman family is so focused on fitting in with their society, the Maxson family is doing the exact opposite while Troy is ignoring the truth that society is accepting African-Americans as equal. We can see the main source of the negative outcomes of these plays coming from the role of the man in the household. While these two men have these flaws, these plays speak to the possibility being tragedies. Willy Loman as well as Troy Maxson each have their own flaws that complicate their households by tearing their family’s apart. Whereas both of the women, Linda Loman and Rose Maxson are the glue and loving mother type for their family’s. We can see the loyal as well as responsible acts in both of these women through their actions. The focus of national identity in light of the American Dream may have been beneficial for some families, but it was not for the Loman’s. Stuck on trying to fit in with his society, Willy was worsening his relationships with everyone in his family one by one. We can see how he does not accept Biff’s preferred lifestyle when he is talking to his wife saying, “How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand?” (1071a). Clearly we can see that the play responds to his actions in a way that will end the play tragically. In Fences, we can see Troy is taking the opposite approach in running his family in the sense that he is not trying to live the American Dream. Troy wants his son Cory to be nothing like him, but just wants him to be a hardworking man,
In Death of a Salesman in light of Fences, their society’s compared in the issues of national identity, family, and the gender roles of their times. National identity is blatantly seen within these two plays but the roles families’ played is completely different. In the 1940’s the average household was trying to live the American Dream and we see the consequences of focusing on the American Dream too much through the role of Willy Loman. While the Loman family is so focused on fitting in with their society, the Maxson family is doing the exact opposite while Troy is ignoring the truth that society is accepting African-Americans as equal. We can see the main source of the negative outcomes of these plays coming from the role of the man in the household. While these two men have these flaws, these plays speak to the possibility being tragedies. Willy Loman as well as Troy Maxson each have their own flaws that complicate their households by tearing their family’s apart. Whereas both of the women, Linda Loman and Rose Maxson are the glue and loving mother type for their family’s. We can see the loyal as well as responsible acts in both of these women through their actions. The focus of national identity in light of the American Dream may have been beneficial for some families, but it was not for the Loman’s. Stuck on trying to fit in with his society, Willy was worsening his relationships with everyone in his family one by one. We can see how he does not accept Biff’s preferred lifestyle when he is talking to his wife saying, “How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand?” (1071a). Clearly we can see that the play responds to his actions in a way that will end the play tragically. In Fences, we can see Troy is taking the opposite approach in running his family in the sense that he is not trying to live the American Dream. Troy wants his son Cory to be nothing like him, but just wants him to be a hardworking man,
Cited: Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. The Bedford Introduction to Drama: Sixth Edition. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2009. 1069-1106 Miller, Arthur. Tragedy and The Common Man. The Bedford Introduction to Drama: Sixth Edition. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2009. 1109-11 Wilson, August. Fences. The Bedford Introduction to Drama: Sixth Edition. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2009. 1484-1512